You probably know or have heard of Malcolm Gladwell. He wrote two other best-sellers: The Tipping Point and Blink. I hadn't read them but am now reading the former (quite good!).
Outliers, The Story of Success, was a fascinating read. Have you ever wondered how big a factor talent was in the success of people like Bill Gates or Steve Jobs?
Or what about Mozart? Wasn't he just plain talented? What I mean is: wasn't it talent that made him who he was?
The Beatles--same question.
If you answered "yes", you'll find Outliers to be a remarkable and astonishing book. The above "talented" people/groups all had something in common before they had talent. The best news of all is that we can all benefit from it.
Outliers completely shifted the way I look at success and helped me hone in on what it takes to rise above in anything I undertake to do. It even revived old goals I have had, such as becoming competent with a musical instrument; and I now know just how and when I'm going to conquer that goal.
If you're in the business of being successful in any field of endeavor, I urge you to read this book. It's a real eye-opening mythbuster.