Down on your luck? Don't despair. You might still be headed for the top! After all, consider the experiences of: Marilyn Monroe, who in 1947, after one year under contract, was dropped by 20th Century Fox because the production chief thought she was unattractive; Walt Disney, whose first cartoon production company went bankrupt; Johnny Cash, who sold electrical appliances door-to-door; Barbra Streisand, who made her stage debut aged 19 in a show that opened and closed on the same night; and John Grisham, whose first novel "A Time to Kill" was rejected by 16 agents and a dozen publishers. This is an inspiring compendium of pop culture and historical trivia to amuse those who regard their glass as half empty.