Outlines a provocative approach to improving one's life by embracing mistakes, citing cutting-edge behavioral studies and high-profile examples to reveal the importance of sincere apologies and taking responsibility.

Introduction -- (Mis)understanding and (re)defining mistakes : what is a mistake? -- It starts early : how our children learn from blunders -- "Fail often, fast, and cheap" : mistakes in the workplace -- It's not brain surgery-- but what if it is? : learning from medicine -- Lessons from the cockpit : aviation's approach to errors -- Blaming you, blaming me : men, women, and mistakes -- You say mistake, i say lesson : different cultures, different approaches -- I want to apologize : saying "i'm sorry" -- Conclusion.