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Barking Up the Wrong Tree: The Surprising Science Behind Why Everything You Know About Success Is (Mostly) Wrong Hardcover – May 16, 2017
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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. 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 fails and how Buddhist philosophy holds 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 startling statistics and surprising anecdotes to help you understand what works and what doesn’t so you can stop guessing at success and start living the life you want.
- Print length320 pages
- LanguageEnglish
- PublisherHarperOne
- Publication dateMay 16, 2017
- Dimensions1.3 x 6.2 x 8.5 inches
- ISBN-109780062416049
- ISBN-13978-0062416049
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Editorial Reviews
Review
Publisher's Weekly Bestseller
USA Today Bestseller
Financial Times Business Book of the Month
Business Insider Best Business Books of the Year
Fast Company Best Business and Leadership Books
Entrepreneur Magazine Best Business Book
" In this compulsively readable, brilliant kaleidoscope Barking Up The Wrong Tree, Barker is your rollicking guide through the science of success. You'll discover what pirates and inmates can teach us about honesty and generosity, how to network like the world's greatest mathematician, and much, much more."
-Daniel H. Pink, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Drive and To Sell is Human
"Delightfully puckish, evidence-backed and full of insight, this book answers questions about success that have puzzled us for far too long."
-Adam Grant, New York Times bestselling author of Originals and Give and Take
"This book is compelling because Barker's irreverence is so consistently on-target, relentlessly puncturing the wisdom balloons that most need bursting."
-Robert B. Cialdini, New York Times bestselling author of Influence and Pre-Suasion
"Barking Up The Wrong Tree is a masterpiece. Whether you are a connoisseur of self-help books, or despise them, you won't be able to resist this recipe for living a better life."
-Robert Sutton, Stanford Professor and bestselling author of The Asshole Survival Guide: How to Deal With People Who Treat You Like Dirt
From the Back Cover
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 important—how anyone can achieve it. 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 fails, and how Buddhist philosophy holds 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 startling statistics and surprising anecdotes to help you understand what works and what doesn’t so you can stop guessing at success and start living the life you want.
About the Author
Product details
- ASIN : 0062416049
- Publisher : HarperOne
- Publication date : May 16, 2017
- Edition : 1st
- Language : English
- Print length : 320 pages
- ISBN-10 : 9780062416049
- ISBN-13 : 978-0062416049
- Item Weight : 1.06 pounds
- Dimensions : 1.3 x 6.2 x 8.5 inches
- Part of series : The Surprising Science Behind Why Everything You Know About Success Is (Mostly) Wrong
- Best Sellers Rank: #253,225 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #126 in Popular Social Psychology & Interactions
- #392 in Motivational Management & Leadership
- #756 in Success Self-Help
- Customer Reviews:
About the author

Eric Barker is the author of The Wall Street Journal bestseller "Barking Up the Wrong Tree" which has sold over half a million copies and been translated into 19 languages. Over 500,000 people have subscribed to his weekly newsletter. His work has been covered by The New York Times, The Atlantic, The Financial Times, and others. Eric is also a sought-after speaker, having given talks at MIT, Yale, Google, the United States Military Central Command (CENTCOM), and the Olympic Training Center.
Customer reviews
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Learn more how customers reviews work on AmazonCustomers say
Customers find this book insightful and thoroughly satisfying, with excellent research and fascinating stories of real people. The writing style is easy to read, and customers appreciate how it provides clear steps to apply the content in their lives. Moreover, the book offers different perspectives, with one customer noting how each chapter presents multiple sides of the topic, and helps readers achieve better work-life balance and a more fulfilling life.
AI Generated from the text of customer reviews
Customers find the book insightful, appreciating its excellent range of good research, with one customer noting it provides actionable information to improve life.
"...Barking Up The Wrong Tree by Eric Barker falls in the brilliant, insightful and transformational category...." Read more
"...It made car rides very fun as well as informative...." Read more
"...More geared to those still working, not people that have retired. Well researched and easy to understand." Read more
"...Every chapter was eye-opening and useful so I had to buy it for myself." Read more
Customers find the book thoroughly satisfying and enjoyable, describing it as a must-read.
