Barking Up the Wrong Tree

Much of what we’ve been told about the qualities that lead to achievement is logical, earnest…and downright wrong. Barking Up the Wrong Tree explodes the myths and looks at the science behind what separates the extremely successful from the rest of us. What it reveals is that success is less about being perfect in a particular quality than knowing what you’re best at and being properly aligned with your context. The thing that sets you apart, the habits you tried to banish, the things you were taunted for in school may grant you an unbeatable advantage given the proper context. While we can’t all win Olympic Gold or Nobel Prizes, many of the methods that get people ahead are well within reach. The book will look at what works, what doesn’t and share insights on how to best navigate the world when we’re unsure. It will also reveal: Why valedictorians rarely become millionaires, why the best (and worst) US Presidents are the ones who subvert the system, and how your biggest weakness might actually be your greatest strength. How disaster survivors find the will to go on, how Medal of Honor winners keep fighting when the odds seem impossible, and how the emerging science of “mental contrasting” can help us determine when to go all-in and when to think twice.