How to Fail at Almost Everything and Still Win Big, Scott Adams
1) What was the general theme or argument of the book?
This book was about how to accept failure and use it to your advantage. The author explained times in his life that he had failed, which led him to create Dilbert (a famous comic strip), and ultimately success. He uses examples from his personal life to show how failure happens to everyone, but it is not always a bad thing. The overall argument is that failure should not mean giving up or quitting, it can be a useful experience on the path to success.
2) How did the book, in your opinion, connect with and enhance what you are learning in ENT 3003?
I think this book definitely connects with what we are learning in ENT 3003. The book is based on the life stories of an entrepreneur, so it already relates. It talks about the ups and downs in his career and what he learned from them. Basically the book is about how to use failure to your advantage, which is a key part of being an entrepreneur. Considering most entrepreneurs fail at one point or another during the process, it is an important skill to have.
3) If you had to design an exercise for this class, based on the book you read, what would that exercise involve?
Considering this book is about how to handle failure, I think there could be a class exercise about that. When something goes wrong during a semester (like a bad interview, questioning your business idea, rewriting the elevator pitch, etc.) students could use these as a learning experience. In the real world failure would be different, but in this class we could practice the ability to bounce back from it with these small issues. Its about practicing the mentality that failure can be a beneficial experience.
4) What was your biggest surprise or 'aha' moment when reading the book? In other words, what did you learn that differed most from your expectations?
There were a couple different things that surprised me in this book. One of them was the author's opinion that "goals are for losers. systems are for winners." I have always heard how important it is to have goals and dreams, so I was not expecting to hear that they are for losers. However, the further I read, the more I understood what the author was trying to say. Systems (methods for how to live your life) are the way to getting what you want, not just having goals.
Hey Alison,
ReplyDeleteI like the theme of this book. I think failing is the best way you can learn. If you fail at something you learn how not to do something. It helps one learn better than in a classroom. After failing you learn how to pick yourself up and what not to do next time, which can help you make the right choice next time.
Hi Alison. It looks like we read the same book! I, too, was intrigued by the message the author was providing. Failure can never be prevented, however, it's important to learn from mistakes and think of them as another opportunity. With a mindset concentrated on goals, an individual may never reach them because they are too concerned on accomplishing a big one. Rather, the minor achievements in life should be the motivation that drives people to where they want to be.
ReplyDeleteHi Alison, I really liked what you wrote in your reading reflection. I had also done the assignment on this book and found it very interesting. I found it very relatable to this class and that it does a lot for understanding what is going on in the class. Failure is something everyone faces so learning to see it as a success is important.
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