Reading :: Your Hidden Superpowers

Your Hidden Superpowers: How the Whole Truth of Failure Can Change Our Lives
by Becca North

Becca North teaches courses in our HDO program. Over the holiday break, I saw her book in the Kindle store and decided to pick it up. That was a good move: This engaging book is full of inspirational stories about how people constructively deal with failure. If failure is something you struggle with, definitely consider picking this book up.

To explore failure, North draws on her own interviews with well-known people, biographies of historical figures, and psychological literature on failure. Based on these sources, North argues that failure does not have to be something to be avoided or ashamed of. Rather, it "can be a catalyst for bringing about what we yearn the most—to live a life that is true to ourselves" (pp.236-237). North sees failure as a way to reach authenticity as well as to improve, and she discusses how successful people handle failure in order to yield later successes.

As someone who regularly preaches the value of failure, I approve of the message. More than that, North's writing style is clear and accessible to readers at any level. If you know someone who struggles with accepting and processing failure, consider pointing them to this book.