Why am I passionate about this?

Drew Eric Whitman is known internationally as a dynamic consultant and trainer who smashes old advertising myths like a china-shop bull. Teaching the psychology behind the response for nearly four decades, he worked for the direct-marketing division of the largest ad agency in Philadelphia, was a senior copywriter for the country's leading direct-to-the-consumer insurance company, and was the associate copy chief for catalog giant Day-TimersHis work has been used by companies ranging from small retail shops to giant, multi-million dollar corporations. A popular keynote speaker at international affiliate marketing conferences, Drew’s intensive CA$HVERTISING Clinic teaches business people how to use consumer psychology to boost the effectiveness of their ads, brochures, sales letters, Websites, and more.


I wrote

Ca$hvertising: How to Use More Than 100 Secrets of Ad-Agency Psychology to Make Big Money Selling Anything to Anyone

By Drew Eric Whitman,

Book cover of Ca$hvertising: How to Use More Than 100 Secrets of Ad-Agency Psychology to Make Big Money Selling Anything to Anyone

What is my book about?

Translated into 9 languages worldwide, CA$HVERTISING is the best-selling and highest-rated copywriting-psychology book on Amazon today. It teaches you the…

Shepherd is reader supported. When you buy books, we may earn an affiliate commission.

The books I picked & why

Book cover of Tested Advertising Methods

Drew Eric Whitman Why did I love this book?

If you want to run ads that work, you need to learn what makes them work. This book tells you. John Caples is widely regarded to be one of history’s most iconic advertising copywriters. The man knew how to influence people to buy. This classic book gets down to the very foundation of advertising effectiveness and is loaded with examples and success "recipes" that you can immediately apply to your own ads--no matter what you sell. 100% practical, too. Look for the 4th edition or earlier for a book that's “totally Caples” without dilution by editors to "modernize" (er, weaken!) it. Miss this, and you’re missing the Queen Mary

By John Caples,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Tested Advertising Methods as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

The fifth edition of this work on how to create successful advertising features new coverage on small businesses with limited revenues, non-profit advertising, as well as techniques of headlines, illustrations and layouts. There is also new information useful to smaller businesses.


Book cover of Breakthrough Advertising

Drew Eric Whitman Why did I love this book?

This is one of my all-time favorites by a wizard of direct response. It discusses the psychology of advertising and the stages your product or service goes through in consumers’ minds. It talks a great deal about headlines, examines how to fire up your copy, and contains some of the hardest-hitting direct-response ads I’ve ever seen. Read this only if you’re serious about writing great ad copy--it’s not for beginners or those just dabbling in the art.

By Eugene M. Schwartz,

Why should I read it?

3 authors picked Breakthrough Advertising as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

paperback version


Book cover of Ogilvy on Advertising

Drew Eric Whitman Why did I love this book?

What’s it like to climb inside the mind of one of advertising’s most iconic legends? Reading this book is probably the closest thing to it. You’re sure to come out with a dramatically changed view on how the industry works, and doesn’t. I’ve quoted him often in Cashvertising because his no-bull approach to advertising resonates strongly with everything I’ve been teaching for nearly four decades. Make his words your own and then--when you speak to others about advertising--you’ll be speaking with the voice of unquestionable authority.

By David Ogilvy,

Why should I read it?

2 authors picked Ogilvy on Advertising as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

David Ogilvy is well known and respected as the most successful adman of all time. His bestselling book, Ogilvy on Advertising, gives valuable advice to young hopefuls and veterans of the industry wanting to improve their success rate.


Book cover of Positioning: The Battle for Your Mind

Drew Eric Whitman Why did I love this book?

Do you have competition? Most of us do. And unless you know how to stand out, you're just one more player in your industry. You need to know how to set yourself apart from your competition... how to communicate that you're different, better, and offer more advantages than your competitors. This is an important book that teaches you how to construct your USP: Unique Selling Proposition, so that your business is PREFERRED over the other guys. When you're preferred, you're the one who gets the business. And it requires more than a clever name and a nice website. This book will open your eyes wide. Most business owners don’t have a clue about this topic. Don’t you be one of them!

By Al Ries, Jack Trout,

Why should I read it?

