As a mentor to Millennials and Gen-Zers, I’ve become more and more aware of just how much language—and wisdom—is being lost with each new generation: wisdom that has seen centuries of people through truly difficult times with grace. But it’s not just the youth. We’re collectively “forgetting” a sort of code language that allows us to communicate with lightning speed—to others and to ourselves—information that just makes life better. So I set about to bring some of that wisdom and code language back, along with practical application for modern challenges.

TRIED & (Still) TRUE is a title that just felt right to me before I even wrote the first word.

“TRIED” speaks to the fact that some very smart people have not only passed along sound advice for millennia, but have put it to the test under pressures of war, economic crisis, personal upheaval and more.

“TRUE”: I’ve long said that truth… just is. It doesn’t matter how old particular words may be. Though circumstances and culture change, underlying truth does not.

“(Still)”: I’m passionate about today’s thinkers being exposed to the fact that some of the oldest words of wisdom still apply today. That’s what this book is all about.

“&”… I had a lot of fun with this little symbol through the book. In fact, each chapter has its own section labeled “… & …” that covers a lot of cool “extras” that’ll make you a hit at parties.

As with The Best Advice So Far, this book doesn’t quite fit as Self Help, Psychology, Inspirational, Motivational, Spiritual, Anecdotal or any of a number of other single sub-genres of nonfiction. However, if you were to mash all of the above together with a few other things (e.g., Business Success, Relationship, Humor, How-To, Memoir, History, Word-Nerd, etc.), you’d have whatever the genre of this unique book is.

The tagline for this book is “Old Wisdom for a New Generation.” I started out with the under-thirty population in mind. But the more I wrote, I realized that all of us as a society need this book—including me. I’ve had readers from their teens to their seventies share with me the life change they’ve experienced through his book. Truly, the themes of TRIED & (Still) TRUE are universal. They apply to all ages, all races and nationalities, all careers; to individuals, groups and organizations.

In short, the target reader is Everyman (and woman).

The reader is invited into each chapter of TRIED & (Still) TRUE with a relevant point of interest. The remainder of each chapter is divided into sections based on the words of the title:

TRIED: where the chapter’s advice is shared and a history given
… & …: where you’ll find a hodgepodge of cool miscellany
(Still) TRUE: where practical application is explored
Not TRUE: where more practical application is explored, but from a standpoint of avoiding misunderstanding and pitfalls

Each chapter contains questions for personal reflection or group discussion, as well as a practical challenge so that you can put the knowledge to use immediately in ways that matter.

As I did with The Best Advice So Far, I designed TRIED & (Still) TRUE to be flexible and far reaching in scope.

Any of the books topics—alone or combined with others from any of my books—may provide a starting point for those interested in inviting me to do keynote talks, workshops, group discussions and facilitation.

Each chapter also ends with “Questions & A Challenge.” This was designed to be helpful for personal consideration or journaling, as well as for small group discussion (e.g., for book clubs, classrooms, workshops, etc.).

TRIED & (Still) TRUE also makes an excellent gift for anyone who is seeking life change, growth or purpose; or facing a significant transition such as graduation, career change, job search, etc.

Along with the title, I chose “Frog on a Penny Farthing”—by illustrator Michael Phipps—as the central image for my cover long before I started writing the book. As for why I chose it… you’ll have to read Chapter 5!