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Failosophy: A Handbook for When Things Go Wrong
In Failosophy: a handbook for when things go wrong, Elizabeth Day, author of How to Fail, and creator of the award-winning podcast, brings together all the lessons she has learned from her own life, from conversations with her podcast guests – including Malcolm Gladwell, Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Lemn Sissay, Nigel Slater, Emeli Sande, Meera Syal, Dame Kelly Holmes, Andrew Scott and many, many more – and from meeting readers and listeners who have shared their stories with her.
She has distilled all this precious material into seven key principles of failure:
1. Failure just is
2. You are not your worst thoughts.
3. Almost everyone feels they’ve failed at their 20s.
4. Break-ups are not a tragedy
5. Failure is data acquisition
6. There is no such thing as a future you
7. Being open about your vulnerabilities is the ultimate act of strength
Practical, inspirational and with carefully selected quotes from the podcast guests, who have insights into everything from failed exams, romantic break-ups and how to cope with severe anxiety, Failosophy is the essential guide for turning our failures into our successes, and the equivalent of having a chat with a good friend who wants to make you feel better.
She has distilled all this precious material into seven key principles of failure:
1. Failure just is
2. You are not your worst thoughts.
3. Almost everyone feels they’ve failed at their 20s.
4. Break-ups are not a tragedy
5. Failure is data acquisition
6. There is no such thing as a future you
7. Being open about your vulnerabilities is the ultimate act of strength
Practical, inspirational and with carefully selected quotes from the podcast guests, who have insights into everything from failed exams, romantic break-ups and how to cope with severe anxiety, Failosophy is the essential guide for turning our failures into our successes, and the equivalent of having a chat with a good friend who wants to make you feel better.
160 pages, Paperback
Published December 9, 2021
196 people are currently reading
4883 people want to read
About the author
Elizabeth Day
22 books1,825 followersElizabeth Day is an English journalist, broadcaster and novelist. She was a feature writer for The Observer from 2007 to 2016 and has written four novels.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 422 reviews
January 28, 2021
I couldn’t fully connect with this and the message didn’t seem clear enough to me.
I felt like at times what they called failure wasn’t exactly failure, a negative life event isn’t necessarily a failure I guess I’m trying to say. I’m glad it wasn’t particularly long
I felt like at times what they called failure wasn’t exactly failure, a negative life event isn’t necessarily a failure I guess I’m trying to say. I’m glad it wasn’t particularly long
September 13, 2020
This is a guide to take you through life’s rough patches, an examination of failure and what and how we can learn from it, to move on and survive with no regrets, becoming more resilient as a consequence. It is based on the authors podcast where she asked her guests to come up with three failures to discuss. She examines what failure means and then gives her ‘Seven Failure Principals’.
In the Instagram age of perfection equalling success, target setting and greater and greater demands for productivity or improving exam results and so on, this book is an invaluable source of relooking at the inevitability of some failure we are all likely to face in life. Imperfection and some failure means you are human not a robot. Elizabeth Day’s main message is to let go of the fear of failure, to reflect and build on it and emerge stronger for it and better able to deal with the things life throws at us. There is much to think about here especially with regard to changing your mind set and looking at problems in a more positive way. To admit failure actually makes you stronger not the reverse and it is courageous to show some vulnerability from time to time. There are some very moving accounts from people who have been on podcasts and one story of survival moved me to tears and is truly inspirational. The author is very honest about her own personal failures which were emotionally challenging and I guess she is living proof that ‘Failosophy’ works.
Overall, I find this to be a very insightful, inspiring and thought provoking read. It’s very well written as you would expect from a writer of the calibre of Elizabeth Day. It’s easy to read, with occasional humour and I found it best read in small chunks so I could absorb her thoughts. It’s very helpful at putting things into perspective, there’s good advice and a lot of common sense too, to just be your best self. This would be especially helpful and reassuring to anyone struggling with any issues.
With thanks to NetGalley and 4th Estate for the ARC for an honest review.
In the Instagram age of perfection equalling success, target setting and greater and greater demands for productivity or improving exam results and so on, this book is an invaluable source of relooking at the inevitability of some failure we are all likely to face in life. Imperfection and some failure means you are human not a robot. Elizabeth Day’s main message is to let go of the fear of failure, to reflect and build on it and emerge stronger for it and better able to deal with the things life throws at us. There is much to think about here especially with regard to changing your mind set and looking at problems in a more positive way. To admit failure actually makes you stronger not the reverse and it is courageous to show some vulnerability from time to time. There are some very moving accounts from people who have been on podcasts and one story of survival moved me to tears and is truly inspirational. The author is very honest about her own personal failures which were emotionally challenging and I guess she is living proof that ‘Failosophy’ works.
