Do you think that Gladwell exposes a real truth about IQ and success in life?

Overview
Although the author, Gladwell acknowledges that 10,000 hours of practice at a skill or endeavor certainly does produce expertise at the skill, he also discusses that 10,000 hours is not the only factor that helps people to be a success. In the case of the Beatles, Bill Joy, and Bill Gates, each of these examples clearly show that they worked 10,000 hours and they were certainly talented people, but Gladwell also points out that: “But what truly distinguishes their histories is not their extraordinary opportunities. (Gladwell 55). Gladwell further explains that these were luck on some part but also “hidden opportunities that outliers benefited from” (Gladwell 56).
In regard to genius, Gladwell debunks many assumptions about the relationship between genius, as in high IQ, and being successful in life. He uses several examples of different people who possessed a very high IQ, and he also referenced the statistical data of what happens in graduate programs. One of the points he makes is that to get through a good challenging graduate program you need a basic IQ of about 115, which is not that high. According to Gladwell, “In general, the higher your score, the more education you’ll get, the more money you’re likely to make, and–believe it or not –the longer you’ll live.” (Gladwell 79). Yet! Gladwell continues with the important caveat that success and IQ are not always compatible: “The relationship between success and IQ only works up to a point. Once someone has reached an IQ of around 120, having additional IQ points doesn’t seem to translate into any measurable real-world advantage” (Gladwell 79).
Assignment
Please read over my comments above and also assess what you read in the book.
Explain your reaction to the Gladwell’s assertion that it was not simply the fact that many of the successful artists, computer programmers and athletes put in long hours–presumably even more than 10,000 hours, but in fact their success was also to some degree dependent on their birth date, access to certain venues, connections, or even, luck? (60 Words)
Do you think that Gladwell exposes a real truth about IQ and success in life? (40 Words)
Explain your thoughts on success. Is it the result of having a high IQ, money that will guarantee opportunities, hard work, or luck? (40 Words)
How do you personally define success for yourself? (35 Words)