Failing Up

Book Review

This book was an absolute breeze to read. It's really short and sweet, and if you are a big fan of Hamilton (which I assume most readers are), Leslie Odom Jr. will dedicate 2 chapters to recounting his Hamilton experience. I thought a big part of this book would be about his failures in the industry, but actually, it's more about how he changes his mentality towards failure to achieve EVEN greater success! If anything, I feel like this book reaffirms the fact that Leslie Odom Jr. just naturally oozes talent, charisma, and confidence.
Though this book is loosely an autobiography, Leslie Odom Jr. doesn't delve too deep into his experiences. It feels more like a general overview of some major events in his life. Sometimes I wish he would have talked more about moments backstage on Hamilton - like the inside jokes and the friendships - but this book was more focused on "inspiring" the reader to be the best version of him/herself. I did genuinely feel inspired by this book, and I will take to heart the messages about being more willing to take risks and "fail upwards." So in a way, I think this book was the perfect length for the purpose it set out to serve.