NWC News Desk

Executive Book Club's final discussion for the semester scheduled for May 25

Posted May 10, 2010
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POWELL, Wyo. - Business, education and agricultural leaders are invited to the final Executive Book Club (EBC) discussion of the semester.

Offered through the Northwest College Center for Training and Development (CTD), the club is led by Rick LaPlante, a retired Microsoft Corp executive.

“Rick is an avid reader of business and leadership texts and has presented several roundtables on leadership for the college,” NWC Training and Development Training Manager Kay Dooley said.

The final EBC meeting of the semester is Tuesday, May 25, from 6:30-9 p.m. at LaPlante’s house.

May’s EBC selection is Outliers: The Story of Success by Malcolm Gladwell. Ten copies are available at the NWC Bookstore for $27.99 plus tax. The book explores why some people succeed, living remarkably productive and impactful lives, while so many more never reach their potential.

“Challenging our cherished belief of the ‘self-made man,’ Gladwell makes the democratic assertion that superstars don’t arise out of nowhere, propelled by genius and talent,” Dooley said. “The author asserts that they’re the beneficiaries of hidden advantages and extraordinary opportunities and cultural legacies that allow them to learn, work hard and make sense of the world in ways others cannot.”     Examining the lives of outliers from Mozart to Bill Gates, the book builds a convincing case for how successful people rise on a tide of advantages, “some deserved, some not, some earned, some just plain lucky.”

“The book club is an excellent way to keep current on the latest thinking and literature that affects our work,” Dooley emphasized.

Discussing chosen works during two- to three-hour meetings, members are encouraged to express agreements and disagreements with authors’ ideas and their applications in real world situations in the Big Horn Basin.

There’s no cost (other than the book) to participate, and light hors d’oeuvres will be served.

Email the Powell Center for Training and Development for more information or to reserve a spot in the EBC, or call (307) 754-6062.