How to fail in life without really trying.

Gossip. Backstabbing. The Blame Game. Slacking. Irresponsibility. Incompetence. Lack of accountability. Unethical behavior. Harassment.

What do these things have in common? They are all part of the rat race many of us run five or more days per week, and are fodder for the sacred golden calf called capitalism, as evidenced by recent economic events. What is peculiar is that many of us tolerate, and perhaps even passively or actively contribute to the proliferation of this madness, making a day at the office anything but pleasant and far from fulfilling.

Too harsh? I don't think so, especially after reading How to Become a Total Failure: The Ten Rules of Highly Unsuccessful People by Bill Guillory, Ph.D. and Phil Davis. In fact, I took a fresh look at my professional behavior as well as my interactions outside of the workplace. That is the point of the book.

The paperback format, and thinness of "Failure's" 114 pages may lead you to underestimate it. The catchy title begs comparison with "7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen R. Covey. Do not make this mistake. "Failure" is neither as complicated nor as "sophisticated" as "7 Habits..." . It is not bogged down with complicated "progressive" business concepts. There's not one page of flow charts, graphs, or diagrams. You won't need to stop every couple of paragraphs to look up words like pedagogy or paradigm. This is not a business book for business people written in business jargon. "Failure" is for us working Joes and Josies. Don't let these characteristics fool you,though. This book has power.

That power lies in "Failure's " simplicity. Bill and Phil, by showing us what we may be doing to sabotage our success, lead us on a journey of self-examination. As they tell us in the introduction, "...failure is success in disguise." They share their psychological, business, and life experiences in laymen's terms, so the lessons they impart apply not only to our professional lives, but also our personal relationships.

The format is simple to follow. Each "Rule For Failure" gets a chapter. Each chapter begins with an explanation of its rule, which is then demonstrated by two or three real-life stories that the authors have collected from various and sundry associates. One or two anecdotes address professional situations, and the remainder are about family issues(This ratio varies from rule to rule). At the end of every chapter, there's a brief conclusion of its topic. The only contention Bill and Phil assert with which I disagreed was the philosophy that one's practice of the "Rules for Failure" is for the most part innate, or conditioned at a very young age. I'm not convinced of that, but my attitude did not detract from the book's usefulness. In fact, it may have added to it.

"Failure's" tone is tongue in cheek, although I didn't find it nearly as clever or humorous as expected, given the title. The stories presented in each chapter represent the book's best reading. The writing is clear and concise, making for the perfect read for a flight, or a commute on public transit. What will appeal to most readers, and what keeps "Failure" from being a dry blueprint for corporate conquerors is, again, how the true examples are set not only in the work environment, but many also address their assigned rule in a family setting. The stories ring familiar; you will undoubtedly recognize friends, family and co-workers past and present. The desired result is not to point fingers at others, but to look in the mirror and realize we have faults of our own to address. By making "Failure" applicable not only to executives, middle management, salary and wage earners, but also to Mom And Dad, Bill and Phil have accomplished a coup de grace of inclusion and savvy marketing. This book is for everyone.

We all have goals in mind for achieving our personal vision of ultimate success. If you think you have reached a road block on your route to fulfillment; if you feel your professional and personal relationships are not as satisfying as you would like; if you find you're in a rut, and Stephen R. Covey or Zig Ziglar are not working for you, pick up How to Become a Total Failure... . If you do nothing but read the 10 rules in the front and the 10 rules in the back of this book, you will re-evaluate your thinking and behavior. Then, if you put "Failure's" philosophy in gear, you may soon discover you feel better about yourself, treat others better, enjoy better treatment from others, and have a more positive outlook on your professional and personal environments. You may even become a total failure...at failing.

ABOUT THE AUTHORS

Bill Guillory, Ph.D is an internationally known business consultant, keynote speaker, and workshop facilitator. He works with public and private organizations in the areas of diversity, leasdership, and high performance. He is the CEO of Innovations International, Inc. a human resources development firm.

Phil Davis is president and CEO of ZDocs, a company that helps large organizations and independent authors publish books and other information. Prior to starting ZDocs, Phil and his family lived in Japan for 12 years, where he served as VP of Operations Asia Pacific for two U.S. companies.