Fail Up: 20 Lessons on Building Success from Failure

This timeless quote by Nobel laureate Samuel Beckett has served as an inspiration for Tavis Smiley’s unprecedented success. By reflecting on his missteps, misdeeds, and miscalculations, the award-winning television and radio broadcaster has learned that while failure is an inevitable part of the human journey, it can also serve as your wisest teacher. As he celebrates his 20th year in broadcasting, Smiley urges you to reconsider how you view your past mistakes. Every day that you wake up, you get another chance to get it right, to bounce back from failures big and small—to fail up. In Fail Up, Smiley steps from behind the curtain of success to recount 20 instances of perceived "failures" that were, in fact, "lessons" that shaped the principles and practices he employs today. You will find a kinship in Smiley’s humanness that inspires, informs, and reminds us of our inherent ability to achieve and grow in spite of life’s inevitable setbacks.

From his celebrated conversations with world figures, to his work to inspire the next generation of leaders as a broadcaster, author, advocate, and philanthropist Tavis Smiley continues to be an outstanding voice for change. Currently, Smiley hosts the late-night television talk show, Tavis Smiley on PBS, The Tavis Smiley Show distributed by Public Radio International (PRI), and is the co-host of Smiley & West (PRI). He is the first American to simultaneously host signature talk shows on both public television and public radio. In addition to his radio and television work, Smiley has authored 14 books, including the book he edited, Covenant with Black America, which became the first nonfiction book by a Black-owned publisher to reach #1 on The New York Times bestseller list. He is also the presenter and creative force behind America I AM: The African American Imprint—an unprecedented traveling museum exhibition celebrating the extraordinary impact of African American contributions to our nation and to the world. In 2009, TIME magazine named him to their list of "The World’s 100 Most Influential People." This year, 2011, marks his 20th year in broadcasting.