"...Thanks Eric! Great book!" Read more
"...Thank you Eric Barker for writing a great book." Read more
"...Overall, I found this to be a great read...." Read more
"...It has been, without question, one of the best books I have ever read...." Read more
Customers find the book entertaining, describing it as a funny and insightful journey with great engaging content and an enjoyable writing style.
"...to another level, providing information and actionable ideas in an entertaining and easily absorbed fashion...." Read more
"...and presents it to us weekly (and via this book) in a coherent, funny, well-written and extremely well-researched manner...." Read more
"...Barking Up the Wrong Tree is a book that is both fun and powerful...." Read more
"Fun and engaging to read, based on real scientific studies, this book shows you how to chart your course towards success in life based on what works..." Read more
Customers enjoy the stories in the book, finding them compelling and relatable, with one customer noting how well the author combines narratives with research.
"Well worth the read. I'll probably read it more than once. Interesting and readable without sacrificing high calibre content...." Read more
"I liked the book in overall, it was interesting and well founded based on research. In some cases though I felt that it was too "bs-y"...." Read more
"...It's heavy stuff, but presented with great (and funny) stories...." Read more
"...What do I like about the book? First, it’s full of great stories that stay with you...." Read more
Customers appreciate the writing style of the book, finding it intelligently written and easy to read, with one customer noting it is packed with verbal illustrations.
"...Check. Check. The book is funny, easy to read and helps you look at yourself and the world from a different perspective...." Read more
"...It is an easy read that takes you to different places and allows you to understand how to attain your personal success story" Read more
"One of the best books I've read all year. Easy to read with fun stories that are used to illustrate research based insights on arrange of topics,..." Read more
"...I wasn't disappointed. The book was well written and very entertaining...." Read more
Customers report that the book helps them achieve a more fulfilling life and better work-life balance.
"...by studies, that aim to help you feel balanced, successful and happy...." Read more
"...that naps can greatly improve performance and that relationships are the key to a satisfying life...." Read more
"...This isn't a feel-good book, but this book will make you feel good...." Read more
"...but this one has a lot of signposts for living a happier, more fulfilling life. You'd be wise to read and share it...." Read more
Customers find the book simple to follow and understand, with clear steps that can be implemented immediately.
"...'s contribution to the literature is unique in that it comes light and easy." Read more
"...I’m impressed with Barker’s simple, easy to read language, and his conversational writing style...." Read more
"Fun, Clever, Thought Provoking, Hard to put Down, Fantastic Writing Style, Interesting Perspective, Unconventional are few things that immediately..." Read more
"...Well written in a conversational way. Hard to put down." Read more
Customers appreciate the book's offbeat approach, with one customer noting how it presents multiple sides of each chapter, while another mentions how the closing chapter effectively summarizes the overall message.
"Loved this! offbeat approach and wicked wit while teaching a fresh approach to self help." Read more
"...changing, making me look at everything I work on with a new, clearer perspective." Read more
"...The analysis of the evidence often seemed rather shallow, as he seemed to just cherry-pick a quote from an expert or a statistic from an oftentimes..." Read more
"Really helpfull, giving you different point of views while trying to discover your path to success in life. A must read definetely." Read more
Reviews with images

Easy, informative, and useful - this inspired me to take notes
Top reviews from the United States
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- Reviewed in the United States on October 12, 2017Format: KindleVerified PurchaseAt first glance, you may think that Barking Up the Wrong Tree: The Surprising Science Behind Why Everything You Know About Success Is (Mostly) Wrong by Eric Barker is another book by some motivational speaker designed to convey the secrets of life and success. Don’t make that mistake. Yes, I know, just about everybody who’s going to tell you how to improve yourself today claims that they’ve based their recommendations on science or, in a burst of faddism, “neuroscience.” Most of them haven’t done enough homework.
This book is different. If you’re serious about living a life that’s more like the one you want to live, you should read this book. Before I tell you why, let me tell you something about me so you can judge my recommendations.
I’m 71 years old, and for more than half a century, I’ve been working on making myself and my life better. I’ve learned a lot by getting it wrong and then adjusting, and I’ve learned a lot by reading and talking to other people and trying things. As a result, I’ve read a lot of books about how to do life better and this is one of the best. Early in the book, Eric Barker says this:
“You’ve been told about all the qualities and tactics that will help you get where you want to go, but there’s no real proof – and perhaps you’ve seen plenty of exceptions. That’s what we’re going to look at in this book.”
