Worldly Philosophers Club

The Worldly Philosophers, Vol.1, Number 15	August 19, 2007
THE Worldly Philosophers Club For Individualists Who Seek Worldly Wisdom

Archives

About the Editor

Bennett Cerf
(1898 - 1971)

BENNETT CERF:
THE GOLDEN BOY OF PUBLISHING
By Mark Skousen

In this issue . . .

	How a "foolish" businessman who loved books became a millionaire publisher.
	Why Bennett Cerf published Ayn Rand's classic work, "Atlas Shrugged," even though he despised her philosophy.
	Does fame help or hurt?

"The most ambitious young man should not be so engrossed in his business that he doesn't know what else is going on."
-- Bennett Cerf

Dear Worldly Philosophers,

This past week my wife and I drove down to Florida for a family reunion. It felt great to get away from the daily work activities and renew family life. We have five children, three of whom are married, and two grandchildren. We went to the beach, played sports, and had a great time in the evening with some board games.

I also had a chance to browse through my library and re-read a classic: "At Random: The Reminiscences of Bennett Cerf," which is still in print and highly recommended (Random House, 1977, 2002). In the 1960s, when I was going to college, Bennett Cerf was a raconteur extraordinaire--publisher of Random House and the Modern Library, author and columnist, perennial judge at the Miss America pageant, and famed panelist on the TV show, "What's My Line?" He was a man of boundless energy and enthusiasm and brought unprecedented attention to his publishing firm. He had an abiding love of books and the authors who wrote them.

"Those interested in the big picture will be the most likely to success!"

In his memoirs, Cerf made an important point about all worldly philosophers. In the 1920s, he worked at a brokerage firm in New York City and befriended Charlie Allen, who would later become a highly successful businessman. Cerf comments: "In those days, if anyone down there had asked, 'which two members around here are least likely to be very rich?' I'm sure they would have nominated Charlie and me, because we were less interested in details or 'meetings' than we were in the world around us. There's a moral in this. I think even the most ambitious young man should not be so engrossed in the particular thing he's doing that he doesn't know what else is going on. The two of us had a wide interest in everything." (p. 25, "At Random")

Cerf went on to create his own gigantic publishing firm. “I’ve got the name for our publishing operation. We just said we were going to publish a few books on the side at random. Let’s call it Random House.” His book describes brilliantly the heady days of Random House’s first decades. He revolutionized publishing and helped usher in the publishing's golden age. In the early 20th century, the book business was generally a stuffy one, and few publishers sought out new authors. Not Bennett Cerf! Being young, foolish, and very intelligent, he traveled to Europe and other parts of the world seeking out new authors, including such now famous names as Eugene O'Neill, James Joyce, and Gertrude Stein.

In 1933, Cerf won US. vs. One Book called Ulysses, the landmark case against government censorship of James Joyce's unabridged classic novel. The book was duly imported and seized by U. S. Customs. Cerf later presented the book to Columbia University, his alma mater.

Bennett Cerf Encounters Ayn Rand: An Important Lesson

He even published authors he didn't agree with. He has a delightful chapter on his decision to publish Ayn Rand's risky tome, "Atlas Shrugged." He describes the difficulties he had with the dogmatic, stubborn Rand, who refused to allow any editing of her magnum opus, or to remove the 37 page radio speech by John Galt. This year, Random House celebrates 50 years of this classic. If you haven't read it, you owe yourself to spend a few weeks reading it cover to cover (or listening to it on audio tape).

Cerf was heavily criticized for publishing "Atlas Shrugged," and the critics were universally hostile (even by National Review), but in the end, he made the right decision, even if he thought Rand's egoistic and objectivist philosophy was "horrifying." He went on to say, "Ayn is a remarkable woman, but in my opinion, she was not helped by her sycophants....These people tell her she's a genius and agree with everything she says, and she grows more and more opinionated as she goes along. You can't argue with Ayn Rand." (p. 251)

Another practical lesson from Bennett Cerf: Never surround yourself with yes men!

Good living, AEIOU,

Marcus Aurelius

P. S. While driving down to Florida, I had the delightful experience of listening to over a dozen speeches by speakers at FreedomFest, my annual conference in Las Vegas for worldly philosophers. I listened to talks and debates on geo-politics, history, science & technology, philosophy, investments, and living healthier lives. I suggest you go to www.freedomfest.com and check out this incredible line-up of speakers. Or buy the whole lot by calling Ensign Publishing at 1-866-254-2057. You will love it. I especially recommend James Davidson's worldly wise and humorous talk, "How to Become a Billionaire by Marrying Miss Brazil."