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MWSA Review Pending
Author's Synopsis
Wrong Bird: Misdiagnoses and Other Things I Got Completely, Confidently Wrong' is a humorous collection of personal stories about the universal experience of being absolutely certain about something… and being completely wrong.
Through a series of self-deprecating essays, Matthew West-James recounts moments from across his life including childhood misunderstandings, professional miscalculations, travel mishaps, military experiences, and everyday situations that spiraled into embarrassment. Each story explores the gap between confidence and reality, and the strange ways memory, assumptions, and human nature conspire to create mistakes that seem obvious only in hindsight.
Rather than presenting failure as tragedy, 'Wrong Bird' approaches these moments with humor and reflection. The stories show how embarrassment can eventually become perspective, how missteps can become stories, and how the things we most wish we could forget often become the experiences we learn from the most.
Drawing on experiences that include military service, family life, and professional work in technology, the book highlights a simple truth: everyone gets things wrong. The difference is whether we hide those moments or learn to laugh at them.
Ultimately, 'Wrong Bird' is a reminder that being wrong is not the end of the story. Sometimes it is the beginning of the best one.
Format(s) for review: Paper and Kindle
Review genre: Other—Humor
Pages/Word count: 118 / 21,657