Barker keeps his promise in six focused chapters. Chapter 1 is about whether playing it safe produces success. Chapter 2 deals with whether nice guys finish last or first. In Chapter 3, he looks at the emerging science of resilience, starting with Navy SEAL training. I bet you’ve never thought of SEAL training as a game, but you might after you read this. Chapter 4 addresses the issue of whether success is based on what you know or who you know. Chapter 5 is all about attitude. Chapter 6 is a step back to review the big picture.
Barker makes another promise early in the book. He promises that in each chapter he’ll review both sides of the issue. He keeps that promise and it’s one of the reasons why this is a great and helpful book.
This book was valuable to me for several reasons. Here they are.
Barker does what many great business and self-help authors do. He states things that you could not have articulated before but seem obvious once he says them. One thing like that for me was the fact that the major reason people don’t get enough sleep is that they spend the time working. He also adds detail and insight to things I already knew.
I knew that turning challenges into games was a good thing and it’s a technique I’ve used for years, but I didn’t know much of the science behind it until I read this book. In fact, this book has the best short summary I’ve come across of how to use game elements to make your life and work experience better.
Barker reframed things that I already knew. I knew, for example, that the beginnings and endings of things are perceived as important. I used that to design speeches and training programs. After reading this book, I’m thinking about the same thing when I plan my day. There’s a bit of science about why your mood in the morning can affect your whole day. And more about ending the day right.
There are also things here that I’d already discovered for myself over the last several decades. Among them are the facts that naps can greatly improve performance and that relationships are the key to a satisfying life. There’s also the idea that saying “no” is a critical skill if you want to be as successful as possible. There’s material on why making progress every day and seeking out small wins is both a good strategy and emotionally satisfying.
There were also some things that were brand-new to me. I learned about self-compassion and it’s something that I will try to use in my life. Barker told me about the research that supports the idea that we don’t do the things that make us the happiest naturally. Instead, we do what’s easy. And he introduced me to the idea of intensifiers, traits that are mostly negative but can be huge performance enhancers in certain situations.
In addition to covering both sides of several important issues, Barker does a magnificent job of connecting the dots. As you move through the book you will find that things discussed in early chapters will make another visit in later chapters.
Toward the end of the book he puts together a framework for creating a successful life. I’ve used several of these frameworks in my life to evaluate how things were going and to get ideas for what improvements I should prioritize. Generally, they had more than four issues. His four are happiness (enjoying), achievement (winning), significance (counting to others), and legacy. A single word for legacy is extending, but I find his definition much more helpful: “Establishing your values or accomplishments in ways that help others find future success.”
Bottom Line
Barking Up the Wrong Tree is a book which will help you do better at work and in life.
- Reviewed in the United States on July 6, 2022Format: HardcoverVerified PurchaseBarking Up the Wrong Tree is the best self-help book I've read since Stephen Covey's 7 Habits of a Highly Effective Person nearly 30 years ago. Barker condensed the last 20 years of productivity and success scientific research into his 300 page book during the writing of his blog for the last 10 years. This stuff is pure gold. I just wish I knew about this 20 years ago but the book was only written 5 years ago.
The first chapter tells you when to comply with the rules and when to strike out as a maverick. The second chapter tells you when you want to be a nice guy and when do you need to be cut throat. (Answer: pirates, drug dealers and prison gangs are successful by being nice for long term success. Short term relationships like used-car salesmen need to be cut-throat for short term quick gains.) The third chapter tells you when to quit, i.e. when you will never realistically make it, versus sticking to it with grit with tricks like making the struggle into a fun game. The fourth chapter is about when it pays to be an extrovert using social media or being an introvert diving into deep work Cal Newport style.
There is a lot of nuisance in this book so you will need to re-read sections, look at the end notes, and buy the books Barker references. This BOOK IS AWESOME!!! You will not be able to loan this book out because you will never get it back from your friends. I have read half the book and feel like I just started reading. Barker is hilarious, the stories are fascinating, and the advice is priceless. Barking Up the Wrong Tree will be a roadmap toward your success and keep you from banging your head against repeated failure.
