What is the author's style in Outliers: The Story of Success by Malcolm Gladwell?

Outliers is presented in two main sections with an introduction and an epilogue. Part One, which includes chapters 1 through 5, is entitled "Opportunity." Part Two, which includes chapters 6 through 9, is entitled "Legacy." The names of the main sections reflect the two main contributors to individual success in Gladwell's theory. A person must have the opportunity to become very good at something and must also be supported by a cultural legacy that rewards what they do.

In the introduction, Gladwell sets out his intentions for the book. He wants to explain the external factors that contribute to individual success. Gladwell names each chapter after one of the concepts he develops within it. He also opens each chapter with a quotation that relates to the chapter's content. In the epilogue to the book, the author tells a personal story of his own family's history, in which he applies the concepts he has developed in the book. End notes and an index are also included. Within the text of the main sections, Gladwell occasionally makes use of tables to present information about which he makes generalizations and from which he draws supporting evidence for his theory.

Gladwell is making an argument that the factors he identifies as contributing to success should be further identified and put into place to improve educational practices. The overall structure of the book follows the form of an extended essay, with examples given to illustrate the author's underlying reasoning, moving to a set of conclusions and then to a suggestion of how these conclusions might be used in practice.