Really good take on this, Tom. I bought this book when it first came out but it's still on my 'to be read' pile. I will read it, and I'll approach it with different eyes from when I bought it, but it's still first and foremost a book about human nature and motivation. But just a different motivation than what we thought? More often than not we don't know about the 'real' backstorys of the authors we read, beyond the dust jacket blurb, and although I can understand some readers feeling cheated perhaps we need to approach the book as now having an uncovered layer of further complexity.
Wise as ever Tom especially on the pressures on publishers. As a writer of non fiction, there’s a world of difference between embellishment and fabrication which surely belies the whole premise of a book.
Have been contemplating writing a memoir, but am planning to kill off any witnesses first. any thoughts about method?
Really good take on this, Tom. I bought this book when it first came out but it's still on my 'to be read' pile. I will read it, and I'll approach it with different eyes from when I bought it, but it's still first and foremost a book about human nature and motivation. But just a different motivation than what we thought? More often than not we don't know about the 'real' backstorys of the authors we read, beyond the dust jacket blurb, and although I can understand some readers feeling cheated perhaps we need to approach the book as now having an uncovered layer of further complexity.
Thanks Lorraine. I always find it interesting how two readers can take something quite different as a central premise of a book
Fact and opinion used to be two different things, but it's hard to see the line now. Looks like something similar is now true for non-fiction as well.
Wise as ever Tom especially on the pressures on publishers. As a writer of non fiction, there’s a world of difference between embellishment and fabrication which surely belies the whole premise of a book.
Thanks Sudi