The Italians from Roseto who's intimate and culturally isolated town, lead to them living longer and healthier lives than their peer towns. This as a result of their happy and community based lifestyles. Even whilst smoking and drinking! They were 'Outliers', a statistical anomaly if viewed through 'conventional' glasses
Canadian hockey and many other sports select people apparently based on merit, however, the competitiveness is such that from a very early age players are selected and 'streamed' accordingly. Given the rapid rates of maturation in youth, for example, this leads to.......
kids being selected for the under 9's A team consistently for being 8yrs and 10+mths old far more regularly than those just turned 8. From there on they get better support, coaching and confidence building feedback such that by 18 years, 75% of the playoff team is born in Jan, Feb or March as a result of the cut off being Jan 1st.
Outliers is known for suggesting the 10,000 hour rule as it applies to achieving expert status at something (I hope the pilot of this aeroplane has more than 10,000 hours!). Gladwell puts forward a convincing argument, although I suspect the examples aren't
