Tom Butler-Bowdon, author of the fascinating ’50 Classics’ book series, has led a more than two decade career built around his own books, and as an editor/curator focused on the bringing out the best of the ideas of others. The series, which he created, is built around eight separate topics; one for each book (and some in more than one edition): Success, Spirituality, Psychology, Prosperity, Philosophy, Politics, Economics, and Business. Taken together, the books represent an amazing and inspirational library of ideas that can help readers lead better-informed, more meaningful lives. I still consult the books regularly.
I first started writing about him more than twenty years ago, when I was working at USA TODAY. (My USA TODAY reviews of his books are no longer on the free web, but you can find them in specialized databases that include the full text of the USAT article archives, available through many public and academic libraries.) However, you can still freely find online my 2008 USAT interview with him, “Author believes prosperity requires taking a ‘leap into the dark.’”
Since then I’ve written about him extensively for my blog, and I interviewed him for a brief, ‘From the Front Lines’ 2018 article, “Reading Economics For Lessons on Prosperity,” in the journal where I am managing Editor, Leader to Leader. The journal is published by Wiley, also publisher of the Capstone Classics series, where Tom is series editor (see below).
I’m grateful to Tom (who is based in the UK and Australia) for answering my latest questions about his career, books, newsletter, and editing.
For the nonspecialist reader, how would you characterize the nature of your work/research/writing/editing, and how it all fits together holistically into your total life?
I’ve spent 20 years mining the best insights from psychology, philosophy, economics, business, politics, and so on, so people can use them to advance in work and life. That is the purpose of my “50 Classics” books series covering the key writings in different fields.
I’m now drawing on all those insights to establish a “philosophy of success” through my Substack newsletter. I’m going beyond motivation and self-help, and drawing on Buddhism and Western philosophy, to define success and go deeper on its mechanics for the individual. Everything I’ve done has led me here.
What led to your editing the Capstone Classics Series, and can you describe how you carry out your specific role?
The Capstone Classics is a 30-volume series published by Wiley. We reissue classic books like The Art of War, Marcus Aurelius’ Meditations, and Napoleon Hill’s Think and Grow Rich, with new Introductions that make them relevant for modern readers. I became the editor on the back of the 50 Classics series. So my whole working life has been about “classics”! I’m very interested how the worth of things is only revealed in time. I’m naturally skeptical of who or what is famous now. Let’s see what the impact is in 10, 20, 100 years’ time.
Do you approach writing, researching, and editing differently now than when you started the ’50 Classics’ series more than two decades ago? And if so, has it caused you to think about the various disciplines covered in those books (psychology, self-help, philosophy, politics, and more) differently?
My writing methods and style probably haven’t changed, but research is easier and quicker thanks to AI. I’m also fortunate that I started writing before smartphones and constant distraction. I was very prolific for many years; it’s harder now!
Regarding the variety of topics I’ve written about: they may seem disconnected but each represents humanity’s wish to advance, to succeed. I see everything through the lens of “success” now.