Overall, I find this to be a very insightful, inspiring and thought provoking read. It’s very well written as you would expect from a writer of the calibre of Elizabeth Day. It’s easy to read, with occasional humour and I found it best read in small chunks so I could absorb her thoughts. It’s very helpful at putting things into perspective, there’s good advice and a lot of common sense too, to just be your best self. This would be especially helpful and reassuring to anyone struggling with any issues.
With thanks to NetGalley and 4th Estate for the ARC for an honest review.
March 19, 2021
Q:
Our thoughts can be many things. Let’s allow them the space to be beautiful. (c)
Q:
The idea is to make listeners who are scared of failure in their own lives feel less alone, and also to reassure them that there might be hope on the other side. It was based on the premise that learning how we fail actually means learning how to succeed better. Most failures can teach us something meaningful about ourselves if we choose to listen and, besides, success tastes all the sweeter if you’ve fought for it. (c)
Q:
a journalist who told me that the Dutch have two words for failure. One is fale, which applies to your common-or-garden variety failures, such as failing a job interview or failing to get into university. The other is pech, which means a failure that is beyond our control, a rupture caused by existential bad luck which is not our fault. It has the same etymological root as the English word ‘pitch’, meaning dark or black – a term that derives from the sticky brown substance left over after the distillation of wood tar or turpentine. Pitch was used in the sixteenth century to waterproof ships. The writer Daniel Defoe used the phrase ‘pitch-dark’ to describe a hurricane in 1704. The concept of pech helps us to understand that failure can also be a state of unexplained darkness, in which it is sometimes difficult to see any crack of light.
For anyone who finds themselves in the grip of that sort of failure, there is little to be done to attack the failure itself. But perhaps we do have the power, however small, to shape our processing of, and our reaction to, times of crisis. Perhaps we can waterproof our sailing ships so that they are better equipped for the next thunderstorm.
That, in any case, is my hope. (c)
Q:
One of the most frequently reproduced inspirational quotes for millennials is ‘Dance like nobody’s watching’, which has been emblazoned on every basement toilet cut-price neon sign and decorative tchotchke since the dawn of modern time. To which I respond: how are you meant to dance like nobody’s watching when it feels as if everyone is watching, liking, commenting and judging your music taste? How can you even find time to dance? And what if you’re a rubbish dancer? Should you be taking dance lessons at the weekend to improve? Would that make you more dateable, relatable, fit and successful? (c)
Q:
The philosopher Alain de Botton explained to me that one meaningful way of looking at important relationships in your life – be they romantic or platonic – is that people are brought to you for a reason. The purpose of their interaction with you is to teach you something you need to know. Once this lesson has been taught, sometimes the person in question will move on; or you are the one who decides the time has come to sign off on a particular chapter. (c)
Our thoughts can be many things. Let’s allow them the space to be beautiful. (c)
Q:
The idea is to make listeners who are scared of failure in their own lives feel less alone, and also to reassure them that there might be hope on the other side. It was based on the premise that learning how we fail actually means learning how to succeed better. Most failures can teach us something meaningful about ourselves if we choose to listen and, besides, success tastes all the sweeter if you’ve fought for it. (c)
Q:
a journalist who told me that the Dutch have two words for failure. One is fale, which applies to your common-or-garden variety failures, such as failing a job interview or failing to get into university. The other is pech, which means a failure that is beyond our control, a rupture caused by existential bad luck which is not our fault. It has the same etymological root as the English word ‘pitch’, meaning dark or black – a term that derives from the sticky brown substance left over after the distillation of wood tar or turpentine. Pitch was used in the sixteenth century to waterproof ships. The writer Daniel Defoe used the phrase ‘pitch-dark’ to describe a hurricane in 1704. The concept of pech helps us to understand that failure can also be a state of unexplained darkness, in which it is sometimes difficult to see any crack of light.
For anyone who finds themselves in the grip of that sort of failure, there is little to be done to attack the failure itself. But perhaps we do have the power, however small, to shape our processing of, and our reaction to, times of crisis. Perhaps we can waterproof our sailing ships so that they are better equipped for the next thunderstorm.
That, in any case, is my hope. (c)
Q:
One of the most frequently reproduced inspirational quotes for millennials is ‘Dance like nobody’s watching’, which has been emblazoned on every basement toilet cut-price neon sign and decorative tchotchke since the dawn of modern time. To which I respond: how are you meant to dance like nobody’s watching when it feels as if everyone is watching, liking, commenting and judging your music taste? How can you even find time to dance? And what if you’re a rubbish dancer? Should you be taking dance lessons at the weekend to improve? Would that make you more dateable, relatable, fit and successful? (c)
Q:
The philosopher Alain de Botton explained to me that one meaningful way of looking at important relationships in your life – be they romantic or platonic – is that people are brought to you for a reason. The purpose of their interaction with you is to teach you something you need to know. Once this lesson has been taught, sometimes the person in question will move on; or you are the one who decides the time has come to sign off on a particular chapter. (c)
December 13, 2022
I find that most of the time our feelings for books do not only depend on the person. It also heavily hangs on the timing of the person picking up that book. I just happened to pick up this book when I most needed it so it felt like a friend. And I'd like to shove this tiny, pink book to everyone who would listen.
