Very Good Lives: The Fringe Benefits of Failure and the Importance of Imagination

by J.K. Rowling

Joel Holland (Illustrator)

In 2008, J.K. Rowling delivered a deeply affecting commencement speech at Harvard University. Now published for the first time in book form, Very Good Lives offers J.K. Rowling's words of wisdom for anyone at a turning point in life, asking the profound and provocative questions: How can we embrace failure? And how can we use our imagination to better both ourselves and others?

Drawing from stories of her own post-graduate years, the world-famous author addresses some of life's most important issues with acuity and emotional force.

• ISBN10: 1408706792
• ISBN13: 9781408706794
• Publish Date: 14 April 2015
• Publish Status: Inactive
• Out of Print: 11 May 2021
• Publish Country: GB
• Publisher: Little, Brown Book Group
• Imprint: Little, Brown
• Edition: Digital original
• Format: eBook
• Pages: 80
• Language: English

Reviews

[Ace]

One day at work I noticed JK Rowling had written a non fiction book. I was curious so I placed it on reserve and let's just say that I wasn't disappointed. Even if I hadn't realised it was quite so short!

The book is honestly written with her own anecdotal evidence that even the best people in life fail and by failing you are able to become a better, more successful person. The ability to imagine yourself in situations that aren't as good as yours is a trait that will make you go far in life.

It is something we should all remember though. Life is full of failures and by failing it doesn't make you a bad or hopeless person, it makes you a human being.

[celinenyx]

A bit shorter than I had expected this to be - it is 80 pages, but most pages only have a tiny handful of words. The hardback edition is absolutely stunning, filled with drawings. Rowling is always inspiring, but in the end I wished the speech was either a bit longer, or that she had written an additional afterword for this edition.