David and Goliath

"David and Goliath is a book about what happens when ordinary people confront giants. By "giants," I mean powerful opponents of all kinds - from armies and mighty warriors to disability, misfortune and oppression. Each chapter tells the story of a different person - famous an unknown, ordinary or brilliant - who has faced an outsize challenge and been forced to respond. Should I play by the rules or follow my own instincts? Shall I persevere or give up? Should I strike back or forgive?

Through these stories, author Malcolm Gladwell, explores two ideas in his book David and Goliath. The first is that much of what we consider valuable in our world arises out of these kind of lopsided conflicts, because the act of facing overwhelming odds produces greatness and beauty. And second, that we consistently get these kinds of conflicts wrong. We misread them. We misinterpret them. Giants are not what we think they are. The same qualities that appear to give them strength are often the sources of great weakness. And th fact of being an underdog can change people in ways that we often fail to appreciate: it can open doors and create opportunities and educate and enlighten and make possible what might otherwise have seemed unthinkable. We need a better guide to facing giants - and there is no better place to start that journey than with the epic confrontation between David and Goliath three thousand years ago in the Valley of Elah." (pg 5-6)

In this surprising book the reader is challenged to change their perception of how they view any situation they encounter in life, and take a different look at things through the eyes of the underdog. In reviewing the situation of David and Goliath's seemingly miraculous battle, we see things we haven't noticed before in simply getting to the end of the story. Things we overlook in the text of what was said to each of the opponents, to what they wore and how they approached the battle. Through analyzing this is great detail from a war strategy to one of confidence, you begin to see that your own personal storms in life offer a different perspective than what you thought. I simply LOVE every single story that Malcolm used to illustrate what looked like an easy victory and showed how simply changing our perspective can offer us a small window of winning against all odds.

I received David and Goliath by Malcolm Gladwell compliments of Little Brown and Company and B and B Media Group for my honest review. I did not receive any monetary compensation for a favorable review and the opinions expressed here are strictly my own. This is such a refreshing breath of fresh air when you look at the people Malcolm uses to illustrated the points in his book, from a basketball team of twelve year old girls who were the complete underdogs and how their coach used a completely different approach to use their disadvantages to their advantage and subsequently winning the national championships. It really does change how you will begin to dissect your situations, storms, or even adversity to life to see things the way God has designed you to see them. He challenges the reader to how we think about obstacles and disadvantages, offering new interpretation of what it means to be discriminated against, or cope with a disability, or lose a parent, or attend a mediocre school, or suffer from any number of setbacks. This is a MUST READ and MUST HAVE for anyone who has had to deal with any challenge in life. I personally give this one a perfect 5 out of 5 stars.

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David and Goliath by Malcolm Gladwell

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