Recently, on a Facebook post, I casually mentioned in passing
that I get a lot of my books to read at the local town library.

My Facebook friend LW wrote:

“Bob, why the public library when there is Kindle?”

My immediate thought was:

“LW, why Kindle when there is the public library?”

I absolutely prefer paperbound books over digital books — and I
am a regular patron at my town library.

As Louis L’Armour writes in his book “Education of a Wandering
Man” (Bantam), “Education is available to anyone within reach of
a library.”

My fellow copywriter and FB friend DG says:

“I’m a public library guy and I also buy books. I only read
paperbound books myself, and I’m already way out of room to store
the ones I have.”

Now, I understand the many reasons why people tell me they love
their Kindle readers. I just don’t find them personally
appealing.

One of the big reasons people advocate Kindle is the ability to
easily carry dozens or hundreds of books with them wherever they
go.

But since I almost never go anywhere, there’s no benefit to me.

And in those rare instances when I do travel, one thick paperback
is enough to get me through the round-trip flight.

There are legions of people who just love paperbound books as
physical objects: the feel, the look, even the smell of the
paper.

I’m one of them. And Kindle wants to take all that all away from me.

As the author of 95 published books, one of my greatest rewards
is holding my latest hardcover or paperback in my hand — and
putting a few copies in our living room bookcase.

Holding electrons in my hands with a Kindle just doesn’t give me
that same pride of authorship.

(Similarly, I get much more of a charge holding a magazine with
my article in it than I do seeing my article on some website.)

Another big advantage of physical books is the venues where I get
them: bookstores, libraries, and used book catalogs, my favorite
of which is Edward R. Hamilton, though Bas Bleu and Daedelus are
not far behind. (Especially Bas, because they sometimes carry my
books.)

When you are in a library or a bookstore, or thumbing through a
book catalog, you encounter all sorts of books, information, and
subjects that you otherwise would never have thought about
before.

Yes, this can also happen online

But in a bookstore or library, with the actual book in front of
you, the compulsion to browse is, for me, even greater than
online. And yes, like so many people, I like web surfing.

——————————————————————

You may be thinking that I am a hypocrite, because I
publish, sell, as well as read PDF ebooks.

But when I buy a PDF ebook, I don’t read it on a screen. I print
it out, put it in a 3-ring binder, and read it as a hard copy
document.

And I suggest to my PDF ebook buyers that they do the same.
Although, of course, they are free to read it on a screen if they
prefer.

Subscriber JM writes:

“I would love to know a handful of your biggest regrets
professionally or personally — or things you might have done
differently?

“You might not have many since you’ve always done what you
love… but I bet it would make for a gripping topic for your
letter too.”

I’m not sure it’s all that gripping, JM, but since you asked, the
truth is I have many regrets — because, like most people, I make
a lot of mistakes, wrong choices, and bad decisions.

Caveat: You may find some or all of these trivial. To you, they
may be. To me, not.

Here in no particular order are just 5 things I did or didn’t do
that bug me; the list could be much longer:

#1–Daughter.

I got married at a younger age than my friends — 25.

But my wife got cancer a few months after the wedding.

Because of the radiation treatment, we were told to hold off on
kids for a few years.

Then, we went through infertility.

So we had Alex and then Steve later than we’d planned.

We wanted a third child. Maybe a sister for the boys.

But by then, we felt we were too old.

And so we didn’t.

Which I regret, because my kids are everything to me.

#2–Bass.

I played in my high school band, orchestra, and jazz band —
clarinet and baritone sax.

One day, the orchestra teacher offered to teach me another
instrument, one of my favorites — string bass.

He gave me a couple of lessons, but I already had a lot to do.
And so I let it go. And never learned to play the bass. Which I
wish I could play today.

#3–German.

At the University of Rochester, we chemistry majors were
encouraged to take German.

I took the required two semesters, but not more.

As a result, I can’t speak or read the language.

Which would have been useful to me, as in my career I have
written copy for a number of German companies.

#4–Scientist.

I got hooked on writing as early as high school, writing for the
paper, and then doing the same in college.

