Great Failures of the Extremely Successful pbk Reviews

• Offering valuable life lessons

  
  By A14OJS0VWMOSWO on 2002-10-06
  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.
  
  

• Well worth the read!

  
  By A21NVBFIEQWDSG on 2005-09-27
  In his preface, author Young states: "Parents, teachers, coaches, business supervisors, religious authorities, authors and critics of all sorts, inadvertently or not, have been responsible for dulling aspirations and destroying dreams." Isn't that so true!
  
  From failure (and/or punishment) many of us are afraid to try again. For those who say, "I can't" without ever saying "I'll try," -- this book's message will shake you into trying again.
  
  Steve Young has collected over 60 personal stories of failure from entertainers, adventurers, medicine, politics, business, war, and so much more. A few are stories I've heard, most are new to me. Some writers are famous; others not. All have the message that failure is the "best thing" that ever could happen to them.
  
  Starting with Erin Brockovich, the authors range from Jane Goodall to Jamie Goldman, John Wooden, Bill Walton, Steve Allen, Ann Bancroft, Guy Gabaldon, Robert Townsend and Sam Donaldson and a whole of lot other interesting people in between.
  
  The stories are all great. I had to read every word. This is NOT a book I'll pass along -- it will remain mine, but I will tell everyone about it.
  
  I liked the one about Minnesota Viking's Jim Marshall who ran the wrong way and made a touchdown for the other team. He admitted his mistake, learned from it -- and in telling others, it allowed people everywhere to share mistakes they made and never told anyone about until they told Marshall.
  
  After the stories, the second best thing is the wonderful collection of quotes focusing on failure and success.
  
  The third great element is end-of-chapter quickies like Accidental Achievements (about things invented by accident), Unbelievable Understatement and Red-Letter Rejects (all about famous writers that were rejected again and again before someone finally published their work).
  
  Armchair Interviews says: An amazing collection of "get-off-your-duff" stories to energize and support you to try again -- to rise from failure to success, or to look at your failures in a different light
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

• Success is not Final, Failure is Not Fatal

  
  By A1NOLOIB69PC2J on 2004-04-26
  Sir Winston Churchill once stated: "Success is not final, failure is not fatal; it is the courage to continue that counts."

  This adage is the constant theme running through the personal accounts of 60 contributors to a book entitled GREAT FAILURES OF THE EXTREMELY SUCCESSFUL: MISTAKES, ADVERSITY, FAILURE AND OTHER STEPPINGSTONES TO SUCCESS authored by Steve Young. Young's narrators cover a broad spectrum of well-known as well as lesser-known personalities. Each recounts candidly their personal experiences where they were able to stand up to adversity.

  Young divides the book into ten chapters each of which is prefaced with a quotation. Within these chapters Young endeavours to situate the appropriate narrative that would most aptly suit the intent of the quotation. For example, the first chapter's theme is based upon the assertion of Albert Einstein:

  In the Middle of difficulty lies opportunity To illustrate the author presents Nanette Fabray's narrative as to how she overcame her hearing handicap.

  Chapter four's preface is a quote from Ralph Waldo Emerson: Men succeed when they realize that their failures are the preparations for their victories It is within this context where we learn how Tony Curtis did not permit anti-Semitism and his lack of a formal education stand in the way in preventing him from learning six languages, and becoming a painter, actor, writer and poet.

  Chapter seven's words of wisdom is a quote from Violeta Parra, Don't cry when the sun is gone, because the tears won't let you see the stars Here we learn about Sonny Hill who was a legend in the old professional Eastern Basketball League and one of the first African-American announcers for the National Basketball Association. How Hill overcame the ugliness of racism and how as he states "although it was hurtful, I found that this gave me the tools to deal with life. I learned something from those bad times by evaluating what was really happening."

  One of the shortcomings of this book is that it overwhelms the reader with too many contributors. The author has fallen into the trap of saturation. No doubt, he has done a great deal of research and some of the stories are worthy of recounting. However, would have not the book been more effective if the author had provided 30 well developed narratives rather than 60 bite size anecdotes? It is important that an author knows when to stop.

  Norm Goldman Editor of Bookpleasures
  
  

• The Story Behind the Celebrity

  
  By A3LS6OJMQ9ME6K on 2002-11-01
  Great stories of the (rich) and famous, most of whom overcame adversity. A collection of 62 autobiographies as told to Steve Young. The subjects are leaders in every field. This book is upbeat, fascinating and fun to read.

  I highly recommend this book.

  Dan Poynter, ParaPublishing.com.
  
  

• Deceptive title but enjoyable

  
  By on 2003-01-10
  This seemed to be more of a self help book than anything. Some of the individuals described in the book hadn't overcome any exceptional adversity. I would go so far as to say some of the people were included in the book to merely to magnifiy their hardships in order to justify their affluence. However there were a handful of intriguing stories. The whole book is brimming with great insprirational quotes. Worth reading but don't expect it to top any best seller lists.
  
  
• Seeing Failure In A New Light -- Bright, Happy, Free
  By on 2002-09-10
  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!
  
  

• An Inspiration
  By A8RX3I9AXW3HI on 2002-09-12
  This is an inspirational book about turning "I can't" into "I will." The philosophy of the book is that our mistakes are necessary for growth. We don't learn from being perfect; we learn from our failures. If we persevere, we can succeed.
  It consists of sixty contributions from people (many in entertainment and sports) who have overcome adversity and achieved success. Some faced external adversity; others had handicaps they had to overcome. The contributors are impressively honest about their problems, such as bed-wetting, school failure, poor decisions, stuttering and alcoholism, and how they managed to overcome them.
  On many pages there are inspirational quotes. There are also predictions of failure which history has proven shockingly wrong. Almost every invention that is now a fixture in our lives - radio, TV, telephone - was originally thought to be impossible or useless. Failure was even predicted for the Beatles!
  The pieces read like the spoken word, not the written word. They are heartfelt and represent the wisdom of people who have struggled and persevered. They are truly inspirational.
  
  
• A New Vision for the 21st Century
  By A39N7J8N40EBY6 on 2002-09-10
  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.
  
  
• Great Failures of the Extremely Successful
  By A2XY1SD3ED5Q8Q on 2002-09-11
  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!
  
  

• Strength to keep going
  By A1YZ3IJXI2J119 on 2006-01-28
  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.
  
  
  

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