"Such assessments turn individuals into pawns of their cultural heritage, just as Mr. Gladwell’s emphasis on class and accidents of historical timing plays down the role of individual grit and talent to the point where he seems to be sketching a kind of theory of social predestination, determining who gets ahead and who does not — and all based not on persuasive, broadband research, but on a flimsy selection of colorful anecdotes and stories."

1. We have just spent an entire presidential campaign during which we were reminded at every turn (and rightfully so) that the gap between rich and poor is growing, and this seems to dovetail nicely with a "theory of social predestination." Having anecdotes and data to try to explain the mechanism for how this works seems a worthwhile undertaking.

2. Why does she want Gladwell to research high speed Internet connections?