Why A Book? - Part II

My prior "Why A Book?" post describes why we are writing a book versus doing something else. This post is more about who will benefit from this project.

Writing a book is not a small undertaking. Jack and I spent between 10 and 15 hours a week writing this book. The challenge with this particular book is we had to go back and read all the others books before we even start writing. To meet the April 1st, 2008 deadline, both of us each week needed to read a book and write a review.

My statement about the workload is not a complaint. It is a statement of fact and one that we knowingly took on. The commitment though makes a strong statement about the value of the project.

For our company, this is a stake in the ground with 800-CEO-READ solidifying its position as an expert in business books. With our strong ties in the author community, we will be able to speak more easily to them as peers. The book gives our fans and supporters a rally point. The broader business community gets an unparalleled resource for facing the challenges in the marketplace.

We felt we needed to write this book. Certainly, there is the challenge of individual achievement for Jack and I, as one might choose to run a marathon, but what we spent most of our time talking about were things like "Who is going to be reading this?", "Is this book worthy?", and "How can we make this review better?" The answers to those questions make a better book for all of you.

I realize both of these post may sound high-minded, but we both believe the best journeys start with a noble purpose. Built into the DNA of our company is the primary idea that we need to help people and that is why we are writing this book.