When I tell people I wrote a book with my dad, they usually say, "It must be nice to think of the legacy (遗产) you created with someone who means 90 much to you."
This was a beautiful idea, but it was not the way I, or my dad, ever thought about the cooperation. Though we created something we are proud of, "nice" is not the word either of us uses to describe the process.
"It was more confrontation (对抗) than cooperation," my dad likes to say. I agree.
When we landed a book deal, we began a wring journey that was more difficult than either of us had expected, but also far more rewarding.
For almost three years, we met once or twice a week at my parents' house and talked daily about the plan and the outline of each chapter. After the meeting, one of would write a rough draft that the other would build on. I wanted the book to focus on positive vices (不良习惯): such as moderate (适度的) chocolate. However, my dad felt the book should include chapters dealing with things like walking and sending tine with family Finally, I saw it his way. He said the book was about more than just good advices. It was about encouraging people to enjoy life in healthy ways.
Writing this book was a reminder that our family members share not only our faults but also our strengths. My dad is smart, funny, critical and caring. He has a strong passion for the truth. I hope I share these great qualities. For this book, he researched each topic with an enthusiasm 1 had never seen from him, and he insisted that we constantly question and critically analyze every piece of information-even our own conclusions. He was determined to cooperate on a book, not because he could not write one on his own, but because he believed that we could create something better together than we could alone.
I am not sure if our cooperation led to better writing, but it led to a better writing experience. Writing this book was difficult, sometimes more difficult than past projects, but it was never lonely.
