Fail, Fail Again, Fail Better

July 6, 2015
For Boulder, Colo.–based Naropa University’s 2014 commencement ceremony, Chödrön (When Things Fall Apart) told new graduates that “knowing how to fail well” is an essential—and neglected—life skill. Chödrön, an American Buddhist nun, popular author, and student of the late Chögyam Trungpa, urges her audience to hold the “rawness of vulnerability in heart” rather than blaming self or others. This volume pairs a transcript of the very short speech, accompanied by abstract black and white drawings, with a more substantive interview with her publisher, in which Chödrön talks candidly about her personal experiences with failure and explores self-hatred, human goodness, and fear. She provides insightful suggestions for how to move forward into life despite crushing failure, how to turn regret into empathy and compassion, and how to cope gracefully with a failing body. This small book, an appropriate gift for recent graduates or anyone facing a challenging transition, also contains sustenance for loyal Chödrön fans, and introduces new readers to her gentle wisdom for living in a “world where there are a lot of things that aren’t fixable.”

July 1, 2015

Chodron is one of the rock stars of contemporary spiritual life. Born Deirdre Blomfield-Brown in New York City, the author converted to Buddhism in her thirties, became a disciple of Chogyam Trungpa, and ultimately the leader of the Boulder Shambhala Center in Colorado. She is also the author of such works as The Wisdom of No Escape and Start From Where You Are, which brought her a wide, attentive audience. This latest book arose from a request to speak at her granddaughter's commencement. Chodron presents wisdom inherent in allowing oneself to fail. The text has been enlarged by brushstroke-like artwork, a follow-up interview with Sounds True founder and publisher Tami Simon, and an introduction by entrepreneur Seth Godin. VERDICT This brief text has all of the pleasures of a stocking-stuffer but is suitable to other seasons as well and by no means limited in its appeal to followers of Buddhism or recent graduates.

Copyright 2015 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.