You Can't Judge a Book by its Cover

This wonderful little cliched idiom, meant to keep people from judging others, shall be taken from the meaning intended for it and used extremely literally in the following blog; not for the squeamish.

Approximately two months ago I read a short blurb on Yahoo!'s featured news about a book written by an Eric G. Wilson, this book was titled Against Happiness: In Praise of Melancholy. This book, by its description, appealed to me in that I was already realizing a part of me enjoyed being sad more than being happy. (If that doesn't make sense to you: disregard it. If it does: awesome.) The description stated how melancholy is, despite the way society looks upon it, an essential part of life and without it, there could be no happiness. This is the same as saying there can never be life without evil for then there could be no good, no purity. Without something to compare and contrast to it, nothing can exist.

As I read more of this description I connected more and more with what Wilson was saying, and decided to send it to a collection of my family and friends to try and show them what I had been trying to tell them for the past number of months, that it isn't terrible to be sad sometimes.

This was a bad idea, I admit it.

I know this because after sending it I received replies from friends asking if I was okay, even though I specifically said in the message, somewhat anticipating this response, "No, guys, I am not depressed."

The worst part, however, was that my grandmother began sending me links to books about happiness.

I understand her worry, lately I haven't exactly been a ball of sunshine of a child, but I also know that she completely missed the point. Chances are all she read was the cover.

Thus we are back to our friendly, neighborhood idiom, you can't judge a book by its cover.

What annoyed me, however, wasn't my grandmother sending me these links to happy books or my friends asking how I was doing, but it was the fact that the book was titled: "Against Happiness: In Praise of Melancholy" (mind you, the "In Praise of Melancholy" isn't even on the cover) despite Wilson saying that he was not against happiness, but against the overall obsession and pursuit of it.

'"It is inauthentic and shallow", charges Wilson, "to relentlessly seek happiness in a world full of tragedy."' (Bayard, of Salon Online Magazine and Washington Post)

His "exhibit A" is the rampant use of anti-depressants; mostly to people who do not truly need them, are in no danger of suicide or health issues, yet take them anyway just to feel a little happier.

If that isn't drug abuse I don't know what is.

I imagine the reason the book has the title it does is because of the publisher.

I don't have any experience with professional publishers, and can only work off of media portrayals and common sense. I know that publishers are part of a business, and the goal of a business is (brace yourself for this one...) to earn money.

Compare the title, "Against Happiness" to another, such as: "Our Need for Melancholy".

Any good publisher will tell you the first is the one that will cause for controversy, stir the pot, get people talking, and, as a result of all this, raise sales. (Though, I have to admit, my substitute title is a pretty close second...)

I write about this, months after this incident, because it has happened again.

While enjoying my regular viewing of the Colbert Report, the guest on this show, promoting her new book, was Dee Dee Myers. The title of this book is "Why Women Should Rule the World".

I admit, being easily distempered by statements of one sex being dominant to the other, that the title turned me off, but I was curious as to how Stephen would respond to this, so, naturally, I continued viewing.

Colbert took it just as I had at first, asking why she thought women were so much better than men, and she replied, saying that she did not think women were better than men and did not want women to rule over men but to rule alongside them as equals.

She said that if people could acknowledge all perspectives, such as having more women in decision-making roles in the government and businesses, there would be a lot more progress.

She said that women, undoubtedly, can have a very different way of looking at things than men and if the strengths of men are coupled with the strengths of women then much of the world's problems could be solved with so much more ease and efficiency.

What she said provided all I needed for a complete turn-around on my opinion of her book, and I found myself agreeing with everything she said.

Women should be treated and listened to just as much as men and the mixture of perspectives and tactics could do wonders for our country, or even the world.

But then I stopped and thought: "Why is the title, 'Why Women Should Rule the World'?"

The case is the same as the one above with Eric G. Wilson. In my mind I can so perfectly see the publishers pushing both of them to change their titles into something more interesting and controversial.

Myers' title has already won over 99.9% of the female population, and Wilson's proclamation against the prescribed school of thought has intrigued most who have merely heard the title.

Though, even with the increased sales and publicity, I don't know if I'd ever be comfortable with changing the title of one of my books solely for that reason... but I fear publishers most likely have contracts to do their biddings...

Thus, perhaps it is true, that you should never judge a book by its cover.

And yes, I suppose that could still work idiomatically, but it just makes more sense literally, alright?

Publishers don't seem to be an author's best friend... but, oh, how I dream of working with one anyways...