Each question should have at least one paragraph (4-6 complete sentences).
1. What are some features of the Eastern culture that gives them a built-in advantage in mathematics compared to the West?
2. Why do rice paddies play such an large part in the Eastern culture? In your opinion, does the American culture have its own “rice paddies”?
3. To Schoenfeld, the trick to mathematics is not innate ability but attitude. What does he mean by this and how did Renee demonstrate his point?
4. Who are the two historical figures mentioned by Gladwell that believed that the mind can be “exhausted” and should not be “over-stimulated” or “over-studied”? What did they think about school and studying?
5. According to Gladwell, America does not have a school problem but a summer vacation problem. Do you agree? Why or why not?
6. What does an average day for Marita look like at KIPP Academy? What does the academy offer her that public school did not?
7. What was the name of the book that Gladwell’s mother wrote? What kinds of opportunities did she have that helped in her success?
8. What advantages did the Jamaican social structure and culture offer that benefited the Mulattoes? Compare and contrast their advantages to a previous story or successful individual in the book.