here's my review of malcolm gladwell's new book, "outliers," in today's philly inquirer. i'm not alone in my misgivings; michiko kakutani in the nytimes took a pretty similar approach. and speaking of "no science without philosophy" it is astonishing to me that in a wide-ranging, sort-of-intellectual book about success, there is no attempt at all to grapple with the meaning of 'success,' a notoriously difficult term. there are pop songs that are more reflective than 'outliers' on the basic concepts involved. doctors, lawyers, and accountants are successful, also rich entrepreneurs and sports stars: gladwell just accepts the common wisdom without a moment of reflection.