Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell

out.li.er
1. something that is situated away from or classed differently from a main or related body.
2. a statistical observation that is markedly different in value from the others in he sample.

This book is fascinating. Why hockey players are better in Canada, why Asians are better at math, sort of a new idea (and I'm all about a new vantage point) of how we view human potential.

One of the stories I find most fascinating and intriguing is about a group of Italians from one village (Roseto) who in 1882 began emigrating to Pennsylvania. By the early 1900's several hundred had built a village, also named Roseto. A few decades later doctors discovered that this folks died of old age even though 41% of their diet was fat, they got no more excercise than the average American, etc. No suicide, no alcoholism.

The physicians learned after many studies, that the reason the Rosetoans lived longer was because of they way they had set up their COMMUNITY! Because \"of the world they had created for themselves\". Three generations lived together, they all knew each other, visited, and supported each other. The town was one big extended family.

We live longer when we build family and community. What a concept.