My Best Mistake: Epic Fails and Silver Linings

by Terry O'Reilly

The host of CBC Radio’s Under the Influence , Terry O’Reilly, uncovers the surprising power of screwing up The Incredible Hulk was originally supposed to be grey, but a printing glitch led to the superhero’s iconic green colour. NHL hall-of-famer Serge Savard’s hockey career nearly ended prematurely, not because of an injury, but because of an oversight. And the invention of a beloved treat, the Popsicle, began with a simple mistake. In his fascinating and meticulously researched new book, Terry O’Reilly recounts how some of the biggest breakthroughs and best-loved products originated with a mistake. Some people’s “mistakes” led to dramatic life changes—losing their jobs, their companies and often their credibility—only for them to discover new opportunities on the other shore. Other people’s mistakes seemed minor, almost insignificant—and yet they unexpectedly resulted in a famous brand, a legendary band or a groundbreaking work of art. And in a few instances, a mistake actually saved lives. The fear of failing often holds us back. My Best Mistake will change the way you think about screwing up. It will encourage you to accept mistakes and embrace the obstacles that may arise from these errors, leading you to unexpected breakthroughs and silver linings of your own.

Genres: Nonfiction, Audiobook, Business, Canada

304 pages, Hardcover

First published March 15, 2021

About the author

Terry O'Reilly, the winner of hundreds of international advertising awards, is the bestselling author of The Age of Persuasion and This I Know. He is also an in-demand speaker. His highly awarded radio programs O'Reilly on Advertising, The Age of Persuasion and Under the Influence have been broadcast on CBC radio since 2005, and his podcasts have been downloaded over forty million times. Terry O'Reilly lives near Huntsville, Ontario.

Reviews

[Carole · Rating 4 out of 5]

My Best Mistake: Epic Fails and Silver Linings by Terry O’Reilly is exactly what the title denotes. Successful people are no different than the rest of us. Their fame, fortune, good luck, etc. did not always begin with just that. Misfortune, bad timing and bad luck do not necessarily lead to a negative outcome. The author tells us about business people, athletes, artists, and others from many other walks of life who took mistakes and translated them into excellent outcomes. It’s the old adage of lemons into lemonade and the reader is treated to many examples of just that. It is an informative, well-researched and entertaining book. Highly recommended.

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun read. Terry O'Reilly is a great storyteller and narrator. He has another interesting premise with this book. Each chapter features a different person and how they overcame a mistake that might have ruined them. The stories were inspiring and absorbing, even if you've never heard of the person being featured.

[Cathy Disbrow · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this type of book where I can find out information I didn't already know. Terry O' Reilly give ys the background on the person or company that made a big mistake and lets us know what the mistake was, and what the end results of this mistake were. It's a great reminder that we are all human and we don't know where our decisions will take us, but in the end, a mistake is not always a disaster; it could lead to bigger and better things. I'll never listen to The Mamas and The Papas song "I Saw Her Again" the same way. :-)

[Nick Gabriele · Rating 4 out of 5]

Easy reading. Short stories highlighting on how mistakes turned into successes.

[Tara Gover · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great stories and inspiring.

[Franca · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting listen. O’Reilly has been writing readable non-fiction for years as well as hosting radio shows. He has a particular delivery which adds value to the audiobook.

“Epic fail” comes across as too dramatic in some of the cases but I guess he needed something to connect all the interesting origins of well known success stories.

[Janine Bowyer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Listened on audio- I have been listening to Terry O’Reilly’s Under the Influence on CBC for years. Listening to this book was just like listening to longer versions of his radio program/podcast.
Very interesting books- some stories were familiar- most were new to me.

[Bill Webber · Rating 3 out of 5]

Decent listen...some of the topics were interesting...but glad to be finished 🙂

[Jeff Swystun · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book proves that failure can be inspirational. Author, radio host and podcaster, Terry O’Reilly has surfaced twenty-four tales that highlight out-and-out mistakes. There are many books on people overcoming adversity and challenge, this one works because it is focused on discernible, tangible decisions that have impact.

A few may be familiar to you but O’Reilly adds colour and depth to his conversational telling based on first-rate research. The tale of the movie Jaws is a great one to start the book. The author’s analysis gives it more heft and illustrates his thesis cleanly. It is also an entertaining curation of stories. We get the Kellogg’s Corn Flakes recipe snafu and that is immediately followed by the sex tape scandal that nearly sunk Rob Lowe.

O’Reilly is a music fan. That will certainly come across in the chapters covering Billy Joel, The Dixie Chicks, and Sam Philips. New content for me concerned The Old Farmer’s Almanac, Ski-Doo (surprised that as a trivia buff and good Canadian that I did not know this one), Seth MacFarlane’s lucky mistake, and the humble but engaging origin of the popsicle.