I almost missed reading this book because the price was way too expensive when it first came out. I bought a used copy for $2 when I saw Barker's new book on the science of relationships. It is really scary because reading this book has been life changing, making me look at everything I work on with a new, clearer perspective.
- Reviewed in the United States on September 11, 2019Format: PaperbackVerified PurchaseIf you feel as if you're spinning your wheels and regularly running into walls... or just not being as successful (in ANY area of your life) as you'd like, get this book.
Don't plan to read it in one sitting. So far, I haven't been able to read more than a few pages before I experience an avalanche of "ah-HA!" moments, or at least things I need to stop and ponder.
But, I keep going. After over a month, I'm only at the end of Chapter 3... but my life has changed dramatically, incrementally, and for the better. Not quite a full 180, yet, but... yes, SO much better!
I can't imagine reading this on a tablet or Kindle. Get the paper version, instead. You'll be able to read a little, pause and think about it, maybe journal a bit... without your screen going dark and distracting you.
The biggest challenge may be to keep moving forward through this book. His advice is well-researched and well-supported... and can result in massive improvements in your life, IF you're willing to do the work. And, for me, most of this was in my own head.
Even if you get through just one chapter of this book, or maybe even half a chapter, I think you'll experience positive change and perhaps some relief. Give it a try.
Top reviews from other countries
- ArgeReviewed in Mexico on July 23, 2023
5.0 out of 5 stars Very good
Format: KindleVerified PurchaseNice book, he cares to explain why people is succeeding with a very particular approach.
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FernaldReviewed in Japan on March 30, 2019
5.0 out of 5 stars 事例が豊富かつユニークで読者の気を引きつけるのが上手い
Format: KindleVerified Purchase有名なビジネス書や様々な社会科学の成果を活用し、成功するためにはどうすれば良いかを説いた、いかにもアメリカ的な本。著者自身がリサーチを行なったわけではなく、他の専門家の研究を援用しているだけなのだが、とにかく話を進めるのが上手い。グレン・グールド、テッド・ウィリアムズ、チンギス・ハンなど、一見すると脈絡がない人物を登場させて読者を唖然とさせるとともに、先を読ませようとする筆者のエンタメ心はこの種のビジネス書では突出しており、とにかく読んでいて面白い。
繰り返しになるが、本書で書かれてあることは、他で書かれてあることの焼き直しなのだが、よくまとまっている。個人的に記憶に残っている点を備忘録的に書き連ねると以下の通り。
・「寛容」なしっぺ返しが成功の秘訣。
・楽観的に考える(失敗は一時的なこと、失敗を普遍化しない)。
・辛いことはゲームとして楽しむ。小さな勝利を大事にする。
・時間の5パーセントから10パーセントを、新しいことへの挑戦に充てる。
・メンターにつく。
・1日の終わりに、その日の良い出来事を思い返すとともに、次の日に行うべきことを考える。
・感謝の念を示すことがネットワーキングの肝。
・ビッグ4はhappiness, achievement, significance, legacy
・自由時間を増やすことではなく、自由時間を上手くマネージすることが幸福感を増大させる。
- AmenyReviewed in the United Arab Emirates on November 12, 2019
5.0 out of 5 stars Ok
Format: Mass Market PaperbackVerified PurchaseGood book
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AhmarikondoReviewed in Italy on August 17, 2017
5.0 out of 5 stars Un ottimo libro per mettere un punto fermo in quel casino che è la vita di tutti i giorni
Format: KindleVerified PurchaseDi Eric Barker leggo spesso il suo blog. E i contenuti del suo blog sono ben diversi dai titoli tipo "8 modi per essere felici" che vedete spesso su molti blog e testate online.
Il suo libro racchiude, in un percorso compiuto, il sunto di tantissime ricerche ed osservazioni scientifiche che spiegano in profondità come agiamo, perché agiamo così, e come possiamo migliorare.
- Amazon CustomerReviewed in the Netherlands on June 13, 2017
2.0 out of 5 stars disapointing
Format: KindleVerified Purchasea lot about the past...did not learn so much....i am scrolling page for page...while the text doesn't get met interested