Self-publishing has changed quite a bit in that time. When I started my business, I collected industry information via paper literature -- yes, that's right -- paper, as in brochures and so-called white papers I collected via the U.S. mail because this was before the internet and PDF documents.
When the internet took off, the companies selling into special marketplaces began creating lots of deep content to promote themselves. And Google has also leveraged written expertise and analysis to make many billions of dollars selling advertising to the same people I sold to. It's an interesting story.
But in the last several years I've also gotten great satisfaction writing vanities on FR.
Interesting to hear you like Nassim Taleb. I wrote a vanity about him here.
Thanks for the link. I read the entire piece because I admire Taleb’s thinking so much. And his willingness to lash out at people like T. Friedman. Content-wise, I find the remarks to be an extension of Black Swan. My copy of Swan is full of marginal notes, highlights, and Post-Its.
I tend to read people like Kahneman and Taleb to learn lessons to apply to writing.
I found your intro to be very well written. Coherent and conversational. Wonderful job. I admire that kind of writing. Surprised that you haven’t taken that talent to a commercially viable hobby or pursuit.
Next up is to follow the link to the Taleb-Kahneman discussion.
Thanks again.
Damn, son. You can write.
(Deliverance accent) You shore have sum purty words comin' out that purty mouth of your'n.