It is for the ones who obsess about failing in life, to a point of thinking not waking up in the morning as a failure. Who are still hung up over failures, huge or small, happening in the past.
Not all of these concepts are new but it's nice to be reminded of them. And it's nice to have anecdotes of people talking about their own failure and how they chose to see it. I'm just honestly a big fan of perspectives.
I should say that I like the first half of the book more than the second half, perhaps because it got a bit repeptitive, less-backed up and personal. But it's a short book anyway so it doesn't really matter.
It is for the ones who obsess about failing in life, to a point of thinking not waking up in the morning as a failure. Who are still hung up over failures, huge or small, happening in the past.
Not all of these concepts are new but it's nice to be reminded of them. And it's nice to have anecdotes of people talking about their own failure and how they chose to see it. I'm just honestly a big fan of perspectives.
I should say that I like the first half of the book more than the second half, perhaps because it got a bit repeptitive, less-backed up and personal. But it's a short book anyway so it doesn't really matter.
May 3, 2023
A short little book on famous people and their self-reported screw-up, as told on the author's podcast. Failing at exams seems to be one thing that repeated. It was comforting and fun, although I can't say that anything much stayed with me. I will probably move "how to fail" by the same author up on my reading list.
October 1, 2020
Failosophy: A Handbook For When Things Go Wrong packs a powerful punch despite only being a mere 160 pages in length. Elizabeth Day's ability to effectively change a persons mindset ever so slightly from a pessimistic view of failures to an optimistic one is exactly what sets her apart from the rest. Her revolutionary and accessible, conversational style makes it easy for anyone to begin to view both past and future failures as opportunities to learn from your mistakes rather than anything more negative. It seems deceptively simple but it's these changes to our thought processes and behaviours that impact us the most. Incremental change has the power to revitalise and invigorate your life as it did mine. If you feel you need a new outlook, and I think we all perhaps could do with a little help in that department right now, then this is a crucial part of my repertoire and should be a part of yours too. It is an indispensable book I know I will return to again and again. Highly recommended. Many thanks to Fourth Estate for an ARC.
September 30, 2020
This is a short self help book that will change your mind about how you feel when you fail at something. I have never heard of Elizabeth Day or her podcast before but she mentions it in the book. There's references to failures and how to overcome them. There is seven principles of failing and they cwn be applied to different situations.
I really enjoyed this quick read. Therenis just over one hundred pages. I found it intriguing with humour and sadness thrown into the mix.
I would like to thank #NetGalley, #4thEstate and the author #ElizabethDay for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.
I really enjoyed this quick read. Therenis just over one hundred pages. I found it intriguing with humour and sadness thrown into the mix.
I would like to thank #NetGalley, #4thEstate and the author #ElizabethDay for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.
April 4, 2021
الیزابت دی نویسنده و پادکستساز در این کتاب درمورد هفت اصلی که باعث میشود بهتر شکستهای زندگیمان را بشناسیم و با آنها کنار بیایم صحبت کرده است.
کتاب با صحبتهای نویسنده درمورد شکستهای خودش، ساختن پادکستش که گویا بسیار معروف است و صحبتها با مهمانان پادکست که منجر به نوشتن کتاب شده شروع میشود. درادامه هفت اصلی که باعث میشود شکستهای زندگی را بشناسیم و بهتر با آن کنار بیایم را شرح داده که همهی این اصلها با مثالهایی که از مهمانان پادکست آورده عینیتر شدهاند. در کل صحبت کلی کتاب این بود که شناخت خودمان و کاملترین صورت خودمان بودن بزرگترین موفقیت است.
قبل از خواندن که درمورد کتاب تحقیق میکردم متوجه شدم گویا این کتاب برای کسانی که کتاب اول نویسنده را خواندهاند و شنوندهی پادکستش بودهاند حرف تازهای ندارد.
برای من که نه کتاب را خوانده بودم و نه پادکست را شنیده بودم کتاب نکتههای جالبی داشت اما آنقدری برایم کاربردی نبود که در زندگی اعمالش کنم. بیشتر خواندن تجربههای دیگران برایم جالب بود. مخصوصا که تنوع افرادی که خانم دی با آنها حرف زده بود زیاد بود و شامل افراد معروفی مثل فیبی والر بریج میشد.
بخش آخر کتاب که نویسنده به تجربهی شکستش بعد از نوشتن کتاب و اعمال اصول روی خودش و نتیجه گرفتن از آنها حرف میزند را هم دوست نداشتم و به نظرم بیفایده بود.
