"Candid Exposés of Failures Of Well Known Personalities"

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.

Reviewed by Norman Goldman
Posted December 15, 2002

Summary

Babe Ruth spent his childhood years in an orphanage and, as a baseball player, struck out 1,330 times...on his way to the Hall of Fame. Elvis Presley was banished from the Grand Ole Opry after one performance and told: "You ain't goin' nowhere, son." Oprah Winfrey was fired from her television reporter's job and advised: "You're not fit for TV." Author/interviewer Steve Young relates how hardships, roadblocks, rejections and even physicial infirmities cannot stop people determined to succeed! This collection of motivational stories and anecdotes of famous and everyday "failures" shows that success rests on changing "I can't" into "I will." From the worlds of business, science, entertainment, sports, education, politics and the arts come inspirational, often humorous but always helpful, reflections from those who refused to let defeat stop them on their road to victory. Personal stories by: Erin Brockovich; John Wooden; Jane Goodall; Johnny Unitas; Sam Donaldson; Teddy Pendergrass; Ann Richards; Bill Walton; Steve Allen; Billy Idol; Dr. Audrey Manley; Jimmy Breslin; and many more.