#2 would be more popular. Also use big font. You know that you are onto the next big thing here. The timing is perfect and you have a strong core membership. The tipping point is near, just keep pushing. All you really need is a mainstream connection and the rest will follow.

I’m not sure if you meant that to ask for votes, but if so, I vote for option 2 on the followup with steps. I think that option would actually make a good companion to the first, and lead into the first when it’s readers want more detail on the theory behind the steps.

I’m reading your book now and find myself skimming through the why parts. I get why. I want to know how.

I’ve asked my husband to read it as well, and when I mentioned it he said that it looked interesting, so I think he will. He’s a much more patient, follow-one-idea-through-to-its-conclusion kind of guy, so he’ll probably read more in depth the portions that I’m skimming.

However- since I’ve only just borrowed it from the library yesterday, I’d like to finish it before I give you my two cents. And that’s all you’ll get. Two cents. I’m being frugal.

Jacob, I think that a combination of the how and the why is important. I think think a strictly how-to book would serve people well. I think that Dave Ramsey does a pretty good job of covering both well in the Total Money Makeover. He manages to stretch his baby steps into an entire book. I could summarize these baby steps in 1 minute with the “what” or strictly “how-to”. I think you could definitely do something like this along the lines of your 21 Days. There’s plenty of “why” to go along with each one, such as the reasoning for this step, how to best accomplish it, things you learned while doing it that may help others, etc.

Looking forward to the possibility of a second book.

Chapter 6 which in terms of page count is about 1/3 of the book is about the how in the detailed concrete sense. Chapter 5 is about the how in the abstract strategic sense—this is where I’d suspect trouble because while this thinking may be natural to some (INTJs?) it’s not natural to all. Chapter 4 is preparation—what it takes. Chapter 1, 2, and 3 are the whys. Chapter 7 is a mixture of how and why.

What I’m kinda suspecting is that book#1 is too dense. Personally, I’m frustrated with normal non-fiction bestsellers because they only present 3-5 ideas over 2-300 pages. In other words, as mentioned, the content can be summarized on a few pages. However, this may be the exact reason why they are bestsellers.

I’m thinking book#2 should have only five ideas: declutter, move to something small and local, ditch the car, do things yourself, save and invest the money. That’s it.

The problem is that many are looking for different things. I’m trying to find the greatest unfulfilled need that I’m also capable of writing.

For those who have the book, go to “4.3 Gauging Mastery”. Book#1 was written for the ‘master/expert’ level; how to ‘coordinate’ and ‘create’ the ERE lifestyle.

What I’m thinking is that book#2 should be written for the ‘apprentice/journeyman’ level; how to ‘compute’. I’d give a program for ERE and all you’d have to do would be to execute on it.

Maybe in the introduction, I would do some ‘comparing’ to bring the novices on board.

That’s my plan for now.

@Kelly – I think this is a good idea. DW suggested the same. I don’t think I want to dedicate a whole book to it, but I could incorporate various case studies to make a point.

I vote #2. The first book does a great job of starting with axioms and abstract principles and moving to strategy and some concrete how-to. This approach works well for INTJs and those with a background in math or philosophy. However many people absorb information better by starting with concrete how-to, establishing a baseline of understanding, then making connections to abstract principles.

For example many American students never consider any kind of alternative lifestyle, then go abroad and see people living differently, and a light bulb goes off and they make the connection that they could do some of those things themselves. Or, most martial arts traditions start with very concrete things like stances and pushups, and save the underlying philosophy and nuances for advanced students.