Great Failures of the Extremely ...(Hc)

Reviewed by Kim Peterson for Reader Views (1/06) Nearly every human wrestles with failure. Some failures are minor setbacks that sidetrack us for awhile. Others knock us off our chosen path and leave us reeling from the impact, questioning our capabilities and our worth. In this collection of inspiring stories about successful people tale after tale reminds the reader that "... failure is part of the process that breeds success." All the people in the stories have something in common: they summoned the strength to keep going. Perhaps they continued to travel their original path or traveled another road, but they kept moving ahead stepping into a new phase of discovery and growth. The contributors acknowledge that failure came from many sources: themselves, others letting them down, major disappointments, even poor health. Each person illustrates that what pushed him/her toward eventual success was his/her attitude toward failure and finding the courage to try again. Great Failures is organized into ten chapters; each comprised of mini-segments giving the book a "Chicken Soup for the Soul" feel by permitting readers to consume as little or as much as they desire in a sitting. Motivational quotes appear on almost every page and each segment is followed by humorous trivia about successes and failures throughout history. Stories include activists, sports figures, politicians, media personalities, authors, musicians, celebrities, researchers and more. Recognizable names like Ann Richards, Erin Brockovich, Teddy Pendergrass, Bill Walton and Ed Asner will entice readers to pick up the book. The inspiring stories will keep them reading. I felt challenged by the odds these people faced on their journeys to success. Jane Goodall's thoughts about the value of friends during a disaster, Clive Cussler's persistence in writing despite nasty reviews of his books, and Stephen J. Cannell's courage to readjust to life after the death of his teen-aged son all remind me of the importance of overcoming adversity.

Great Failures Of The Extremely Successful by Steve Young (a man who failed college four times; discharged from the army after three months; divorced; fired from 23 jobs in the summer of 1968; failed businessman; losing contestant on both "The Dating Game" and "The Gong Show"; dropped from four literary agencies; and the recipient of a "gazillion" book, television and film rejections) is a collection of unique anecdotes about the stumbling blocks many famous and wealthy people encountered on the way to success, ranging from basketball star Bill Walton, to humorist Steve Allen, to advocate Erin Brockovich. Offering valuable life lessons, and most of all, emphasizing the importance of getting back on the metaphorical horse after being thrown, Great Failures Of The Extremely Successful is an enjoyable, enlightening, motivating, and highly recommended addition to any self-help, self-improvement reading list or library reference collection.

This is a realistic book that the "average Joe/Josephine" can relate to. After being turned off by many "new age" books whose philosophies seemed impossible to live up to, I read one chapter of this book and knew that the author, Steve Young, was a real person, someone just like me; not a fraud, not a guru, just a fellow human being who has amazingly turned failure into a "plus". I found that concept so odd, so creative, that I had to read on.For all you cynics out there, for all you content people, for absolulety anyone from anywhere who's experienced anything or everything, you'll finally read something fresh, something new.Definitely an easy read for the thinking person! Loved it!

Finally! A book that takes away the stigma of hitting the potholes of life and helps us see that we cannot truly rise until we have fallen.Full of stories that touch, inspire and teach you to never give up on yourself! In today's uncertain age, this book teaches you through other's examples that you are not alone! A great book to read and share with others.

As a community college English instructor, teaching adults who are often struggling with their perceived failures, I am utilizing Steve Young's book, Great Failures of the Extremely Successful, as a resource. Overwhelmed by low self-esteem and toiling under the shadow of past defeats, a student can find inspiration in Steve Young's book. Open it; it's a toolbox for better living. For anyone interested in finding the courage to change the things that can be changed, this book will serve as a guide. Supplement it in class with a novel such as, This Boy's Life, by Tobias Wolff or non-fiction such as Ruben Martinez' recently published book, Crossing Over, or Thinking in Pictures, by Temple Grandin.The only thing that Steve Young's book cannot fix are my car problems, which are numerous. Despite that, I relish Great Failues of the Extremely Successful. This book helps me see that I (a single mother of two, and the driver of an unlovely, little car with over 216,000 miles on it), am also an extremely successful person, in my own right. I can only offer one warning. If you are bent on being unwrinkled by life, or if you recently invested a lot of money in botox injections, read Great Failures of the Extremely Successful with caution. The laughter and tears in this volume will make smile-lines on your soul. Read it with delight!