کتاب با صحبتهای نویسنده درمورد شکستهای خودش، ساختن پادکستش که گویا بسیار معروف است و صحبتها با مهمانان پادکست که منجر به نوشتن کتاب شده شروع میشود. درادامه هفت اصلی که باعث میشود شکستهای زندگی را بشناسیم و بهتر با آن کنار بیایم را شرح داده که همهی این اصلها با مثالهایی که از مهمانان پادکست آورده عینیتر شدهاند. در کل صحبت کلی کتاب این بود که شناخت خودمان و کاملترین صورت خودمان بودن بزرگترین موفقیت است.
قبل از خواندن که درمورد کتاب تحقیق میکردم متوجه شدم گویا این کتاب برای کسانی که کتاب اول نویسنده را خواندهاند و شنوندهی پادکستش بودهاند حرف تازهای ندارد.
برای من که نه کتاب را خوانده بودم و نه پادکست را شنیده بودم کتاب نکتههای جالبی داشت اما آنقدری برایم کاربردی نبود که در زندگی اعمالش کنم. بیشتر خواندن تجربههای دیگران برایم جالب بود. مخصوصا که تنوع افرادی که خانم دی با آنها حرف زده بود زیاد بود و شامل افراد معروفی مثل فیبی والر بریج میشد.
بخش آخر کتاب که نویسنده به تجربهی شکستش بعد از نوشتن کتاب و اعمال اصول روی خودش و نتیجه گرفتن از آنها حرف میزند را هم دوست نداشتم و به نظرم بیفایده بود.
April 26, 2021
A self-help book that started out so bleak in its outlook, promoting "contentment" over "happiness", that I almost didn't continue. The guest speakers' stories are where this sings, yet there's not nearly enough, and it felt more like a memoir and extended advertisement for the authors' podcast, not a handbook. It was a short listen though and I did take away a few useful tidbits.
April 6, 2021
everyone i know is getting this for christmas x
February 23, 2025
Concise, insightful, interesting and accessible guide on how to fail. Because we all do. We all mess up. We all make mistakes. Own it, embrace it, and learn how to move on. It's not easy but it's life changing. Failosophy helps to find new ways on how to do it. Definitely worth a read.
January 8, 2022
4.75/5 ⭐️
I chose this book as one of the books in my 24 hours reading challenge.
I can say that this book came at the right time. At the time my pain still lingers and my grief from disappointment still cling. It’s like doing a live medical operation on me where part of my side is cut open and i can see what is happening inside and then i cry for too much reality need to be faced with.
Sigh…this book is about how to deal with failure and disappointment in life through 7 Principles the author claimed that it’s worked for her. So i guess, i should practice one or two. Reading this book basically killing my part. Small but significant! This is what i can say about this book. The cover is also cute and the size too.
The one thing that almost kills me is ‘expectation’. It’s not about expectations of other people (it might be part of it) but the most of it is the expectations i had on myself. When it doesn’t meet, i’ll be like a shattered glass that breaks until i myself couldn’t puzzle it back bcos every time it’s cracked, there will be pieces of me that are lost. And i still walk on cracking ice so i’m not safe yet.
There’s one point on how failure in a relationship where the point that relationship that fails might not end of us bcos we evolve and we need something great or better and for me its the either we or the partner could not fulfil the need of a relationship and it break. I need to plant this in my head since im having trouble hanging with all memories i had in the past relationship.
This book speaks a lot about what i feel, what i experience and how i handle it.
Recommended to be read! It’s literally talking to me, attacking me, making me contemplate much and even i’m crying to realize how many failures i am. A book that comes at the right time. Saw many good reviews on IG and do not regret including it in this challenge.
I chose this book as one of the books in my 24 hours reading challenge.
I can say that this book came at the right time. At the time my pain still lingers and my grief from disappointment still cling. It’s like doing a live medical operation on me where part of my side is cut open and i can see what is happening inside and then i cry for too much reality need to be faced with.
Sigh…this book is about how to deal with failure and disappointment in life through 7 Principles the author claimed that it’s worked for her. So i guess, i should practice one or two. Reading this book basically killing my part. Small but significant! This is what i can say about this book. The cover is also cute and the size too.
The one thing that almost kills me is ‘expectation’. It’s not about expectations of other people (it might be part of it) but the most of it is the expectations i had on myself. When it doesn’t meet, i’ll be like a shattered glass that breaks until i myself couldn’t puzzle it back bcos every time it’s cracked, there will be pieces of me that are lost. And i still walk on cracking ice so i’m not safe yet.
There’s one point on how failure in a relationship where the point that relationship that fails might not end of us bcos we evolve and we need something great or better and for me its the either we or the partner could not fulfil the need of a relationship and it break. I need to plant this in my head since im having trouble hanging with all memories i had in the past relationship.
