For my last reading reflection, I read How to Fail at Almost Everything and Still Win Big by Scott Adams.
1) What was the general theme or argument of the book?
1) What was the general theme or argument of the book?
The general theme of the book was Scott explaining the multiple failures he had, and how he has overcome them. Despite countless failures, Scott is an extremely successful cartoonist who battled a few medical conditions that hindered his professional career. The most notable 'failure' he had was losing his ability to speak from a rare disease. Despite not having any recognized cures or trusted treatments, he was able to overcome this large adversity.
2) How did the book, in your opinion, connect with and enhance what you are learning in ENT 3003?
This book connected to the topic of failing in ENT3003. People generally don't like to fail, and some entrepreneurs avoid failing because it's not a pleasant experience. However, Scott provides a completely different perspective on failure. By laying out numerous failures he encountered along with his methods to overcome them, the book successfully provided insight on how to fail and still be successful.
3) If you had to design an exercise for this class, based on the book you read, what would that exercise involve?
I would design an exercise where the students would have to adapt one of Scott's methods to their own lives and report the results. For example, Scott wrote a section about the importance of diet and exercise. He explained that he meticulously tracked each food he ate and reported how that food made him feel after. By doing this, he figured out which foods gave him sustainable energy, and which foods made him tired a few hours later. I think it'd be a cool assignment for students to do, and it would allow them to learn more about their personal habits and patterns.
4) What was your biggest surprise or 'aha' moment when reading the book? In other words, what did you learn that differed most from your expectations?
My biggest surprise reading the book was his perseverance through all the failed ventures he encountered. If I was in his position, I think I would've given up on many of the business ideas and ventures he pursued. I originally thought the book was going to be about knowing when to recognize failure and determine whether or not to push through or concede, but rather the book was about how Scott gathered information about the failure and used some unconventional methods at times to continue on.
My biggest surprise reading the book was his perseverance through all the failed ventures he encountered. If I was in his position, I think I would've given up on many of the business ideas and ventures he pursued. I originally thought the book was going to be about knowing when to recognize failure and determine whether or not to push through or concede, but rather the book was about how Scott gathered information about the failure and used some unconventional methods at times to continue on.
Hey Tara,
ReplyDeleteI also read How to Fail at Almost Everything, and really enjoyed it! I found Scott extremely inspiring. The fact that he faced so much adversity, both in his health and his career, and was still able to overcome everything demonstrates that you can achieve success as long as you learn and have a positive attitude towards failure.
Hi Tara!
ReplyDeleteI think you made a very good point about how people don't like to fail, but failure is a part of everything. I like how you stated Scott empathized that failure. is a part of everything and it doesn't have to be an adverse experience. I think that is a very good point and that is true for most things.
This sounds like an interesting book to read and it sounds like you really enjoyed it. Im really intrigued with the part where Scott journaled his food. That is a really interesting concept and it sounds like it would be really helpful exercise. Im also surprised to hear that Scott was suffering from a rare disease on top of all that. It sounds like a really inspiring and practical book that I would be interested in reading!
ReplyDeleteI think your assignment idea for this book is really interesting. I personally spend a lot of time making sure my diet is healthy and exercising each day so I definitely agree that paying attention to these tasks can teach you a lot about how you work and the best approach to success in many aspects of your life, not just health. I think it’s a good idea to have business students examine other aspects of their lives while also connecting them to what they’re learning for business.
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