Experts now believe that Goliath may have suffered from acromegaly, a disease caused by a benign tumor of the pituitary gland.

And these are the qualities one would want in a future king: bravery, a strategic mind, and a willingness to lead from the front and set an example. Gladwell puts forth many reasons why Goliath’s victory over David was anything but a foregone conclusion, but the most illuminating may have to do with the giant’s health. He is willing to step forward, even as a youngster, and face a physically overpowering enemy alone. DAVID AND GOLIATH by Malcolm Gladwell Core Message - YouTube 0:00 / 8:05 Introduction DAVID AND GOLIATH by Malcolm Gladwell Core Message Productivity Game 560K subscribers Subscribe 45K. The message it imparts to readers is nevertheless valuable because, even if David wasn’t quite the underdog he’s usually taken to be, he demonstrates a keen understanding of military tactics in order to defeat a much larger, brutish foe. In a collection of essays, Malcolm Gladwell explores the relationship between power and prestige on the one hand and weakness and struggle on the other. In the coming chapters, Malcolm Gladwell plans to tell stories of people who, like David, faced oversized challenges and had to find ways to respond. Forget the difference in size between the two opponents: it’s the weapons that matter, and David was the one with the clear advantage.īut as Swenson also observes, the story of David defeating Goliath is still a powerful tale. Underdogs, Misfits and the Art of Battling Giants. When a giant Philistine warrior, Goliath, dares the Israelites to end the standoff by single combat, the Israelites send a shepherd boy, David. But a ‘sling’ is, as Malcolm Gladwell pointed out in his David and Goliath: Underdogs, Misfits and the Art of Battling Giants, hardly a ‘child’s toy’: it was a highly dangerous military weapon which enabled the wielder to kill an opponent from a distance (so they couldn’t get within slashing distance of you with their sword, for instance), often with just one shot to the head. Malcolm Gladwell, the original speaker for the Authors at Google series, returns to Mountain View for a discussion about his latest book: 'David and Goliath'.

David and goliath by malcolm gladwell