Failosophy
A Handbook For When Things Go Wrong
by Elizabeth Day
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Pub Date 1 Oct 2020 | Archive Date 31 Mar 2021
4th Estate | Fourth Estate
Description
‘Most failures can teach us something meaningful about ourselves if we choose to listen'
In Failosophy Elizabeth Day brings together all the lessons she has learned, from conversations with the guests on her award-winning How to Fail podcast, from stories shared with her by readers and listeners, and from her own life, and distils them into seven principles of failure. Practical, reassuring and inspirational, these principles offer a guide through life’s rough patches.
From failed exams to romantic break-ups, from career setbacks to confidence crises, from navigating anxiety to surviving loss, Failosophy recognises, and celebrates, the fact that failure connects us all. It is what makes us human.
With insights from Malcolm Gladwell, Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Lemn Sissay, Frankie Bridge, Nigel Slater, Emeli Sande, Alain de Botton, Mabel, Fearne Cotton, Meera Syal, Dame Kelly Holmes, Andrew Scott and many, many more, Failosophy is the essential handbook for turning failure into success.
Advance Praise
‘Elizabeth Day has revolutionised the way we see failure’ Stylist
‘A beautiful timely and humane book’ Alain de Botton
‘Elizabeth Day has revolutionised the way we see failure’ Stylist
‘A beautiful timely and humane book’ Alain de Botton
Available Editions
EDITION | Ebook |
ISBN | 9780008420390 |
PRICE | £4.99 (GBP) |
PAGES | 112 |
Available on NetGalley
Featured Reviews
What a brilliant approach to failure! There is nothing wrong when we fail, is only human and we can all learn from that.
Different examples, solution and fresh view on our flaws and fails.
Highly recommended.
Failosophy is Elizabeth Day’s brilliant guide to coping with failure. While interviewing guests for her podcast ‘How To Fail’, she came up with the 7 principles of failure - statements that are both comforting and painfully honest. I’ve attended a few of her live talks where she discusses these principles, and every time I felt like a big sister had passed on her wisdom to me. Having them written now means I’ll get to revisit them whenever I feel the need to - because failure is universal. I’d recommend this book to people who like to reflect on their lives and to people who’ve had a hard time recently and need some perspective. She concludes by saying: “life is neither wholly good nor wholly bad, but a miraculous collage of myriad different experiences which we can strive to meet equally with grace” (117).
I really love the How To Fail podcast and this is an inspirational book on the same theme. It will provide useful words of encouragement to many people.
I’m a huge Elizabeth Day fan and was so happy to see that she’s got a new book out. Even more happy to get an early copy via netgalley 🤗 Reading it was like one long episode of How To Fail but with all the best guests and the best advice and takeaways!
Elizabeth Day shares the seven failure principles in her latest book, recurring themes, advice and insight that have cropped up through the seasons of the podcast. I read this in one go, and finished feeling less alone in the struggles of thoughts and failures I’ve not dealt with or that I’m faced with just now. Also prepared with a few strategies of changing my mindset which I’ll be giving a go 👊
For anyone facing something tough just now, give this book a go and I think it help get into a better headspace and that every human has those feelings/thoughts and failures. It’s out soon, 1 October and my inbox is always open as a chat can do wonders too.
And I LOVED the chapter combining the three failures that each guest sends in, such an insight into the show and a behind the scenes look at the episodes I love.
It isn't that long since I read Elizabeth Day's previous books so I wasn't sure I would appreciate this enough but I love it. Some incredible thought provoking ideas. I love the idea of calling my self-doubt and critical self Becky. I now have an Eric, the name for my insomnia and a Becky, the name for my self-doubt. This was fabulous and is going to be a wonderful book to buy as a gift too.
I really enjoyed this book, It was a nice quick read. Such a brilliant approach to failure and how we can overcome the fear of it.
I have heard of Elizabeth Day's podcast but never got round to listening to it. Although she does reference it in the book quite a few times I don't feel that you need to have listened to it to be able to appreciate this book .