3 authors picked Positioning as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

The first book to deal with the problems of communicating to a skeptical, media-blitzed public, Positioning describes a revolutionary approach to creating a "position" in a prospective customer's mind-one that reflects a company's own strengths and weaknesses as well as those of its competitors. Writing in their trademark witty, fast-paced style, advertising gurus Ries and Trout explain how to:

Make and position an industry leader so that its name and message wheedles its way into the collective subconscious of your market-and stays there Position a follower so that it can occupy a niche not claimed by the leader Avoid letting…


Book cover of My Life in Advertising and Scientific Advertising

Drew Eric Whitman Why did I love this book?

Here’s a classic by the man who started it all. Claude Hopkins is regarded as one of the greatest copywriters of all time. He pioneered the “Reason-Why” style of copywriting (telling people why to buy your product). It’s filled with priceless stories, humor, and practical lessons you can apply to your ads immediately. Get this classic if you're truly serious about learning to create effective ads! While your competitors are floundering around scratching their heads because their ads aren’t working, you’ll know exactly what to do to influence people to buy NOW!

By Claude Hopkins,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked My Life in Advertising and Scientific Advertising as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Gain a lifetime of experience from the inventor of test marketing and coupon sampling -- Claude C. Hopkins. Here, you'll get two landmark works in one, and discover his fixed principles and basic fundamentals that still prevail today.


Explore my book 😀

Ca$hvertising: How to Use More Than 100 Secrets of Ad-Agency Psychology to Make Big Money Selling Anything to Anyone

By Drew Eric Whitman,

Book cover of Ca$hvertising: How to Use More Than 100 Secrets of Ad-Agency Psychology to Make Big Money Selling Anything to Anyone

What is my book about?

Translated into 9 languages worldwide, CA$HVERTISING is the best-selling and highest-rated copywriting-psychology book on Amazon today. It teaches you the tips, tricks, and psychological strategies that New York’s top-gun copywriters and designers use to persuade people to buy like crazy. Fast-moving, fun-reading, and practical, CA$HVERTISING was written to save business owners years of costly trial-and-error experimentation. And it doesn’t matter whether you’re a corporate giant... an online entrepreneur... or a mom & pop corner pizza shop. That’s because these techniques are based on human psychology. They work no matter where you’re located… no matter what kind of product or service you sell… and no matter where you advertise.

Read it, and you'll know more about how to create effective ads than 99% of your competition. (And that's not just another advertising claim. It's what hundreds of Amazon reviewers have reported after reading CA$HVERTISING.)

You might also like...

Uniting the States of America: A Self-Care Plan for a Wounded Nation

By Lyle Greenfield,

Book cover of Uniting the States of America: A Self-Care Plan for a Wounded Nation

Lyle Greenfield Author Of Uniting the States of America: A Self-Care Plan for a Wounded Nation

New book alert!

Why am I passionate about this?

I’ve always been fascinated by group dynamics, large and small. Why things functioned well, why they didn’t. It’s possible my ability to empathize and use humor as a consensus-builder is the reason I was elected president of a homeowners association, a music production association, and even an agricultural group. Books were not particularly involved in this fascination! But in recent years, experiencing the breakdown of civility and trust in our political and cultural discourse, I’ve taken a more analytical view of the dynamics. These books, in their very different ways, have taught me lessons about life, understanding those with different beliefs, and finding ways to connect and move forward. 

Lyle's book list on restoring your belief in human possibility

What is my book about?

We’ve all experienced the overwhelming level of political and social divisiveness in our country. This invisible “virus” of negativity is, in part, the result of the name-calling and heated rhetoric that has become commonplace among commentators and elected leaders alike. 

My book provides a clear perspective on the historical and modern-day causes of our nation's divisive state. It then proposes easy-to-understand solutions—an action plan for our elected leaders and citizens as well. Rather than a scholarly treatment of a complex topic, the book challenges us to take the obvious steps required of those living in a free democracy. And it…

Uniting the States of America: A Self-Care Plan for a Wounded Nation

By Lyle Greenfield,

What is this book about?

Lyle Greenfield's "Uniting the States of America―A Self-Care Plan for a Wounded Nation" is a work of nonfiction and opinion. Incorporating the lessons of history and the ideas and wisdom of many, it is intended as both an educational resource and a call-to-action for citizens concerned about the politically and culturally divided state of our Union. A situation that has raised alarm for the very future of our democracy.

First, the book clearly identifies the causes of what has become a national crisis of belief in and love for our country. How the divisiveness and hostility rampant in our political…


5 book lists we think you will like!

Interested in advertising, copywriting, and marketing?

Advertising 51 books
Copywriting 17 books
Marketing 198 books