I love being a writer, and would choose that if I had to do it
all over again.

Still, it meant not pursuing what was my first love, chemistry.
And that too I regret more than a little; I even put up a
chemistry website to stay involved with it:

http://www.mychemset.com

#5–Novel.

Like many writers, writing a novel was on my to-do list.

But I never did it, because I never had a story idea I thought
could sustain novel-length treatment.

All my published fiction is short stories:

http://amzn.to/2hiHyk

But no novel. And time is growing short.

And finally, I do have a couple of ideas I think might work.

So I’ll end this essay and get to work on the novels.

In the self-help and success niche, there is a curious phenomenon
I call the “little books.”

These books are usually almost always reprints of talks,
speeches, and tracts from the 20th century, published today as
thin paperback books.

Some are so few pages they are more like pamphlets than books —
saddle-stitched with staples through the spine rather than
perfect-bound like a regular paperback book.

You can read them in a single evening without discomfort,
fatigue, or boredom. And they lend themselves to being reread on
a regular basis.

These little books survive the decades and centuries, and
continue to be avidly read today by an elite group of truth
seekers lucky enough to discover them, because these slim volumes
contain valuable wisdom.

Each essentially teaches a simple lesson that is practical,
timeless, and proven to be correct through long and continuous
application.

The 6 “little books” I heartily recommend you read this year are
the following:

1–Russell Cromwell, “Acres of Diamonds.”

A speech given many times that says all the treasures you want
and everything you need can be found right here in your own back
yard.

https://amzn.to/2pzFGsS

2–James Webb Young, “A Technique for Producing Ideas.”

A proven and simple 5-step method of solving problems and
producing profitable new ideas.

https://amzn.to/2GdyCfh

3–Earl Nightingale, “The Strangest Secret.”

The singular lesson of this reprint of a Nightingale talk is: “We
become what we think about.”

https://amzn.to/2GjpYM8

4–George Clason, “The Richest Man in Babylon.”

A sermon of sorts on the wisdom of achieving success by putting
your nose to the grindstone, investing wisely, being thrifty, and
learning from those who have already achieved what you desire.

https://amzn.to/2GivDBX

5–Robert R. Updegraff, “Obvious Adams.”

The story of a businessman who uses pure common sense to achieve
extraordinary success, doing what seems obvious to him but others
apparently miss.

https://amzn.to/2pzrM9k

6–James Allen, “As a Man Thinketh.”

The lesson: by controlling your thoughts you control your life —
similar to #3 above.

https://amzn.to/2pysgNS

All 6 of these books are like gems: small but valuable.

I reread all 6 within the past couple of months — didn’t take
long, so the return on time invested (ROTI) is great — and as
always, found reinforcement of good ideas as well as inspiration
for new achievement.

Do you have another favorite little book to add to my list?

Recently I got an email notifying me that I had been nominated to
be included in the latest edition of one of the Who’s Who (WW)
directories.

Now, being smart and sophisticated, you may be laughing already.

“Bob, you maroon,” you may be thinking. “Don’t you know that
Who’s Who is hype and a scam — meaningless, worthless, and
bordering on fraud?”

Well, in some ways it may be. It is definitely a marketing ploy,
and not a genuine award or honor.

But there is a counterargument, and it is based on a simple
notion: perception equals reality.

YOU are smart and savvy enough to know WW is mainly a way for the
publisher to make money from marks who are, shall we say, perhaps
a wee bit susceptible to flattery.

But right or wrong, many in the general public — including some
of your prospects and customers — see Who’s Who as real.

Therefore, if you add “listed in Who’s Who” to your bio, doing so
causes your star to rise a bit with these people.

As a result, your WW listing is yet another block (albeit, a tiny
one) in the foundation of your reputation as a guru or expert.

And as we know, being an established guru in your field helps
sell more of your products and services.

Now, “Who’s Who” is a specific example of a broader category of
self-promotion I call the “thin credential.”

I define a thin credential as an honor, award, membership, or
designation that you (a) proactively pursue mainly for its
promotional or marketing value, and (b) sounds more impressive
than it actually is.

