The Comeback Code: The power of resilience when the going gets tough

by Jake Bailey

A straight-up guide to getting through life's ups and downs

'The Comeback Code is direct, unpretentious and unpatronising, authentic, hugely valuable in its focus on youth.' - David Hill, Kete Books

Jake Bailey knows all about adversity — but also about resilience.

As head boy at Christchurch Boys' High in 2015, Jake delivered his end-of-year speech from a wheelchair, only a week after being diagnosed with an extremely aggressive form of cancer. His inspirational words went viral and touched the hearts of millions.

Once in remission, Jake was left with how do young people overcome adversity? Are we born with these skills or can they be learned? And, if so, can we teach people how to flourish in the face of major setbacks and not just battle through them?

In search of answers, Jake studied positive psychology, and since then has shared the knowledge he's gained with more than 100,000 people around the world.

Jake's vision is to equip the next generation with the tools to meet life's challenges, but the strategies he's developed apply to young and old. Whether it's learning to slow down, finding the humour in a situation, not sweating the small stuff, or recognising the importance of having good people by your side, this book draws on the latest research to show you what to do when life throws you a curveball — not only how to cope, but how to thrive.

265 pages, Kindle Edition

Published February 18, 2025

Reviews

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lots of good ideas here for building resilience.

[Lakshmi J Mohan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jake Bailey's THE COME BACK CODE is an insightful read on the power of resilience in the face of extreme adversities and presents effective strategies to cultivate resilience in life. The 4 S's (Slowing down - taking things one at a time, Salvaging - being able to find the good in bad moments, Streamlining - learning to minimize our fears and Standing along - seeking help from people whom we trust) are the practical steps in cultivating resilience.
Jake makes it more interesting by sharing stories from his personal fight with cacer and life experiences from other celebrities who have faced some form of adversity but have confidently fought it over and came out successfully on the other end.

[Holly Lane-Hand · Rating 4.25 out of 5]

I dread self help books, but this was actually a great follow on from his first book with some practical suggestions on how to build your resilience. Really insightful, easy to understand and not too factual/boring, and great kiwis sharing their stories/interviewed throughout. My only crisiticm was that it at times addressed high school students quite a bit, which it didn’t need to as his knowledge can be used by everyone I thought! Such an inspiration, and I have listened to many podcasts where he features.

[Ruth Reid · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book. Every parent with teenagers should read. Having been on a health journey myself I can relate to exactly what Jake is saying. Well written

[Welmoet · Rating 5 out of 5]

Inspirational, and thought provoking

[Sarah Clifford · Rating 5 out of 5]

Inspirational!