Must Follow the Rules

 The best self-help book I read is The Rules. Although it is written specifically for young ladies desperate to catch a husband, deleting the technical specifics of seduction, the spirit of the book is a genius. The concept consists in having a clear, mechanical set of rules and follow it with NO deviation. I bought it for my daughters but I am the only one who has read it (I am not looking for Mr Right!). It embodies the spirit of Mr Wilson of IBM who prescribed to his salesman down to the angle of their ties (have not seen one in years), and what sentences to voice and forbid any creativity. The fabulous Fund of Funds, created by a Jewish psychologist turned speculator to sell a saving vehicle to American servicemen stationed in Europe (that was in the sixties), had a written dialogue to execute with prospective clients. Salesmen had to memorialize and say exactly what was written. The idea of Fund of Funds was that it would diversify the risk incorporating the diverse strategies of the individual funds. Of course it was a Ponzi but most successful. My point is that success is achieved by strictly following a formula, the Rules, and avoiding distractions and creativity.