This book speaks a lot about what i feel, what i experience and how i handle it.
Recommended to be read! It’s literally talking to me, attacking me, making me contemplate much and even i’m crying to realize how many failures i am. A book that comes at the right time. Saw many good reviews on IG and do not regret including it in this challenge.
July 9, 2021
Fazia tempo que eu nao pegava um livro desses pra ler. O famigerado livro de auto ajuda. Gostei bastante desse, fala sobre fracasso e sobre formas de desconectar o fracasso do nosso auto valor. Meio que como evitar aquela coisa de *cometi um erro* *automaticamente ja penso mEU DEUS EU SOU UM LIXOOO*
ps tem um capitulo que fala especificamente de se sentir um fracasso quando vc esta nos seus 20 anos pq vc se compara com todo mundo e etcs. achei que foi o capitulo cereja do bolo desse livro, adorei.
ps2 é um livro recente e comenta sobre a pandemia no inicio. To tao acostumada a ir pra livros para ignorar a realidade que levei um choque quando li ''covid n sei o que'' na pagina kkkkkkkk
ps tem um capitulo que fala especificamente de se sentir um fracasso quando vc esta nos seus 20 anos pq vc se compara com todo mundo e etcs. achei que foi o capitulo cereja do bolo desse livro, adorei.
ps2 é um livro recente e comenta sobre a pandemia no inicio. To tao acostumada a ir pra livros para ignorar a realidade que levei um choque quando li ''covid n sei o que'' na pagina kkkkkkkk
August 25, 2022
"We are taught to believe that success is external. We are taught to believe that success will come to us with job promotions, wealth, fame, designer clothes and superyachts. Success, we are told, is the ability to fly first class and accrue followers on Instagram and get tables at the hottest restaurants through the simple deployment of our name. We've been told that success is to be known by others, when in truth the most meaningful success is to know ourselves."
I absolutely adored 'How To Fail' and 'Failosophy' is just as good. I love Elizabeth.
I absolutely adored 'How To Fail' and 'Failosophy' is just as good. I love Elizabeth.
June 14, 2023
"Kok dia yang dapet? Kok bukan aku?" 😭
Pernah merasa seperti itu, nggak?
Beberapa hari lalu, kombinasi dari rasa lelah mempersiapkan beberapa agenda serta transisi mode liburan ke mode bekerja untuk mencari uang, tiba-tiba aku terpelatuk membaca sebuah unggahan. Perasaan yang muncul adalah sedih dan kesal. Ujung-ujungnya, jadi melihat diri ini gagal (karena tidak mendapatkan tawaran itu).
"Kegagalan adalah suatu keniscayaan", begitu tulis Elizabeth Day dalam Failosophy ini. Tujuh Prinsip Kegagalan yang ia kenalkan dibuka dengan kenyataan bahwa nggak ada manusia yang hidup tanpa mengalami kegagalan.
Betul juga. Kalau nggak gagal, aku nggak akan nyoba jalur lain. Sama halnya seperti Prinsip Ke-4 yang dikenalkan oleh Day: Putus Cinta Bukanlah Tragedi Kehidupan.
Wah, kok sangat pas begini ya 🤭
Failosophy berisi hasil wawancara Day dengan beragam narasumber untuk siniarnya yang berjudul How to Fail. Seperti nama siniar tsb, Day ingin tahu soal kegagalan orang-orang ternama & bagaimana mereka overcome it hingga sanggup bangkit (kembali). Dari semua wawancara itulah yang disarikan oleh Day menjadi Tujuh Prinsip Kegagalan. For me, semuanya make sense.
Membaca Failosophy kemarin, kayak di-pukpuk sama mbak-mbak. Dibilangin kalau aku tuh nggak gagal. Cuman caraku saja yang belum berhasil. Penolakan bukan berarti aku nggak bisa. Melainkan, pertanda buat cari cara lain.
Cara bertuturnya Day enak buat diikutin. Nggak galak & nggak pakai kata-kata kasar (for the sake of looks cool).
Anyway, Failosophy ini sudah beredar terjemahannya Indonesia-nya. Mereka bahkan nggak mengubah desain sampulnya 🫶 Aku pribadi enjoy baca edisi terjemahan Indonesia ini (terima kasih @grasindo_id)!
Jadi, buat kamu yang merasa butuh di-pukpuk karena mengalami kegagalan, sudah bisa mengakses buku ini dengan lebih mudah (yeay!).
Pernah merasa seperti itu, nggak?
Beberapa hari lalu, kombinasi dari rasa lelah mempersiapkan beberapa agenda serta transisi mode liburan ke mode bekerja untuk mencari uang, tiba-tiba aku terpelatuk membaca sebuah unggahan. Perasaan yang muncul adalah sedih dan kesal. Ujung-ujungnya, jadi melihat diri ini gagal (karena tidak mendapatkan tawaran itu).
