History's most shining silver linings. This brilliantly quirky book demonstrated that while the of adage of 'Everyone makes mistakes' may be true, some gaffes are so monumental that they can end up improving life for everyone else (if not for themselves). '365 Reasons to Look on the Bright Side' has many magical moments of looking on the bright side of history's most hopless moments. Here are a few to whet your whistle: Thanking Atilla the Hun for crating Venice, crediting Alexander Graham Bell's mum's deafness for inventing the telephone, praising Pope Clement VIII for banning coffee (and therefore popularizing it).