How are we shaped by our successes and failures? Who impacts the decisions we make? And how can a book written by a total stranger help you? With candor, humor and unabashed self-deprecation, I've embraced what makes me unique and hope my story inspires you to do the same.

Things they don't teach in school ... but you'll wish they did. The late, great, personal development guru Jim Rohn lamented, "It's too bad failures don't give seminars. Wouldn't that be valuable? If you meet a guy who has messed up his life for forty years, you've just got to say, 'John, if I bring my journal and promise to take good notes, would you spend a day with me?'" Well, Jim, your wish has come true. As a time-honored expert in the art of failure, author Mark Aspelin has demonstrated exceptional skill by messing up in nearly all of the important areas of life: relationships, money, health, education, career ... the list goes on. How to Fail at Life: Lessons for the Next Generation is the ultimate "what not to do" guide, filled with stories of self-inflicted catastrophes, completely avoidable suffering, and mindless forms of life wreckage - with some inspiring tales of redemption that reveal the secrets for how to live a happy and fulfilling life. Mark wrote this book for his son, as a fun way to pass on timeless success principles, just in case Mark gets hit by the proverbial beer truck. Learn how to FAIL SMART You won't find any fancy buzzwords or "secret formulas" that are guaranteed to give you fame, fortune, enlightenment, and six-pack abs in 30 days without leaving your couch. Mark has read a bazillion books in the personal development space and quickly found that the principles of success are simple and consistent and have been documented ad nauseam. Why are the same success principles used again and again? Simple. They work. Mark has packaged these life lessons within stories of people who've learned them through the School of Hard Knocks. You'll find true, inspirational stories of failure and redemption. You'll see a few household names that you may know well, as well as some obscure and unknown names. If Mark has done his job well, you'll also see a bit of yourself in these stories. After all, that's one of the goals of this book: to give you a chance to pause, reflect, and say, "Hey, that's me!" Then you can decide if you need to make some changes to get back on track. There really is a right way and a wrong way to fail in life. For the few key areas that you want to develop and master, failure is something to be actively pursued and celebrated. It may sound strange, but when you fail fast and fail big in those few vital areas, you'll be on the fast track to accomplishing your definition of success. For the other areas of your life, the right way to fail is to let others do it for you and learn from their mistakes. Staggering amounts of time and suffering can be avoided by learning from the mistakes of others. When it comes to failure in most areas of life, it's better to watch the movie than be a character in it. Rest assured, you'll still have plenty of opportunities to fail in life, but you might as well narrow down the list so you'll fail "smart." This one's for you, Jim Rohn. Mark is happy to spend a day with you to show how failure is really done. Get ready to take some notes.

The thrill of victory…the agony of defeat. We're not talking about just any failure. Design failure. So public. So humiliating. How do designers who are really, really good (we swear!) turn a disaster into a triumph? Read this book and find out, as dozens of top names reveal the heartbreaking—and sometimes hilarious—mistakes they have made and talk about how they were able to grow from the experiences. Self-delusion, overcommitment, procrastination…they’re all here. Poor communication, missed deadlines, enraged clients…yes, they’re here too. Read Design Disasters and weep? No! Read Design Disasters and be inspired to find the silver lining in even the cloudiest situation. Featuring essays by: Henry Petroski • Alissa Walker • David Barringer • Allan Chocinov • Peter Blegvad • Ross MacDonald • Robert Grossman • Ina Saltz • Warren Lehrer • Rob Trostle • Ralph Caplan • Richard Saul Wurman • Marian Bantjes • Rick Meyerowitz • Amanda Bowers • David Jury • Veronique Vienne • Francis Levy • Colin Berry • Nick Curry • Debbie Millman, and more!

The author offers anecdotes and experiences with failure in his own life to help readers reconsider how they view past mistakes and to use past failures to overcome hardship and succeed later in life.

J.K. Rowling, one of the world's most inspiring writers, shares her wisdom and advice. In 2008, J.K. Rowling delivered a deeply affecting commencement speech at Harvard University. Now published for the first time in book form, VERY GOOD LIVES presents J.K. Rowling's words of wisdom for anyone at a turning point in life. How can we embrace failure? And how can we use our imagination to better both ourselves and others? Drawing from stories of her own post-graduate years, the world famous author addresses some of life's most important questions with acuity and emotional force.

New York Times Bestseller Over 2.5 million copies sold For David Goggins, childhood was a nightmare -- poverty, prejudice, and physical abuse colored his days and haunted his nights. But through self-discipline, mental toughness, and hard work, Goggins transformed himself from a depressed, overweight young man with no future into a U.S. Armed Forces icon and one of the world's top endurance athletes. The only man in history to complete elite training as a Navy SEAL, Army Ranger, and Air Force Tactical Air Controller, he went on to set records in numerous endurance events, inspiring Outside magazine to name him "The Fittest (Real) Man in America." In Can't Hurt Me, he shares his astonishing life story and reveals that most of us tap into only 40% of our capabilities. Goggins calls this The 40% Rule, and his story illuminates a path that anyone can follow to push past pain, demolish fear, and reach their full potential.

Fail! And we are stamped for life. Don’t we try and run from failure all our lives? But, ‘spontaneous doing has to go through failures.’ Acknowledging failure is singularly the most difficult thing to do. It takes tremendous courage to come out and say, yes, I failed. Shweta Punj chronicles sixteen such leaders who have celebrated their failure as much as their success. Each story is an anatomy of failure. So whether it was the difference between ‘need’ and ‘want’ that led Abhinav Bindra to miss that winning shot, or whether it was a suicide attempt that pushed Sabyasachi Mukherjee into fully realizing his potential—these stories will prod you to look at failure differently.