Barking Up the Wrong Tree

Wall Street Journal Bestseller

Much of the advice we’ve been told about achievement is logical, earnest...and downright wrong. In Barking Up the Wrong Tree, Eric Barker reveals the extraordinary science behind what actually determines success and most importantly, how anyone can achieve it. By delving into a range of unconventional insights and real-world examples, Barker challenges traditional notions of success, providing readers with an actionable guide to understanding what truly works and what doesn't.

Barking Up the Wrong Tree explores the hidden factors that shape our success, often in the most unexpected ways. From examining why valedictorians rarely become millionaires to understanding the paradoxes of human behaviour that can turn weaknesses into strengths, Barker's engaging narrative is filled with startling statistics and surprising anecdotes. He skillfully dissects various myths of success and offers a fresh perspective on achievement that blends rigorous research with highly entertaining storytelling.

In this eye-opening book, you’ll learn:

• Why valedictorians rarely become millionaires, and how your biggest weakness might actually be your greatest strength.
• Whether nice guys finish last and why the best lessons about cooperation come from gang members, pirates, and serial killers.
• Why trying to increase confidence often fails and how Buddhist philosophy offers a superior solution.
• The secret ingredient to “grit” that Navy SEALs and disaster survivors leverage to keep going.
• How to find work-life balance using the strategy of Genghis Khan, the errors of Albert Einstein, and a little lesson from Spider-Man.

By looking at what separates the extremely successful from the rest of us, we learn what we can do to be more like them—and find out in some cases why it’s good that we aren’t. Barking Up the Wrong Tree draws on a wealth of knowledge from both popular culture and academic research, offering a refreshing take on the path to success. This book is a must-read for anyone seeking to stop guessing at success and start living the life they genuinely want.