"Kegagalan adalah suatu keniscayaan", begitu tulis Elizabeth Day dalam Failosophy ini. Tujuh Prinsip Kegagalan yang ia kenalkan dibuka dengan kenyataan bahwa nggak ada manusia yang hidup tanpa mengalami kegagalan.
Betul juga. Kalau nggak gagal, aku nggak akan nyoba jalur lain. Sama halnya seperti Prinsip Ke-4 yang dikenalkan oleh Day: Putus Cinta Bukanlah Tragedi Kehidupan.
Wah, kok sangat pas begini ya 🤭
Failosophy berisi hasil wawancara Day dengan beragam narasumber untuk siniarnya yang berjudul How to Fail. Seperti nama siniar tsb, Day ingin tahu soal kegagalan orang-orang ternama & bagaimana mereka overcome it hingga sanggup bangkit (kembali). Dari semua wawancara itulah yang disarikan oleh Day menjadi Tujuh Prinsip Kegagalan. For me, semuanya make sense.
Membaca Failosophy kemarin, kayak di-pukpuk sama mbak-mbak. Dibilangin kalau aku tuh nggak gagal. Cuman caraku saja yang belum berhasil. Penolakan bukan berarti aku nggak bisa. Melainkan, pertanda buat cari cara lain.
Cara bertuturnya Day enak buat diikutin. Nggak galak & nggak pakai kata-kata kasar (for the sake of looks cool).
Anyway, Failosophy ini sudah beredar terjemahannya Indonesia-nya. Mereka bahkan nggak mengubah desain sampulnya 🫶 Aku pribadi enjoy baca edisi terjemahan Indonesia ini (terima kasih @grasindo_id)!
Jadi, buat kamu yang merasa butuh di-pukpuk karena mengalami kegagalan, sudah bisa mengakses buku ini dengan lebih mudah (yeay!).
February 13, 2021
This little handbook for when things go wrong is a brilliant and inspiring read where Elizabeth has brought together all of her learnings about failure. She has included snippets from her famous How To Fail podcast with insights from the incredible guests that she's featured over the years, such as Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Andrew Scott, Fearne Cotton and Lemn Sissay to name a few.
In Failosophy, she shares what she believes are the seven principles of failure with the hope that these principles will help to guide us through those tough times and ultimately her handbook demonstrates that failure can teach us a lot about ourselves.
It was a short but impactful read and a book that I can refer back to in the future. I highly recommend it if you're a fan of Elizabeth Day already or if you're open to a different way of looking at failure. It might help you to change your perspective on life!
In Failosophy, she shares what she believes are the seven principles of failure with the hope that these principles will help to guide us through those tough times and ultimately her handbook demonstrates that failure can teach us a lot about ourselves.
It was a short but impactful read and a book that I can refer back to in the future. I highly recommend it if you're a fan of Elizabeth Day already or if you're open to a different way of looking at failure. It might help you to change your perspective on life!
January 29, 2021
I really enjoyed this one - it’s short and sweet and dives straight in without any fuss or fanfare. Day gives you the information you need in shortish chapters (they are short when you think of the size of the book but we’re not talking a page or two) whilst leaving quotes from her podcast guests throughout!
My boyfriend actually recommend this to me after hearing about the podcast and at first I wasn’t sure because I felt a little like it was telling me it’s okay to fail and by the end I knew it was okay to fail you just have to deal with it so for that alone I’d recommend it!
I think everyone should pick this up - I particularly liked the fact that Day explains she no longer has a five year plan and doesn’t think about future her just focuses on her present self, if there’s one thing 2020 has me trying to do is not stress about future stuff so I’m glad I picked this up!
My boyfriend actually recommend this to me after hearing about the podcast and at first I wasn’t sure because I felt a little like it was telling me it’s okay to fail and by the end I knew it was okay to fail you just have to deal with it so for that alone I’d recommend it!
I think everyone should pick this up - I particularly liked the fact that Day explains she no longer has a five year plan and doesn’t think about future her just focuses on her present self, if there’s one thing 2020 has me trying to do is not stress about future stuff so I’m glad I picked this up!
January 11, 2021
I enjoyed this a lot. Failures happen around us and to us every day but we don't post that on our social media. Especially now that we are not allowed to physically hang out, we don't seem to see other people's failures, so it feels like I am the only person in the world who is failing. This book addresses that.
As this book goes on, what I found interesting is that some of what the author describes as failures are not failures in my mind so that really help me think about how I view success and failure.
Enjoyable read. Not too heavy and a great range of stories from a variety of people (whom we consider as successful!)
I listened to it as an audiobook and I am glad I did because Elizabeth reading it made it a lot more personable and relatable to reading it off a page.
