In discussions of success, a controversial question has been what factors most determine success. On one hand, Amy Chua and Jed Rubenfeld say their triple package is key. On the other hand, Malcolm Gladwell argues that culture, practice and luck are the most essential parts of success. Gladwell lays out the facts and gives the reasons behind all of his stories. In his book, Outliers, he writes: “When outliers become outliers it is not because of their own efforts. It's thanks to the contributions of many different people and many different circumstances, and that means that we, as a society, have more control over who is successful – and how many of us are successful – than we think.” (p. 7-8; Reading Group Guide) After reading the entire book, I agree with Malcolm Gladwell when he says that culture, practice, and luck are the most important factors in success. In Malcolm Gladwell's book, Outliers, he analyzes the factors that contribute to high levels of success. To support his thesis, he examines why the majority of Canadian hockey players are born in the early months of the year, how Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates achieved his extreme wealth, how the Beatles became one of the musicals of more successful acts and how cultural heritage plays an important role in society. In the back of the book, David Leonhardt explains: “In understanding successful people, we have come to focus too much on their intelligence, ambition, and personality traits. Instead Malcolm Gladwell argues in Outliers that we should look at the world around successful people: their culture, their family, their generation, and the unique experiences of their upbringing. In addition to telling the stories of the many successors, he gives advice... halfway down the page... when to use it. In contrast, luck is more likely to just happen, while impulse control is a skill. My feelings on the matter are mixed. I support Amy Chua and Jed Rubenfeld's position that their triple trait package is essential, but I find Malcolm Gladwell's research more compelling. While Chua and Rubenfeld provide ample evidence, Malcolm Gladwell's convinces me that his factors are what most determine success. In conclusion, then, as I stated previously, the factors that most determine success are still an ongoing debate. Works Cited Kenyon, April S., and Allegra J. Lingo. “What is a superiority complex?” WiseGeek. Conjecture, March 23, 2014 Web. April 28, 2014. Gladwell, Malcolm. Outliers: The success story. New York: Little, Brown, 2008. Print.Chua. Amy and Rubenfeld, Jed. “What drives success?” The New York Times, January 25, 2014. Print.