I think I have read every book Malcolm Gladwell has written, starting with Tipping Point. I remembered enjoying What the Dog Saw, but also thinking he was running out of good ideas. David and Goliath was probably 50% too long. I read through this book quickly and was not inspired or entertained.
How can the underdog win? They would need to try very hard to find an unconventional way in which they have an unusual advantage over the opponent, the favored. Why would the favored side lose? They underestimated the weaker opponent, was over-confident in their strength, or was unaware of one of their fatal weak points. Malcolm Gladwell found seven or eight historical examples to illustrate these points. The conclusion? Sometimes, the underdog wins and the favored loses. Really, Malcolm? You needed to write a book for this?
Everyone must still work hard to become the favored. A soldier should drill. A basketball team should practice. A student should study. A nation should try to build its armada up larger and bomb shelters stronger. A company should try to be more profitable, more competitive, and more prepared for environmental surprises. These are conventional wisdoms that are tried and true.
No one should strive to be the underdog with insurmountable odds. More importantly, no one should count on being the David to beat the Goliath. For 1000 of those Davids, 999 died quickly and one lived to tell the amazing story.
The true lesson of this book is for the Goliaths. Those who were over-confident and unaware of their weaknesses may face their demise. History really punished the arrogant big Goliaths. The well-prepared giants really never lost.