As this book goes on, what I found interesting is that some of what the author describes as failures are not failures in my mind so that really help me think about how I view success and failure.
Enjoyable read. Not too heavy and a great range of stories from a variety of people (whom we consider as successful!)
I listened to it as an audiobook and I am glad I did because Elizabeth reading it made it a lot more personable and relatable to reading it off a page.
April 4, 2021
Listening to this book felt like a long uninterrupted private therapy session on a sunny afternoon that ends with you leaving their office as the sun is setting and hurrying to join your friends for dinner at your favourite restaurant. Everything feels light and airy and you have somewhere to be.
Off to listen to the podcast!
Off to listen to the podcast!
October 24, 2020
Love the podcasts so this was clearly something I knew I would enjoy. It was very clearly organised with links to the podcasts and Elizabeth’s personal experiences. A great, short read which made me think more about how to enjoy life and not worry about getting things wrong!
April 19, 2025
Failosophy is an insightful book that focuses on experiencing all the facets of life. Our story unfolds with a mindset that you are open to the possibility of letting everything happen at its own pace while you give it your 100% and your efforts matters.
Failures are not full stops but stepping stones. Despite the commonality of such statements, Elizabeth Day has give us an podium that explores the topic of failure in a different lens. She has curated seven key principles failures that will destigmatize the absolute idea and comprehension of failure. Through her podcast guests we hear stories and life events of other people who have encountered devastating obstacles yet never once straying from the path of moving forward.
Speaking broadly on "Age of curated perfection" she has revealed truth of online culture. "Embracing failure is embracing growth" is particular quote deeply resonated with me. There were snippets of different personalities who had life changing moments as well as the personal anecdotes from Elizabeth, all of which responds to authenticate experiences of expectations and learning.
Failures are not full stops but stepping stones. Despite the commonality of such statements, Elizabeth Day has give us an podium that explores the topic of failure in a different lens. She has curated seven key principles failures that will destigmatize the absolute idea and comprehension of failure. Through her podcast guests we hear stories and life events of other people who have encountered devastating obstacles yet never once straying from the path of moving forward.
Speaking broadly on "Age of curated perfection" she has revealed truth of online culture. "Embracing failure is embracing growth" is particular quote deeply resonated with me. There were snippets of different personalities who had life changing moments as well as the personal anecdotes from Elizabeth, all of which responds to authenticate experiences of expectations and learning.
March 1, 2021
I’m not one for book reviews - I’m not good at writing. But this book was such an easy read due to its length with quirky writing, yet some of the stories were so heartbreaking. Quite a few of the stories of failure were relatable and made me realise, so many people put you down for failing OR tell you NOT to put yourself down if you’ve failed, but what I’ve never thought about before until reading this book, is that it’s OK to accept you’ve failed and to learn from your failures.
What’s more is that it gives you an insight into the lives of some familiar names. Someone who is a ‘celebrity’ and is ‘famous’ surely can’t possibly have problems and failures? Wrong. They are just people like you and me and sometimes the people who appear from the outside to “have it all” are the ones struggling the most.
Pardon the book pun in a book review but:
*Don’t judge a book by its cover*
(PSA Goodreads has missed off 36 pages of this book - it’s actually 148 pages not 112!)
What’s more is that it gives you an insight into the lives of some familiar names. Someone who is a ‘celebrity’ and is ‘famous’ surely can’t possibly have problems and failures? Wrong. They are just people like you and me and sometimes the people who appear from the outside to “have it all” are the ones struggling the most.
Pardon the book pun in a book review but:
*Don’t judge a book by its cover*
(PSA Goodreads has missed off 36 pages of this book - it’s actually 148 pages not 112!)
December 6, 2020
This was just what I needed to read this year! It's a very short book – you could read it in one sitting, but it's also good to dip into. Elizabeth Day's words are useful, honest and reassuring, but my favourite part was the section at the end, consisting of Day's celebrity podcast guests describing three things in their lives they feel they've failed at. To know that even such successful people still experience failure and disappointment (and not just silly, small things, but huge life-changing disappointments)– well, it might seem obvious, but I for one needed to be reminded of it. This would be a great book to start your 2021.
August 2, 2021
They say that books find us at the right time. That’s how this feels with this one…
A quick and yet impactful read to inspire your Monday✨
A quick and yet impactful read to inspire your Monday✨
Read
May 18, 2022“Life is texture. Experiencing all facets of existence - the good and the bad - enables us to appreciate them fully.”
