“The inheritance of social status appears to survive great levellers like universal education, the welfare state, world wars and revolutions.”
I think he’s wrong. It’s not that “the compulsion to strive, the talent to prosper and the ability to overcome failure are strongly inherited”. It’s that kids learn from their parents what’s important in life.
http://www.abroadintheyard.com/rare-surnames-reveal-how-success-is-inherited-over-centuries///cdn.embedly.com/widgets/platform.js