Fail Up: 20 Lessons on Building Success from Failure

This timeless quote by Nobel laureate Samuel Beckett has served as an inspiration for Tavis Smiley’s unprecedented success. By reflecting on his missteps, misdeeds, and miscalculations, the award-winning television and radio broadcaster has learned that while failure is an inevitable part of the human journey, it can also serve as your wisest teacher. As he celebrates his 20th year in broadcasting, Smiley urges you to reconsider how you view your past mistakes. Every day that you wake up, you get another chance to get it right, to bounce back from failures big and small—to fail up.

     In Fail Up, Smiley steps from behind the curtain of success to recount 20 instances of perceived “failures” that were, in fact, “lessons” that shaped the principles and practices he employs today. You will find a kinship in Smiley’s humanness that inspires, informs, and reminds us of our inherent ability to achieve and grow in spite of life’s inevitable setbacks.