Named by Robert K. Merton from the Gospel of Matthew ('For unto every one that hath shall be given'), the Matthew Effect describes how small initial advantages accumulate into large ones. The Canadian hockey example — where being born in January gives a child a physical advantage that compounds through better coaching, more practice, and elite team selection — is the book's most elegant demonstration. The concept applies far beyond sports: early reading ability, first job quality, initial investment capital, and family educational background all compound in ways that the meritocratic narrative systematically ignores.