I loved the real life examples of failures and how it is possible to overcome them. The 7 failure principles are ones that can be applies to so many different situations.
I would definitely recommend this book and the podcast in now on my "to listen" list!
For fans of Elizabeth Day and her podcast How to Fail, this will be a familiar read. Following on from her book of the same name, this quick read expands on what the author has learned from the guests on her podcast and her own experiences or 'failures', turning these experiences into learning opportunities.
Whatever circumstances you find yourself in, Elizabeth's 7 principles of failure will help you work through it and see things from a new perspective. I’d highly recommend it for anyone looking for a new viewpoint on what most people would class as a failure, and it’s definitely one I’ll be keeping to refer back to when I need it.
Thank you to NetGalley & 4th Estate for the ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Elizabeth Day’s new book is a kind of extension of her previous memoir (How to Fail) and her podcast and I found it a very quick read. It’s in an extended essay format, with an introduction, a series of points, and then a conclusion, which was easily to follow but a little predictable. It does raise and address something I have often thought about her podcast; that the early male guests seemed to have no real belief that they’ve experienced failure, which made those episodes really not very enjoyable for me. The book also ends by revisiting some of the failures that guests submitted to Day, making it a must-read for real fans of the podcast. I wouldn’t bother if you’re not a listener.
I absolutely love the podcast ‘How to Fail with Elizabeth Day’ and the accompanying book so fully expected to love Failosophy. I was not disappointed. It sets out the ‘Seven Principles of Failure’ which have been devised by Day from her own experiences and those of her podcast guests in order to help us all accept failure and learn and grown from it. It is immensely readable, pragmatic and thought provoking. I devoured this book in a few hours as it is a short and punchy read brimming with advice and helpful thought processes that I will continue to dip in and out of in future. Highly recommend!
Failosophy follows on from Elizabeth Day’s fantastic book How to fail which is based on her popular podcast of the same name. She interviews famous people about their top three failures and what they have learned from them. Failosophy outlines 7 key principles of failure and what we can all gain from considering them, and potentially reprogramming our thoughts surrounding failure.
Within the book Elizabeth Day also includes quotes on the topic of failure, my favourite being Truman Capote ‘failure is the condiment that gives success its flavour’. The book is uplifting, educational and through provoking as well as incredibly sad and funny in equal parts. A great read.
I am a huge long term fan of the fantastic Elizabeth Day and have loved all of her previous work and successful podcast. This book carried on the premise of the podcast and was just fantastic. It perfectly summed up all the lessons I have been learning and thanks to this book I will be able to carry them forwards into my life. Absolutely recommend to anyone, 10/10.
A quick read (I read it in 2 hours) but also one to return to, Elizabeth Day’s Failosophy: A Handbook For When Things Go Wrong is thought-provoking and refreshingly human. In Failosophy, Day curates some of the stand-out insights and stories from her hugely successful podcast - How to Fail with Elizabeth Day - in order to come up with 7 “failure principles...intended as helpful guides through life’s rough patches.” While a lot of the book felt familiar having listened to many of Day’s podcast episodes, reading the excerpted stories were like reminiscing over a cup of tea with a friend; you remember the story but hearing it again makes the memory more profound. Those not familiar with Day’s podcast are in for a real treat. This is filled with so many take aways - both Day’s and her interviewees; you’ll be reaching for your highlighter. Day’s approach to failure is insightful, inspiring and essential.
A brilliant guide on how to. Ope with failure. Shared on the author’s podcast and now here.This is a book to pick you up lift you up and put failure behind you.Inenjoyed and learned from reading this book.#netgalley#4thestate
This is not my first book by Elizabeth Day. The concepts at times can be uncomfortable and even painful to adjust your thinking. BUT they make sense and are enlightening and I feel that they have helped me to change my mindset and thinking. I really enjoyed the book and the concept. I would definitely recommend it to friends and family. Bring on the next book