the simple fact of completing a project can change the author's life. that is success enough for many. in fact, writing the book and not being able to find anybody to publish it can change the author's life, too, and for the better. then, once the book is published, how do you measure the impact? it's noble to say that it's not by sales, but rather by how it changes the way people cook. i like that. but...then numbers get in the way again, don't they? does it have to change the way thousands cook? tens of thousands? or, is it rather on whom the book has an impact? is it more successful if the impact is on professional chefs and foodies, or on the single mom on a low-income budget? what about books with great narrative about food, but has lousy recipes, but nevertheless inspires its readers to go out and read more about food and cooking? sorry to ramble, and i'm certainly not criticizing or judging; just trying to add to the discussion. for the record, some of my favorite cookbooks are All About Braising by molly stevens, The Bread Baker's Apprentice by peter reinhart, Rick Bayless's Mexican Kitchen by rick bayless, and The New Best Recipe by cook's illustrated. YEAH, Amy! I post my recipes on my BigOven ancouct. I've included links all over the place to get to them. Easiest? Go to the recipes tab and click on the BigOven ancouct link. It will take you