Also, if obtaining the thin credential requires study, courses,
and tests to earn it, the individual seeking it often does these
things primarily to get the certification or designation — with
the education and knowledge gained being secondary if that.

For instance, decades ago, I trained as a Certified Novell
Administrator (CNA) — not so I could become a working network
administrator, but to earn a certification that would show my
credibility as a copywriter in the IT niche. And, it worked!

One word of warning: If you get a thin credential, do not
overplay it. Be low key. If you strike up the band, and your
audience knows it’s lightweight, you’ll come off looking silly,
egotistical, or both.

Which of these 2 entrepreneurs do you admire more?

Mr. X, who came from poverty, started with almost nothing, and
built a business that generates an income in the lower to mid six
figures … and a net worth in the low seven figures?

Or Mr. Y, who came from a well-to-do family, which provided him
a grub stake worth several million dollars, and which — to his
credit — he turned a successful business, making himself
extremely rich in the process?

A lot of people might say Mr. Y … because he built the more
significant business and fortune.

But — even if both entrepreneurs multiplied what they started by
the same factor … say 20-fold … I pick X as my hero hands-down.

Why?

Both had to work hard, be smart, and overcome many challenges.

But X had one more challenge that Y did not, which to me makes
his success much more significant.

Namely, that when you come from modest beginnings, and have no
real net worth to start with, you are constantly close to
financial disaster when you start a small business.

Typically you invest almost all your time and also your rent
money in it.

So if the business doesn’t take off, you are up poop’s creek.

Worse, if it hobbles along with minimal success, as so many do
for so long, you — much like Jed Clampett — can barely keep your
family fed.

Plus, many neighbors, relatives, and even friends who don’t have
the guts to start a business as you did take delight in your
struggle and lack of big-time success.

Why? Because doing so somehow makes them feel less threatened by
you and better about themselves.

If you look at billionaire businessmen turned politicians today,
I think ex-NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg is the classic
“lift-yourself-up-by-your-boot-straps” Mr. X — the kind of
success story I really admire.

And President Trump is the “born-with-a-silver-spoon-in-his-mouth”
Mr. Y, for whom the living is much easier.

Born February 14, 1942, Michael Bloomberg grew up in a
lower-middle-class household in the Boston area; his dad was a
bookkeeper.

He went on to build a huge media empire … and various sources
estimate he is worth anywhere from $30 billion to $49 billion;
let’s call it $35 billion.

Also, Bloomberg got there from just about nothing. No money or
business training from a rich and successful daddy.

I don’t follow Bloomberg closely, but in the few interviews I
have heard and articles I have read, he seems to me a modest,
humble, kind, and generous guy.

Another example: Daehee Park and John Marino, who started an
e-commerce business, Tuft & Needle, with $6,000 in 2013 and by
2016 had built it to $100 million in annual sales.

Quite an accomplishment, wouldn’t you agree, especially
considering not one rich relative handed them a million or more
and said, “This should make life easier, boys” — as it would
have.

Now on to Donald Trump, who claims that he got his start with
“only” a one million dollar grubstake from his father, a
successful real estate developer.

(By the way, if anyone feels like giving me a million dollars, I
promise not to use the word “only” in reference to your gift.)

But that million was just for starters, according to the Wall
Street Journal.

Their reporters tracked down a 1985 casino-license disclosure
that showed Trump’s father gave him a second loan, this one for
$14 million — a value of $31 million in today’s dollars.

According to Forbes, Trump is worth around $3.5 billion. Other
sources, such as Vanity Fair, say the figure is much lower.

Now, I’m not saying trust-fund babies who build empires aren’t
smart … or successful … or laudable … or impressive.

I’m just pointing out a simple truth:

They never had to deal with what I believe is the toughest,
riskiest, and scariest part of starting a small business: the
early stage where you risk it all, and if you lose, you’re crap
out of luck.

To me, the fact that silver-spooners are spared this anxiety,
fear, and possibility of destitution … thanks to the security
and backup provided by their daddy’s bankroll … certainly
doesn’t negate their accomplishments.

