The Power of One Book.

I remember the very first how-to book I worked on.

Body Express Makeover by Michael George — a classic diet and fitness book written by a celebrity trainer promising total transformation.

At the time, I was in my early 20s, had struggled with my weight for years, and figured — why not try? After all, I knew the author. I could ask him questions. 

So I dug in. I ate according to his recommendations and started doing workouts in my graduate school dorm room, using canned vegetables as weights. I went for long walks in Central Park and Brooklyn, where I was living at the time.

And I transformed. I lost 20 pounds, but the effect was way more than that. I fell in love with fitness and the “high” I felt after working out. I started to question the habits that led to emotional eating and by doing so, began to question the limitations I had put on myself.

I also fell completely head over heels in love with how-to books. 

As a lifelong reader, I had always enjoyed fiction and the feeling I would get when an author or story resonated with me. But this was different.

The result of these three hundred pages was feeling empowered, braved, and changed.

Talk about a before and after, am I right?

Often when I talk to entrepreneurs and experts, their book is all about them.

The money they’ll get from a publisher.

What the book can do for their speaking, their profile, their audience.

But that’s not what I’m truly interested in. Instead, I want every book that we work on to change people. Make them feel inspired, empowered, ready to take on the world. 

So today, when you’re thinking about your book, ask yourself:

How can — and will — my book affect the person reading it?