I was a sophomore in high school when a friend of the family gave me the book How to Win at Blackjack by Einstein. I read it, understood it, and embarked on my great blackjack adventure. I quickly devoured Thorp, Revere, Andersen, Wong, Griffin, and Uston, finally settling on Uston's Advanced Point Count for my counting system. Tussling with all the elements of this powerful but complicated system made me realize why the casinos weren't overrun by people like me. Through the years I've had occasion to talk to lots of blackjack players who've confirmed my early assessment.
Most players learn basic strategy and no more.
The problem is, basic strategy alone cannot overcome the house edge. To do that, you have to alter your bets so that you wager more when you have the advantage. Money management can't tell you when you have the edge. Finally, here was a count that could be implemented by mere mortals. I was so intrigued with their approach that my publishing company acquired the rights to Knock-Out Blackjack.