Wrong!: The Biggest Missteps Miscalculations Ever Made People Who Should Have Known Better

by Jane O'Boyle

Anyone who's ever felt chagrined after making a big, embarrassing mistake will appreciate Wrong!--a collection of laugh-out-loud blunders, bad predictions, and bad ideas from some very smart and successful people. For example:

"I think there is a world market for maybe five computers." (Thomas Watson, IBM chairman, 1943)

"I'm just glad it'll be Clark Gable who's falling on his face, and not Gary Cooper." (Gary Cooper, on turning down the role of Rhett Butler in Gone With the Wind)

"The band's OK, but if I were you I'd get rid of the singer with the tiretread lips." (BBC radio producer on rejecting the Rolling Stones at a 1963 audition)

Organized by category (e.g., Music and Movies, Technology, Business, etc.), Wrong! reminds readers that even the best and brightest among us are not immune to screwups and moments of bad judgment.

Genres: Nonfiction, Humor

90 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published November 1, 1999

Reviews

[Jeffrey Waters · Rating 2 out of 5]

Wrong is a lighthearted book with a bunch of quotations and anecdotes about epic mistakes. It is a subject of interest to me because I observe in the world how infrequently people acknowledge error. They think it's a sign of weakness when actually it's a sign of strength. And in many cases small mistakes that could've been nipped in the bud if acknowledged early instead become epic catastrophes.
So I thought this might be a quick and illuminating read. But I didn't really find it to be so. Many of the quotes and anecdotes are somewhat shopworn and cliched. It's no harm, no foul as reading the whole thing takes less than an hour and others might enjoy it a little more.

[Pete · Rating 2 out of 5]

a mildly amusing quick read

[Theresa F. · Rating 2 out of 5]

There was a lot of information in this book that I'd already read or heard about from other sources. Consequently, the work seemed more suited to casual readers, rather than to those who make a habit of reading these types of books.
Did I like it? It was okay.
Would I reread it? Probably not.
Would I recommend it? Only to people who don't frequently read books in this vein.

[Roger]

when i get around to perusing it, i'll let you know if the "Bill Gates, 640kb of RAM should be enough for anyone" quote is in here. it looks to be all stuff like that!