. >>> author mitch albom has sold 35 million copies of his book. his latest work focuses on how we can touch others with our & talents once we discover what those talents are. jim axelrod has the story. >> reporter: before tuesday's with my became one of the best selling memoirs of all time and the "five people you meet in heaven" soldld0 million copies in 35 different languages, mitch albom's dreams had nothing to do with writing. >> i was a musician when i began and i always quamt - wanted to be a musician. i always thought that's where my talent lay. i never wrote anything. >> reporter: the piano player moved to new york, booked any joint he could, while he knocked on record company's doors and got them all slammed in his face. was it painful when it didn't happen? >> yeah, it was the first time in my life that all the lights hadn't turned green. >> reporter: failure became fuel. was set my failure. >> yeah. the effort that i put in to achieve what i've been able to do in the world of writing is the direct result of my failure. it took a long ti