Why strategy books are more interesting than self-help books

Why strategy books are more interesting than self-help books

ByJosh Bernoff

Self-help is a huge genre of business books. They mostly leave me flat. I admit I’m biased. I started with advantages both economic and talentwise. I’ve always believed I could do things — at least academic and career-type things — so doubt was rarely a problem. But put my biases aside for a moment. I…

Are you writing a memoir or an advice book? Avoid the murky middle.

Are you writing a memoir or an advice book? Avoid the murky middle.

ByJosh Bernoff

It is tempting to add personal stories to a book of advice, or bits of advice in a memoir. When mixing the two genres, though, be careful not to mix your objectives, or readers will find your book confusing. The challenge here is one of tone. Recall the ROAM analysis: Readers, Objective, Action, iMpression. Consider…