In the second chapter of his book "Outliers: The Story of Success", Malcolm Gladwell introduces what he believes to be a key ingredient in the recipe for success: practice. According to him, the number of hours needed to practice to achieve expert-level proficiency in a particular skill is ten thousand hours. He goes on to list several examples of successful individuals and connect the number of hours they practiced their skills and the point at which they achieved expert-level proficiency (almost always around ten thousand hours of practice). While the magic number seems to be the main focus of the chapter when it comes to success, Gladwell seems to place more emphasis on the advantage and opportunities experienced by each individual. However, I believe the defining factor in their successful careers was their drive, passion and dedication to putting in the hours needed to turn those unique opportunities into success. Gladwell repeats the ten thousand hours number several times throughout the chapter and states that researchers believe “the magic number for true proficiency” is ten thousand hours (40). I agree that it takes a significant amount of practice to go beyond mere proficiency and become an expert in many areas. However, I'm not completely convinced by the ten thousand hour number. Many people work more than forty hours a week, fifty weeks a year, for a total of more than 10,000 hours over a five-year period. How many would consider themselves “experts” after just five years of practice? Repetition, especially imperfect repetition, does not lead to perfection. Practice needs to be structured and focused so that you can develop your strengths while improving your weaknesses. While 10,000 hours can't make someone an expert... half the paper... same level of access? Why was Gates more experienced and successful than all of them in the end? Gates said it was his “obsession” (52). He had a passion for computers and programming that drove him to sneak out at night and put in the long hours needed to become an expert. I have no doubt that the amount of practice each individual put into their craft played an important role in their career. paths and overall success. However, I disagree that “opportunity” was the distinguishing factor in their success compared to others. More important than simply having an opportunity is seeing that opportunity where others don't and having the drive and passion to work hard and put in the hours necessary to turn that opportunity into a success. Works Cited Gladwell, Malcolm. “The 10,000 Hour Rule.” Outliers: The success story. New York: Small, Brown, 2008. 35-55. Press.