If Hollywood, Why Broadway? If AI, Why Books?

At Rosenberg Associates, our brand has been synonymous with CPA firm books. Want a book about CPA firm practice management? We probably wrote it. But who needs books anymore? You can just ask CoPilot, ChatGPT, Claude or your favorite AI tool and get the “answer” without having to crack a spine or remember where you saved our PDF.

I don’t disagree. However, for many of us, there is something valuable about the format of a book. Similar to why plenty of people still enjoy Broadway shows, even though by many measures Hollywood has outdone them for years. Why is that? It’s because Broadway is different, and because people like people. They like to see them, to be in awe of what they can do, right there, live, in the flesh, as a group having a shared experience. I’m fairly confident that the people who enjoy Broadway also enjoy Hollywood (though likely not the same percentage the other way around).

Hollywood has access to special effects, larger casts, bigger sets spanning the entire planet, and the ability to retake again and again seeking perfection. The Hollywood product is more enjoyable in many ways, but not a replacement for live theater.

So, back to books. We like them because they are thoughtfully planned, reviewed, edited, and presented in an unchanging order. This gives you, the reader, a chance to see topics you may not have had an interest in before, but when they are presented in sequence or simply between two covers, you might be inclined to give them a chance and learn something you weren’t seeking. This doesn’t mean we don’t like AI; nothing could be farther from the truth on that. It means that we also value the required slower pace, thoughtfulness, and bigger asks from your brain to engage (and sometimes struggle, because learning isn’t always a piece of cake) – the kind of thinking that builds critical-thinking skills, not just gives answers.

The Complete Collection of Rosenberg Books delivers practical, easy-to-read, and immediately actionable solutions that small to mid-sized accounting firms rely on to reach their next level of success. If you’re looking to collect more wisdom for yourself and your firm, these resources put proven expertise right at your fingertips. Purchase today and start building a stronger firm.

This year, in our annual strategic planning, we spent some time thinking about the 16 books we publish, print, and ship, or deliver electronically to our customers. We’ve decided to stay in the game. With intentionality and an interest in the humans who benefit from (and, dare I say, enjoy) learning from the format of fixed words on the page. The same words presented to everyone who gets a copy.

You won’t be able to prompt a tone change halfway through the paperback; you’re stuck with the author’s voice. And you might value learning about the topics we invest our life’s work in, in a way that you can meander through, highlight, tape-flag, underline, annotate and drop off on someone else’s desk.

To all of you who still read or listen to books, visit the library or give local bookstore gift cards, this book’s for you. Especially if you’re into professional development, leadership readiness and intentional learning.

Watch for the release of Kristen Rampe’s edition of How CPA Firms Work this summer.