{"product_id":"unlearning-what-worked-matthew-west-james-9798994623213","title":"Unlearning What Worked: Stories About Success, Stagnation, and Change","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003ePart of The Human Error Series\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003eUnlearning What Worked\u003c\/i\u003e is the first book in \u003ci\u003e\u003cb\u003eThe Human Error Series\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e, a collection of reflections and stories about growth, mistakes, and the unexpected lessons that come from both success and failure.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe next book in the series, \u003ci\u003e\u003cb\u003eWrong Bird\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e, arrives in \u003cb\u003eMarch 2026\u003c\/b\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eUnlearning What Worked\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e is a collection of lived stories about trying to be a successful human in a world that keeps changing the rules. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eFor much of my life, I relied on the tools that once kept me safe: staying invisible, avoiding risk, following the rules, and doing what was expected. On paper, those strategies worked. The career progressed. The responsibilities grew. From the outside, things looked successful. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eBut over time, those same tools stopped working.\u003cbr\u003eGrowth slowed. Satisfaction faded. The paths that once felt reliable began to feel constraining instead of protective.\u003cbr\u003e\"\u003ci\u003eBeing invisible kept me safe. Leadership required something different.\u003c\/i\u003e\" \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eThese essays trace moments where progress required letting go of what had previously worked and learning to adapt without a clear playbook. They explore leadership, failure, stagnation, reinvention, and the uncomfortable space between survival and intention.\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\"\u003ci\u003eFailure isn't the opposite of growth. It's often the path to it.\u003c\/i\u003e\"\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\"\u003ci\u003eSurvival habits have a way of being permanent if you never examine them.\u003c\/i\u003e\"\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\"\u003ci\u003eYou are allowed to outgrow the tools that once helped you survive.\u003c\/i\u003e\"\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\"\u003ci\u003eJust because something works does not mean it's the right tool for the job.\u003c\/i\u003e\"\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\"\u003ci\u003eUnlearning isn't about failure. It's about choosing better tools.\u003c\/i\u003e\"\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\u003cp\u003eThis is not a step-by-step guide or a list of prescriptions. It is a reflective collection for readers who find themselves between versions of who they were and who they are becoming. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eIf you have ever felt successful but unsettled...\u003cbr\u003eCapable but constrained...\u003cbr\u003eSafe but not fulfilled...\u003cbr\u003eThis book was written for that moment.\u003cbr\u003eGrowth does not always begin with learning something new.\u003cbr\u003eSometimes it begins by unlearning what once worked.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAuthor:\u003c\/b\u003e Matthew West-James\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN-13:\u003c\/b\u003e 9798994623213\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/b\u003e West-James Press\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eLanguage:\u003c\/b\u003e English\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublished:\u003c\/b\u003e 01\/25\/2026\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePages:\u003c\/b\u003e 82\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eFormat:\u003c\/b\u003e Paperback\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eWeight:\u003c\/b\u003e 0.27lbs\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eSize:\u003c\/b\u003e 9.00h x 6.00w x 0.20d","brand":"Matthew West-James","offers":[{"title":"Paperback","offer_id":48440686477567,"sku":"9798994623213","price":14.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0662\/2982\/9887\/files\/img_dcbe0890-ec1b-4889-a95c-354222add35e.jpg?v=1777184133","url":"https:\/\/www.whiterainbookhouse.com\/products\/unlearning-what-worked-matthew-west-james-9798994623213","provider":"WR Book House","version":"1.0","type":"link"}