Two mistake stories popped most for me. The mistake story of Stan Lee and Jack Kirby inventing The Incredible Hulk was a nostalgia trip. It includes a great take on how they were inspired by classic horror literature to create Dr. Bruce Banner/The Hulk. Once I read the chapter, Arthur Koestler’s quote came back to me, “The more original a discovery, the more obvious it seems afterwards.” I grew up on DC and Marvel comics and never came close to O’Reilly’s dissection. The mistake story is fun too.

If there is ever a Volume 2, Colonel Sanders may rate a chapter. Sanders of KFC fame had the hardest life one could imagine. And he made a string of mistakes including shooting a man in a gunfight (perhaps not mistake given the other man fired first). A far better movie than The Founder profiling Ray Kroc’s story would be The Colonel's. He ended up selling the American holdings of the chicken empire and spent his last fifteen years living in Mississauga because he retained the Canadian restaurant rights. What I enjoy most about his saga (and it is a saga!) is his perseverance and the fact he only found success as a senior.

The shortest entry was my most enjoyed. It concerns Swanson TV Dinners. It too evoked childhood memories but it most engaged because I have been mulling over writing a fun history of tv dinners. Perhaps I will get a chance to discuss that with the author as Mr. O'Reilly has graciously accepted an invitation to join our next book club to chat about My Best Mistake. We look forward to the visit and the lively discussion that will most certainly take place.

[Teena in Toronto · Rating 3 out of 5]

I saw an interview on TV a couple weeks ago with Terry O'Reilly and he was talking about this book. It sounded interesting so I thought I'd check it out ... and it was.

The stories were varied and included those about Billy Joel, Rob Lowe, Ellen DeGeneres, Seth MacFarlane, Steve Jobs, Swanson's TV Dinners, Kellogg's Corn Flakes, Jaws, Scotty Bowman, Ski-Doos, Bill Maher, the Dixie Chicks, Popsicles and more.

I liked the writing style. It was written at a high level and gave me just enough information.

Blog review post: http://www.teenaintoronto.com/2021/11...

[Doug Adamson · Rating 4 out of 5]

My wife and I enjoy listening to Terry O'Reilly's radio show Under the Influence. O'Reilly has also written a couple of books which I have read and enjoyed. This Christmas I was given his newest (I think) book: My Best Mistake: Epic Fails and Silver Linings. It was an an enjoyable and encouraging collection of stories about individuals who have experienced what could have been crushing defeats but eventually turned out to be the doorway to a greater or better situation. I thought I would share two quotes from his Afterword. "If I’ve learned anything in my career, it’s to embrace the obstacle. The answer to life’s most vexing moments is always sitting at the heart of the mistake, waiting patiently to de discovered. When you peel the problem like a banana, an opportunity slowly comes into focus. That opportunity may feel, in the moment, like a desperate gamble or a Hail Mary pass, but it’s often much more meaningful than that.

"That is the nugget here. When an epic mistake feels like it might be career-ending or debilitating or humiliating, when you feel like you may have lost your credibility, your livelihood or even your sanity, it might be destiny preparing you for what you’ve asked for all along. Just remember to ask one question: What is the hidden gift?"

[Dodie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Terry has a podcast Under The Influence. Terry’s audio book was a similar format but focusing meanful mistake that makes things better. There were two types of stories. Some were mistakes that you would think would no one could recover but through crisis comes growth. These individuals rose through the ashes like a phoenix. The second type of stories where minor mistakes and when they happen you would think that there would be no huge consequences like missing your flight because you got the time wrong. Missing your flight on September 11 is a literally is a life or death mistake. People make mistakes. Embrace the obstacles and ask What is the nugget, what is the lesson, what is the hidden gift. You might have gotten what you wanted all along.

[Theresa · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you listen to Terry O'Reilly's CBC podcast "Under the influence" a few of these stories will be familiar but not so many to discourage you from reading this book. It's an entertaining read of how perseverance can help overcome disaster or how a fail can lead to dramatic improvements. The stories are short so this book can be picked up and put down so it's a good casual read. Of course, it only tells of success stories. No-one ever writes of people who struggle and persevere but don't succeed. You'd have to read Malcolm Gladwell for that.

[Sharon · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 audiobook read by the author. Honestly this was just a really good, fun book that explores a number of situations where there is something bad that happens that ends up opening doors to success. I enjoyed the stories as well as the narration. Will have to check out his podcasts, I think they might be fun as well. A good reminder that life is not just any one moment that defines you, there is a future, if you are open to it and brave enough to carry on. I recommend this audiobook if you are looking for something light and easy.

[Candice Reads · Rating 3 out of 5]

I chose to listen to this one on audio and while I enjoyed the essay, almost podcast style format of the book, I will admit that some of the chapters were a total stretch when it came to classifying them as "mistakes".

There are parts of this book that are bang on with the theme, and come out as being inspiring antidotes about how failure is not the end of the road. I loved those chapters and will likely revisit those stories. The rest felt a little like filler and I found myself not really paying attention.

