The Fifteen Percent

Wall Street Journal and USA Today besteller!

Lawyer turned entrepreneur Terry Giles explains what sets high achievers (“the fifteen percent”) apart from those who don’t quite make it. This is a riveting story of what it takes to win and keep winning—in business and in life—from one of America’s most successful entrepreneurs, with a foreword by Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Dr. Ben Carson.
 
On the surface, Terry Giles has a classic American success story. By 30, he built one of the largest criminal defense firms and generated tens of millions in revenue working with high profile clients. By 34, he left the legal profession and achieved even greater success as an entrepreneur, seemingly overnight.

But as Giles observes in The Fifteen Percent, no one goes through life without facing serious obstacles. Speaking from his own hard-won experience from a difficult upbringing to America’s loftiest boardrooms, Giles answers the question that took him years to answer: Why do some people overcome hardships while others do not?

Citing research that fifteen percent of those individuals who face adversity and hardship are able to rise above the despair and succeed above all odds, Giles uses examples from his career and life to illustrate why and how this phenomenon occurs. From his childhood in the Missouri Ozarks, to defending the victims of child sex abuse, to creating a plethora of business enterprises, and even organizing a presidential campaign, he learns from experience the traits that define “the fifteen percent.”

Even more important, in each chapter you will learn valuable skills including fearlessness; embracing under­dog status; visualizing the future; and positive thinking; proving that you do not have to be a victim of bad circumstances to adopt the superpowers of “the fifteen percent.”

Entertaining, inspiring, and full of useful insights you’ll turn to again and again, The Fifteen Percent will help you overcome whatever’s holding you back, so you can achieve lasting success in business and in life.
 

Terry Giles was born in St. Louis, Missouri. He received his B.A. from California State University at Fullerton and his J.D. from Pepperdine University School of Law, where there is now a “Terry M. Giles Honor Scholar." He established one of the largest and most successful criminal law firms on the West Coast, only to withdraw from the firm in 1983, disillusioned with the criminal legal system. Giles has received the Medal of Honor Alumni Award from Pepperdine University, Alumnus of the Year from Pepperdine University School of Law, the Horatio Alger Association of Distinguished Americans Award, and the Distinguished Alumnus Award of California State University of Fullerton. He further serves as an adjunct professor of law at Pepperdine University School of Law.

Dr. Benjamin S. Carson, Sr., M.D., became the chief of pediatric neurosurgery at Johns Hopkins Hospital in 1984 at the age of 33, making him the youngest major division director in the hospital's history. He has written and published nine books, four of which were co-authored with Candy,  his wife of 40 years. Dr. Carson was the recipient of the 2006 Spingarn Medal. In June 2008, he was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom. U.S. News Media Group and Harvard's Center for Public Leadership recognized Dr. Carson as one of "America's Best Leaders" in 2008. In 2014, the Gallup Organization, in their annual survey, named Dr. Carson as one of the 10 Most Admired Men in the World. Dr. Carson and his wife are co-founders of the Carson Scholars Fund, which recognizes young people of all backgrounds for exceptional academic and humanitarian accomplishments. In addition, Dr. Carson is now the Honorary National Chairman of the My Faith Votes campaign and continues to work tirelessly for the cause of the American people.

Praise for The Fifteen Percent:

“A unique and fascinating book that will empower you to define your goal, achieve it, and then use that success to create the foundation for your next achievement.” –Benjamin S. Carson Sr., M.D.
Professor Emeritus of Neurosurgery, Oncology, Plastic Surgery, and Pediatrics, Johns Hopkins Medicine, adapted from the foreword

"After reading Terry Giles book, I could not put it down! He has lived an incredible life, full of both adventure and opportunity. Always pushing the boundaries of what’s possible and making the impossible common place. As an attorney, business leader, and philanthropist, it is clear to see why Terry has been able to accomplish so much and how he’s used all those experiences to elevate others. His story is one of inspiration and information and will inspire you to push yourself to the next level! Terry, thank you for sharing your journey and I hope it pushes us all to aspire for something greater." –Stedman Graham, author, speaker, and entrepreneur

"Terry Giles’s life has been a remarkable adventure of runaway success, good conscience, rare compassion and generous contribution. The Fifteen Percent is a tour de force that encapsulates a lifetime of wisdom and service that exemplifies what it is to truly live the American Dream. Contained in these pages is a surefire recipe for outlandish success–I know; because I have been blessed to count Terry among my closest mentors and friends for over thirty years. I followed his example in both business and in life, and benefited immensely from doing so."  –Armstrong Williams, broadcast entrepreneur and syndicated columnist

“Terry has written a powerful and balanced account of his personal and professional journeys. At times spellbinding, it truly exemplifies his vision, courage, kindness, humility, and old fashioned grit. More importantly it shows his dedication to the very best of American values. Terry is truly a ‘servant’ of God.” –Robert J. Brown, philanthropist and entrepreneur

“Starting from the bottom, Terry Giles rose to become one of the most successful criminal defense lawyers in Southern California. He litigated important cases with creativity, compassion, and skill. He then had a second career as a successful entrepreneur. Giles tells not only his own remarkable story, but also the stories of others who have overcome unspeakable adversity, with insight, humor, and honesty. An inspiring read.” –Alan Dershowitz, Professor Emeritus, Harvard Law School and New York Times Bestselling Author

“The German word 'mensch' perfectly pertains to Terry Giles. The word speaks of a man who has realized the full possibilities of being human, a man of good will with a deep appreciation for others but no patsy, a man of integrity but not rigid or righteous, a man of the world yet full of wonder and open to learning, a man you can trust in every way.” – Werner Erhard, author and lecturer

"Better than a road-map, Terry Giles' book is a veritable GPS for how to achieve self-esteem, self-confidence, and success. I would prescribe The Fifteen Percent as MUST READING for the 85 percent of us who find ourselves to be albatrosses around our own necks." –Stuart C. Yudofsky, M.D., Distinguished Professor Emeritus, Baylor College of Medicine; author of Fatal Flaws

"Candid, sometimes self-critical, and always filled with insights and lessons designed to support the upward path to achievement, The Fifteen Percent is especially refreshing for this special brand of self-examination, bigger picture thinking, and specifics about the psychology and methodology of success. This approach encourages creative, positive thinking — often, against all odds." —Midwest Book Review

Praise for Terry Giles:
 
“The man behind the scenes who litigated — and sometimes mitigated — some of the most sensationally nasty celebrity and political dramas of the last several decades.” –The Texas Tribune
 
“I can tell you in my experience, Terry handles and manages very difficult situations in extraordinary manners that achieve results that I’m not sure others could achieve.” –John D. Steel, Partner at Steel & Moss in Atlanta
 
"We are extremely fortunate to have him working alongside us in this endeavor to move America in the right direction." –Dr. Ben Carson
 
“A self-made man” –The Horatio Alger Award committee
 
“A lawyer with a conscience.” –Oakland Newspaper
 
“He’s fiercely loyal, very imaginative.” –Armstrong Williams, Political Commentator, Entrepreneur, Columnist, TV host of the Armstrong Williams Show