Ams Strong
An Interview with Failure by Sam Yankelevitch has one of the most original concepts in a book I have read. The principal theme of this book is a philosophical debate about failure and how we perceive it in different situations. A fictional character, Robin, interviews another character, Failure, amidst eager spectators hoping to have their most pressing questions about failure answered by Failure. The interview started with a perspective on the etymology of the word failure but then quickly switched into an intense back-and-forth between the interviewer and the interviewee on various issues, such as the fictional nature of failure, widespread perceptions of failure and success as opposites, the need to take action and be flexible regardless of our previously-held ideal expectations of life, and much more.
What I like the most is how therapeutic the interview is. I found myself more confident as I read through, finding answers to my worries, all while the author's fictional creativity entertained me. The concepts discussed during the interview are not new per se; they bear semblance to those of neurolinguistic programming. What makes this book unique and refreshing is the author's use of various analogies to drive home his points. For example, the author mentioned that the constellations of stars are nothing but the fruits of our imagination. The stars in them do not lie on a flat surface like the planes on which we represent them. Of the billions of possible constellations in the night sky, we chose to see specific patterns to which we attached meaning. Likewise, we don’t have to stick to the definitions of failure bequeathed to us by our ancestors; it is up to us to decide what these words mean in our lives.
I rate this book five stars out of five. This book is well-edited, with an original concept based on a fictional interview. The lengthy interview featured in the book was engaging and thought-provoking. There are no instances of sexual or violent content in this book, but only one censored profanity. I have nothing negative to say about this book. I recommend it to readers of all religions.