August 10, 2020
Failosophy is Elizabeth Day’s brilliant guide to coping with failure. While interviewing guests for her podcast ‘How To Fail’, she came up with the 7 principles of failure - statements that are both comforting and painfully honest. I’ve attended a few of her live talks where she discusses these principles, and every time I felt like a big sister had passed on her wisdom to me. Having them written now means I’ll get to revisit them whenever I feel the need to - because failure is universal. I’d recommend this book to people who like to reflect on their lives and to people who’ve had a hard time recently and need some perspective. She concludes by saying: “life is neither wholly good nor wholly bad, but a miraculous collage of myriad different experiences which we can strive to meet equally with grace” (117).
December 31, 2021
TW/ Suicide, Miscarriage, Death as well as other triggering topics.
Reread (end of 2021): the perfect reread for the end of the year to enable a clear vision heading into the new year :) actually loved this book more this read around and bumping it to a 5 star!
I throughly enjoyed this book. It's a compilation of stories and lessons Elizabeth Day has learnt about how failing can be seen as a success. She speaks on her own personal experiences as well as drawing on other people's stories, who she has interviewed on her podcast "How to Fail".
I felt like a lot of the things discussed in this book made me realise how much of my life I was still looking at as a failure when just a change of perspective can allow it be a success. I really enjoyed this book and it was a great start to my mini non-fiction challenge I've set for myself in 2021.
Reread (end of 2021): the perfect reread for the end of the year to enable a clear vision heading into the new year :) actually loved this book more this read around and bumping it to a 5 star!
I throughly enjoyed this book. It's a compilation of stories and lessons Elizabeth Day has learnt about how failing can be seen as a success. She speaks on her own personal experiences as well as drawing on other people's stories, who she has interviewed on her podcast "How to Fail".
I felt like a lot of the things discussed in this book made me realise how much of my life I was still looking at as a failure when just a change of perspective can allow it be a success. I really enjoyed this book and it was a great start to my mini non-fiction challenge I've set for myself in 2021.
June 4, 2021
Do you sometimes pick up a random book out of your bookshelf thinking well I’m just giving it a try, not expecting or thinking anything particular of it at all, and then realizing that this exact book was exactly what you needed to read at this exact moment? Well, this was it for me. That’s THAT exact book I NEEDED to read at exactly this specific time in my life. I cried, I laughed and I cried a loooot more. This book wasn’t telling me things I didn’t lowkey know already, but reading it at a time where I was feeling as lost as I’ve ever been, was so comforting. Reading things I desperately just needed to hear and get in my dumb negative brain was exactly what I needed. This deserves more than 5 stars, this deserves a trillion stars because that book, as stupid and cliché it might sound, saved me.
December 22, 2021
This is a really quick and accessible guidebook laying out 7 principles to reframe our mindsets on failures from being a negative, tragic and defining event to learning something from them, not letting them define who we are and normalising failures as part of being human.
What I love is how much sense this handbook makes. So much of the advice 100% resonates given my tendencies to be an over thinker, overachiever and perfectionist so whilst I perceive those as my ‘failures’, I am learning so much about myself and I’m going to continue to do so throughout my life.
In a world where it is so easy to compare against others through veil of social media, this is a much needed reminder that we are all swimming in our own lanes and there is not one definition of success. I am definitely guilty of doing this as life events have led me to be somewhere completely unexpected in my 30’s to where my 20 year old self thought I would be.
The nuggets of advice in quotes and sharing failures shared by what we all perceive as successful writers, comedians, TV personalities, help to highlight the commonality we all share in viewing failures and makes us feel a little less alone in our thoughts on this subject.
Highly recommend as a book to keep on your shelves and pick up when a particular event knocks you sideways and you need a reminder that everything will be ok.
What I love is how much sense this handbook makes. So much of the advice 100% resonates given my tendencies to be an over thinker, overachiever and perfectionist so whilst I perceive those as my ‘failures’, I am learning so much about myself and I’m going to continue to do so throughout my life.
In a world where it is so easy to compare against others through veil of social media, this is a much needed reminder that we are all swimming in our own lanes and there is not one definition of success. I am definitely guilty of doing this as life events have led me to be somewhere completely unexpected in my 30’s to where my 20 year old self thought I would be.
The nuggets of advice in quotes and sharing failures shared by what we all perceive as successful writers, comedians, TV personalities, help to highlight the commonality we all share in viewing failures and makes us feel a little less alone in our thoughts on this subject.
Highly recommend as a book to keep on your shelves and pick up when a particular event knocks you sideways and you need a reminder that everything will be ok.
September 3, 2021
Sometimes you read the right book at the right time in your life. I listened to this little book as an audiobook and found it both touching and reassuring. I think the way Elizabeth Day and her guests interrogate this idea of failure, where we got these ideals or standards that we hold our self to and how to change our inner dialogue and perceptions is really inspiring and perhaps something that should be taught from a young age. I definitely teared up a few times and a few light bulbs went on in my brain! I could really relate to a lot and it has made me reflect and rethink things in my own life. Highly recommend especially if you're hard on yourself or feel a bit lost in your twenties!
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