Outsider's Edge

Brent Taylor set out to find what the wealthiest self-made individuals have in common. Drawing on case studies of 17 billionaires, he concluded that they share a background of standing apart from the crowd. Figures such as Bill Gates, Richard Branson and Warren Buffett, he argues, were driven by a sense of being different from their peers, and they took pride in it.

The book challenges the usual advice about getting rich by suggesting that nonconformity can be a source of advantage rather than a handicap. It explores why being different can matter in the pursuit of success and makes the case that this trait deserves more credit than it usually receives.

Taylor, who is based in Australia, is a professional researcher with over 20 years of experience conducting market research for government agencies and corporations. That background informs his analytical approach to the biographies he examines.