Did you know people shoplift boxes of condoms more frequently
than any other item found a pharmacy's shelves? Think about it
for a second. The reason becomes fairly obvious: people are too
embarrassed to be seen with condoms in their possession, let
along buying them. And perhaps you're one of them--the
"embarrassed," not the "shoplifter," that is... Afraid a friend
might enter the pharmacy at the point of purchase. A family
member. A neighbor. Your boss! Even confronting the cashier who
rings up your, um, purchase, or the person standing behind you
in line is a potential source of discomfort. Suddenly anyone you
encounter equates what you're holding with your blushing face,
immediately realizing what you'll be (or at least hope you'll
be) doing that evening. Of course, you could be among the brave
who march straight to the counter, box in hand held like it were
a trophy, greeting everyone as you go. If you are, you're
luckier than many who become overwhelmed to the point of simply
replacing the box and leaving, or, because they cannot do
without, shoving the condoms into their pocket and, well, hoping
they remembered to lace their sneakers tight that morning.
Of course harrowing experiences for the easily embarrassed do
not limit themselves to the pharmacy. In fact, have you ever
considered what books people shoplift most frequently from your
local bookstore (to likewise avoid embarrassment)? If you
guessed self-help books, you're right. (Interestingly, as a
genre, they still manage to outsell any other category on the
shelves despite the hordes of shoppers with particularly sticky
fingers and deep coat pockets). And not just self-help books
related to sexual techniques, marital problems, infidelity or
other relationship issues, but also those related to our
physical well being, i.e. how to(s) on Health & Fitness.
For example, you may have an issue with acne, bad breath or your
weight; browsing the self-help section for a cure of fitness
regime only indicates to others that you're self-conscious about
what may be equally obvious to them. Or, you may have an issue
with something previously unrecognized by the public including
premature ejaculation, intense social anxiety, or warts that
suddenly, even without witnessing your issue firsthand, become
apparent to others as you flip through titles on the latest
remedies. Thus self-help books, while partly the bookstores
"bread and butter" are also their "condoms," so to speak.
Shoppers, likewise, are not only too embarrassed to be caught
browsing the self-help shelves, but are doubly embarrassed to
then parade throughout the store carrying whichever book applies
to their specific issue or perceived inadequacy, only to hand it
over to a cashier, immediately letting him or her in on the
shopper's previously kept secret. Harrowing indeed!
But, instead of either not buying a book because you are too
embarrassed (thus allowing whatever issue ails you to fester and
grow), or worse yet shoplifting what is supposed to be
self-help, not self-hurt, and potentially subjecting yourself to
criminal charges or jail time, you can now find similar
information, and often the exact same books, online in an eBook
format. Any reader, formerly too embarrassed or otherwise
noncommittal about owning up to and confronting their respective
issues, perceived inadequacies or habitual vices, can now pursue
the diets, cures and other life-enriching methods from the
comfort and privacy of their own homes. No more scouring the
bookstore shelves or entering the diet center beneath the
scrutiny of the public eye. Thanks to Health & Fitness eBooks,
anyone can conduct the requisite in-depth and educated research
needed to tackle their problems and improve their life, head on,
without further worries about answering the prying questions of
peers or enduring the judgment of family members.
Download a Health or Fitness related eBook when you want, on
your terms; leave a printed version lying about, or keep the
digital file tucked safely away on your computer. The choice is
yours. Let everyone know (friends, family, neighbors, even your
boss!), or limit those who know to those you trust or even to no
one at all. Either way, you can begin improving your life
immediately at a level of comfort you deserve.
Begin by conducting your research thoroughly, and with the
knowledge that eBooks related to Health & Fitness just like
their counterparts on the bookstore's shelves, tackle virtually
every issue under the sun, under your roof, or simply within
yourself, from how to conquer panic attacks to asthma, jet lag
to unsightly moles; turn fat into the muscle mass, a belly into
bulging biceps or voluptuous breasts; or even learn to maximize
your mind's potential.
Finally, eBooks, now that most experts write them in addition to
their tangible world publications, offer methods to improve your
life that simultaneously accommodate any and all lifestyle
choices and belief systems. Examples included hypnosis practiced
while sipping a cup of coffee before work, natural alternatives
that appease both body and spirit, with or without supplements,
some secular, others associated with religious practices, and so
on. Whatever your lifestyle or beliefs, you're likely to find a
cure for what ails you or a program for your future, without
necessarily breaking the bank, and perhaps most important,
without the embarrassment of confronting your issues with the
whole world watching... Now, if only the same could be done for
that box of condoms...
Copyright 2006, Robert K. Blanc. All Rights Reserved. Reprint or
reposting of this article permitted only in its entirety with
the below resource box included and unchanged.
About the author:
Robert Blanc is a frequent traveler and freelance writer, having
covered current events, niche markets and subjects of personal
interest for both online and traditional print publications.
Recently enamored by the eBook phenomenon and the booming
self-help industry, he regularly turns to
http://www.ebookreviews.net to begin his searches for the latest information and eBooks
currently on the market.
