Concept
est: Playing the Game the New Way is a non-fiction book by Carl Frederick, first published in 1976, by Delacorte Press, New York. The book describes in words the basic message of Werner Erhard's Erhard Seminars Training (est) theatrical experience. Erhard/est sued in federal court in the United States to stop the book from publication, but the suit failed. The book takes a 'trainer's' approach to the est experience, in that it essentially duplicates the est training, citing examples and using jargon from the actual experience. The title became a New York Times #2 best-seller, with more than a million copies in print, but overall critical reception was negative. The New York Times Book Review called it "a semi-literate rehash of Erhard-speak", and Library Journal noted, "The est disdain for critical thought and its fondness for its own jargon are painfully obvious in this book". Frederick graduated from Penn State University with a Bachelor of Science. degree in Psychology. He also received an MBA degree from the University of Chicago, and gained professional experience in advertising and marketing. He worked for Procter & Gamble in Cincinnati, Ohio as a product manager in the company's Advertising Department. Subsequently, he went to Heublein in Hartford, Connecticut, where he held the position of Director of New Products. Finally, Frederick became VP/Director of Marketing for Hot Wheels at MattelToys in Los Angeles. A graduate and devotee of est, Carl wrote the book while working to become a Seminar Leader for the est training. After the book became a best-seller, Frederick traveled to Hawaii, then traversed the globe in a sailboat. Along the way, he held management positions on various consulting projects in marketing and advertising, consulting, and also worked in journalism at a newspaper in New Zealand. In 1985, Carl started a U.S. business which distributed Harley Davidson accessories. The company carried out operations in the South Pacific, Hawaii, and California. Frederick eventually settled in Costa Rica.
