Successful Failure: Lessons Learned Flat on My Face

Fredericks (coauthor, Marriage Be Hard) mines his rise from struggling stand-up to successful comedian for this chatty testament to the benefits of failure. Highlighting how apparent downfalls spur growth, he describes how being fired from an uninspiring day job as a banker enabled him to devote himself to his craft (“Just because a job is good for most people doesn’t mean it’s a good job for you”) and how bombing on stage motivated him to dispense with the popular “quick-hit stand-up” style and focus on developing “extended jokes and skits.” Elsewhere, he explains that such mistakes as failing to get contracts signed before working with someone taught him more responsible business practices, including vetting potential business partners and not rushing into deals. While Fredericks’s core message isn’t new, his affable tone and can-do attitude bolster his valuable advice to view one’s career in less binary terms—“Failure isn’t the end, but neither is success,” he contends, describing personal growth and fulfillment as the real payoff. The result is an upbeat encouragement for readers to pick themselves up and try again. (Sept.)