Overall, a decent read.

[Kbeckermann · Rating 3 out of 5]

Consistent with O'Reilly's style in Under the Influence and The Age of Persuasion, I enjoyed this because it is a deeper dive than his radio shows. Most of the examples were new to me, so it was fun to learn the back story of some brands/people. What was most surprising to me, was how many of the silver linings occurred because of a quirk, an unpredictable or an unusual event. If you enjoy O'Reilly's style, you'll probably enjoy this book. He reads the audiobook, making it easy to connect to if you listen to his show/podcast.

[Kendall Bist · Rating 2 out of 5]

An interesting read, but a lot of the stories seemed less like "how a mistake actually ended up causing lots of success" but rather "success was found in spite of a mistake." Rob Lowe probably would've had an illustrious career either way, for example.

I also would've appreciated a few more stories about women. Many of the subjects who got second chances probably wouldn't have if they weren't rich white dudes. Obviously the author can't rewrite history, but casting a wider net would have benefited the book and made the chapters a tad less repetitive.

[Carolyn Kerr · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a fun read! I have enjoyed Terry O'Reilly's radio shows/podcasts for many years, so I held high hopes for this book; it delivered. "My Best Mistake" reads like Terry is talking directly to his audience. I especially enjoyed the chapter on The Dixie Chicks, which combined information I remembered from recent history, as well as a new spin on the outcome. Happy to take a break from my usual favourites of mystery novels.

[Nancy Milton · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. Every chapter super story teller Terry O'Reilly walks us through a product/person background and situation, shared the mistake made and how it let to "the best thing ever" for this person or brand.
From Billy Joel to the Popsicle chapter, I enjoyed every story and devoured the booked in 48 hours. If there were five books in the series, I would pick up the second one today.

[Beth · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was so much fun. I didn’t care about some of the short stories. But a lot of them were really interesting. And my favourite story was about the chicks because I loved that one. I lived through this and it was something that was important to me as an 18 year old. And I’m so glad it didn’t sink them!!

[Chris Lynch · Rating 4 out of 5]

Terry is a great storyteller and I love his Under the Influence podcast (along with his other books). This was enjoyable and a fun read. However, I’m giving it four stars as I’ve heard a lot of the stories before (quite a few from Under the Influence or as recommend reads from the Bookmarks episodes).

[CLeibel · Rating 3 out of 5]

I did the audiobook which he narrates. If you have listened to his podcast “under the influence “some of the stories will be familiar to you. Overall, it was a solid book. Listen to it at 1.25 times speed the best take away I got from it was about embracing the obstacles. The variety of stories was interesting, although a high proportion or focussed on sports related which bores me to tears.

[Amanda Howlett · Rating 3 out of 5]

Audiobook. Terry O’Reilly is a CBC radio host so you know he’s got a voice for narrating. The stories of hearing the silver linings of failure were interesting, it kind of reminded me of a podcast and I don’t see much relisten value for me. However I did enjoy it, a great casual in the car or chore listen!

[Cynthia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting read and a great reminder that we’re all humans who make mistakes. I learned things about people/brands/groups that I didn’t know before and it gave me a different perspective about them. Although every chapter felt repetitive since the premise is the same, I still felt compelled to continue reading and learning until the end.

[James Rawly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Listened to audiobook of this and I have to say that is how I would recommend you consume the information given.

The stories were very interesting but at last these are all success stories, I do wonder how many people were never able to erase the “igg” in their biggest mistakes and what that book would read like.

4 stars

[Tegan · Rating 2 out of 5]

I find it really hard to abandon a book once I started, but I’m trying to get used to putting aside books that don’t interest me.

I really like O’Reilly’s podcast, which is why I picked this up, but after a half score of stories, I think I got the gist. I’m not sure how to really even rate this because the writing is good, but I’ve just lost interest.

Not bad, but not for me.

[Ken Kingston · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great read on how a mistake could actually be a blessing in disguise and send you in a very different direction.

It’s a book that each story is self-contained in one chapter, you can set the book down for a while and come back to it.

If you love Terry’s radio show, you will definitely enjoy this!

[Nicole · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 rounded up

I like Terry O'Reilly's show on CBC, so wanted to read this. It was a good listen! O'Reilly is good at telling an interesting story. There were a few stories that I just didn't care about, but they were very few. I was amazed that Steve Madden was the inspiration for the Wolf of Wall Street!!! Or at least one of them--he was involved in the fraud.

[Ann Peachman Stewart · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fascinating book which chronicles many times in the last century when people made a mistake which changed the course of their life, and in face, made it better. The author has done extensive research and discovered so many interesting facts. He gets to the heart of his characters and what they learned. I couldn’t put it down.

[Caitlin Foisy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book! Terry O’Reilly is such a wonderful storyteller. I particularly loved the theme of the book- how our biggest mistakes can become our best mistakes- there are often lessons to be learned and we come out stronger.