But also in my opinion, it DOES make their achievement
significantly less impressive than if they had, like many of our
immigrant parents or grandparents who built successful lives,
come to our shores from Ellis Island with only $10 in their
pocket.

Last week, I related the central idea of a terrific book, “The
Death of Expertise” (Oxford University Press, 2017), by Tom
Nichols, as follows:

“In our culture today, we not only don’t trust our experts, but
openly argue with, ignore, defy them, and at times even treat
them with outright contempt.”

Though I also noted that, despite the growing disdain for experts
in certain fields in some quarters, there are still many who
flock to experts for guidance and advice.

Therefore, becoming an expert — that is, ideally (a) a true
expert who really does know his stuff and (b) is also recognized
as such by his industry or field — can be a big boost to your
career and your business.

Reason: recognized experts or “gurus” are more in demand, have an
easier time getting clients, earn more money, and sell more of
their products and services.

But how do you become a genuine, recognized expert in your
specialty — and gain the kudos, prestige, and financial rewards
that go with it?

Well, on page 30 of his book, Nichols says there are 4
requirements needed to truly become a genuine expert in your
field:

1–Education — What he really means is knowledge gained through
study.

Broadly, to be a genuine expert requires deep understanding of
your subject, and part of the way to gain expertise that is
through diligent, persistent, and careful study.

As an autodidact, you can study on your own. All experts I know
do.

But obtaining some of the knowledge by getting a degree in your
field, especially from a prestigious university, can also be a
plus — and in some fields, like physics and medicine, is
requisite.

And in many other fields as well, not only does a formal
education accelerate your learning, but people tend to take you
more seriously when you have your degree.

2–Talent — People are typically talented in a discipline through
some combination of training, practice, and natural aptitude.

3–Experience — Malcom Gladwell, Mark Ford, and others have said
that to become good at something you have to do it for a thousand
hours — and to become a master, you have to do it for around
10,000 hours.

4–Peer and public affirmation — It usually takes both
achievement and recognition by both one’s peers and the general
public to be considered an expert.

Examples include movie directors being recognized with an Oscar,
musicians with a Grammy, scientists with a Nobel Prize, and
journalists with a Pulitzer.

Of course, those are at the top of the game, and multiple lesser
prizes and publicity can also help you achieve expert status —
everything from giving a talk at your local library to writing an
article for your industry trade journal.

Today people think that, with a few Google searches, they know
more than their doctors who have 4 years of Med School.

But as Tom Nichols writes in his new book “The Death of
Expertise” (Oxford University Press, 2017):

“Experts are more often right than wrong on essential matters of
fact. And yet the public constantly searches for the loopholes in
expert knowledge that will allow them to disregard all expert
advice they don’t like.

“I have started hearing from professionals not about clients
asking sensible questions, but about those same clients actively
telling professionals why their advice was wrong — dismissing the
idea that the expert knew what he was doing almost out of hand.”

“No one is arguing that experts can’t be wrong. Rather, the point
is they are less likely to be wrong than non-experts.

“The Internet is the enabler of a spreading epidemic of
misinformation, making many of us dumber.

“It’s also making us meaner: along behind their keyboards, people
argue rather than discuss, and insult rather than listen.”

Along these lines, and frustrated by the increasing lack of
reliance and trust on the advice of experts, I asked a fellow
consultant: “I don’t get it. After all, you wouldn’t hire a
surgeon to perform surgery on you, and then tell her what
scalpel, suture, and surgical technique to use — right?”

She said, “These days, many patients would.”

Once, my wife and I hired a gray-haired, grizzled home repair
veteran to tile our bathroom.

When he started working, she questioned his tiling method, saying
she had seen it done differently — on HGTV.

He smiled and said, “Miss — a little knowledge is a dangerous
thing.” And then turned back to his work, tiling the way he had
been for the last 40 years. And the bathroom came out great.

Today, thanks to Google, everyone has that “little knowledge,”
which often harms more often than it helps.

