Nathan

Did you even read the book?  Did Mr. Gladwell ever in the book make a point such as: every successful person in the world, including people such as Shakespere or other artists who were only fully appreciated long after their time, benefited from happy chance.  No.  Moreover you even hit on this point very specifically in your article that he in fact covers how important meaningful work is over and over again.

So let me please be clear here in what this book was to me when I read it: it was a book that, contrary to Mr. Brooks assertion, was not at all about politics of the moment or getting swept away with new discoveries but rather talked to people in Mr. Gladwell's very accessable tone about the effect that we can have on one another and each others' success.  Not every person is going to be Mr. Shakespere of course, but Mr. Gladwell's point Mr. Brooks is that if you were truly the successful person you seem to think you are you would realize that given the right push and incentive you could help others to be successful too.  There will always be outliers but we each can certainly do our part to move the bell shaped curve as far towards the successful outliers as we can.  

I am in a bit of a fiery mood after my skin cancer surgery yesterday but before we get to the holiday season and I start to cool off a bit I wanted to write you a good bye letter.  

I can't wait to see you go but honestly I am worried that you dug us too big of a hole.  I knew that you would be a failure as you have been in everything you have done in your life, but man, I had no idea.  Amazing.  I know it is easy during these down times to get too down just as people get too up during high times, but it does seem that my poor daughter is still going to be dealing with your legacy.

Is this how you wanted things?  The small shopowner in Maui certainly seemed to think this was all planned out and things are happening exactly as you and the folks that fill your empty suit want, but damn if I know.  I can't comprehend what is happening in that crazy head of yours.  Sometimes, like even in this recent interview, I am not sure even you do.  

I do know though that no one likes to be disliked and likes to have a terrible legacy and perhaps a historically terrible legacy ('Worst President Ever' is not a stretch) but what I wonder: when you are sitting around and eating your pretzels, trying not to choke, are there people around you just verbally felating you because they, for instance, made $14 billion dollars last quarter?  I simply have to guess so.  I have to guess this is the only way you block out the screaming voices of our dead and injured soldiers and console yourself: 'I did the right things for my rich friends.  I needed to help the rich.'  

Of course I don't know and I am not sure this will ever be known, but let me put briefly: I can't wait for you and your empty suit to go.  Thank god my daughter will be born in a new age and will not ever have to know personally the shittiness that was you and your administration.