Right Kind of Wrong by Amy Edmondson Summary
Overview of Right Kind of Wrong
Discover why failure is your greatest asset in Harvard professor Amy Edmondson's award-winning "Right Kind of Wrong." Named Financial Times Business Book of 2023, it reveals three types of failures that drive innovation. Daniel Pink calls it essential: "No skill is more important than learning from failure."
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Key takeaways
The Failure Paradox: Why Success Demands Getting It Wrong
A five-year-old girl lies on an operating table in 1951. Dr. Clarence Dennis stands ready with his experimental heart-lung bypass machine, about to attempt what no surgeon has done before. Despite meticulous preparation, the operation reveals an unexpected condition-multiple heart holes rather than one-leading to uncontrollable bleeding and the child's death. A month later, a second attempt fails when human error causes air to enter a two-year-old's blood supply. Two devastating losses. Yet today, millions of successful open-heart surgeries happen annually using descendants of Dennis's machine. These weren't just failures-they were essential stepping stones toward medical progress. This paradox sits at the heart of a revolutionary insight: not all failures deserve blame, and some deserve celebration. The question isn't whether we'll fail, but whether we'll fail intelligently.
Three Faces of Failure: Learning to Tell Them Apart
Why Our Brains Betray Us: The Psychology Behind Our Fear of Failing
Reading the Room: Why Context Changes Everything
The Bigger Picture: How Systems Create Unintended Consequences
Building Your Failure Toolkit: Practices That Transform Setbacks Into Stepping Stones
From Personal Practice to Cultural Transformation
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"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
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From Columbia University alumni built in San Francisco
"Instead of endless scrolling, I just hit play on BeFreed. It saves me so much time."
"I never knew where to start with nonfiction—BeFreed’s book lists turned into podcasts gave me a clear path."
"Perfect balance between learning and entertainment. Finished ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ on my commute this week."
"Crazy how much I learned while walking the dog. BeFreed = small habits → big gains."
"Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."
"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."
"BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."
"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."
"BeFreed replaced my podcast queue. Imagine Spotify for books — that’s it. 🙌"
"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."
"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"
"Instead of endless scrolling, I just hit play on BeFreed. It saves me so much time."
"I never knew where to start with nonfiction—BeFreed’s book lists turned into podcasts gave me a clear path."
"Perfect balance between learning and entertainment. Finished ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ on my commute this week."
"Crazy how much I learned while walking the dog. BeFreed = small habits → big gains."
"Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."
"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."
"BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."
"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."
"BeFreed replaced my podcast queue. Imagine Spotify for books — that’s it. 🙌"
"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."
"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"
"Instead of endless scrolling, I just hit play on BeFreed. It saves me so much time."
"I never knew where to start with nonfiction—BeFreed’s book lists turned into podcasts gave me a clear path."
"Perfect balance between learning and entertainment. Finished ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ on my commute this week."
"Crazy how much I learned while walking the dog. BeFreed = small habits → big gains."
"Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."
"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."
"BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."
"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."
"BeFreed replaced my podcast queue. Imagine Spotify for books — that’s it. 🙌"
"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."
"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"
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