Now, to be fair, I want to make one distinction Nichols does not
make: practitioners vs. teachers.

In the “age of expertise skepticism” (my term, not his), people
increasingly question and even ignore the advice of experienced
practitioners and service providers, including doctors,
attorneys, real estate agents, electricians, masons, and many
others.

However, when it comes to experts who teach, rather than do — a
category that includes professors, authors, speakers, seminar
leaders, trainers, and information marketers — consumers still
look for an advisor they perceive as a recognized expert in his
or her field.

And in my next essay, I’ll show you the 4 keys to becoming that
expert — and how to attain each.

Previously, I’ve commented in this e-newsletter on an internet
phenomenon — “transparency.”

It’s the odd but true fact that your email subscribers are, for
some strange reason, not just interested in learning more about
your topic — but also about you.

Apparently, spilling your guts — and sharing personal details —
engages many of your subscribers just as well or better than your
content-rich messages.

So, in the interest of transparency … and Lord knows if you
really care about this, but in case you do …

… here in no particular order are 10 things I like but realize
many others may find stupid, silly, moronic, immature, or all
four:

1–50 Cent. So sue me. I like 50 Cent … though given inflation,
maybe he now goes by 75 cent. I don’t know. But whenever I hear
“In Da Club,” I start moving to the music — and, I do not dance.
(It’s also used in a pretty good new horror movie, “Happy
Deathday.”)

2–Superman. Seinfeld and I have one thing in common: a Superman
obsession. I have been reading Superman comics since the early
1960s.

I have a collection of hundreds of Superman and other DC comics.
There are three Superman figurines adorning my office shelves. I
even wrote a book about Superman and other comic book
superheroes:

http://amzn.to/2CFVXQG

(Through writing books on pop culture and other non-business
topics, I have managed to turn many of my outside interests into
small profit centers, to partially alleviate my guilt when
indulging.)

3–Waterworld. This post-apocalyptic movie, about our entire
planet covered by water, though widely panned, is one of my
favorites; I never tire of it. Kevin Costner’s other
post-apocalyptic movie, The Postman, is a close runner-up with
me.

4–Bad weather. Dark days, cloudy skies, rain, snow, sleet, wind,
cold, and dreary weather all bring joy to my heart. Conversely, I
find sunny, warm days incredibly depressing.

5–Kosher salami on rye bread with mustard. This was my favorite
sandwich growing up as a kid. I hardly ever eat it now, because
it is not healthy, and also there is no nearby kosher deli. But I
absolutely love it, healthy or not.

6–Anime graphic novels. Lots of adults find anime silly. But my
youngest son gave me a few of his, and I am hooked. I don’t buy
them. But I borrow his whenever I can. As a kid, I watched 3
anime TV cartoons: Speed Race, Gigantor, and my favorite, Tobor
the 8 Man (yes, Tobor is robot spelled backward):

7–Newspapers. I know I can read the news online. But to me, there
are few pleasures greater than reading an actual paper newspaper.
When I was graduating from college in the late 1970s, I had
dreams of becoming a reporter. But it never happened.

8–Paperbound books. Especially old mass market paperbacks sold in
used bookstores; they have a great feel and unique (and to me
pleasant) smell. I also buy a lot of used hardcovers at library
sales, because I like the protective plastic covers.

9–Libraries and bookstores. Wherever there are books to be
browsed, borrowed, or bought, I am there. Remember the Twilight
Zone episode where Burgess Meredith comes into possession of all
the books he could ever hope to read along with all the time in
the world to read them? Sounds good to me. (Of course, a nuclear
war took place to make it happen, but what else could he do?)

10–Horror … books, short stories, movies, TV … like the old
Chiller Theater. Scary is good. Dark is good. Even gory can be
okay. I’m not particular. I just like a good horror movie. Or
even a grade B one. Favorites include David Slade, M. Knight
Shyamalan, Stephen King, H.P. Lovecraft, and Wes Craven, to name
just a few.

So, what do you think of my picks and taste — good, bad,
terrible, or laughable? And tell me what YOU like!