Dumb?-Like a Fox

▪ 2000

      In the 1990s two publishers discovered that ignorance was not only bliss but also very profitable. IDG Books Worldwide and Macmillan U.S.A. were responsible, respectively, for the series of books for “dummies” and guides for “the complete idiot”—instructional manuals that had cash registers ringing as readers sought to master everything from personal computers to personal ads. Written in basic language and infused with a dose of humour, the books proved to be a tonic for those struggling to keep pace in the Information Age. By 1999 they together accounted for more than 750 titles, covering topics as diverse as software, Shakespeare, sex, and sports. Already translated into dozens of languages, Dummies and Idiot's guidebooks were found around the world and rang up some $150 million in sales.

      The Dummies books, which debuted in 1991, were the pioneers of textbooks for the allegedly mentally challenged. The series was developed by John Kilcullen, cofounder of IDG Books Worldwide, who recognized consumers' frustrations with trying to keep pace with the ever-changing computer industry. Kilcullen's idea for a manual that made learning both easy and entertaining resulted in DOS for Dummies. The book, however, was initially met with resistance from book chains and industry experts who questioned the wisdom of insulting potential buyers in the very title of the book. Kilcullen responded that “dummies” was a term of endearment, and readers, recognizing the joke and reassured by the simple format that it suggested, returned the affection, making the book a best-seller and the most successful title in the Dummies series to date. A number of computer books, all in the trademark bright yellow and black cover, soon followed, and Dummies became synonymous with straightforward and humourous texts. In 1994 IDG applied the formula to a noncomputer subject. Personal Finance for Dummies was a hit, staying on the best-seller list for more than two years and paving the way for manuals on a variety of topics. Macmillan launched its own “infotainment” series, The Complete Idiot's Guide, in 1994. Following the Dummies example, it initially offered basic and lighthearted instruction on computers before tackling more creative subjects, such as how to get a good night's sleep and how to become a psychic.

      An obsession with connoisseurship fueled the manuals' success. Although Dummies was clearly the champion—with some 500 titles and more than $120 million in sales, compared with the Idiot's 280 books and some $30 million in revenue—both series proved that the market for knowledge was limitless. By the late 1990s some 150 new Dummies and Idiot's titles were hitting bookshelves each year, helping create a new breed of experts—knowledgeable on such subjects as lawn care, angels, and quilts—and a profitable industry. Other similar series had also entered the market, with some, such as Macmillan's The Lazy Way, pegged for book buyers' other intellectual shortcomings.

Amy Tikkanen

* * *