The international best seller Life’s Little Instruction Book, a list of 511 ideas for leading a happy and fulfilling life, was written as advice to UT advertising student Adam Brown from his father. When his things were unpacked in North Carrick Hall, Adam was given a list by his father, H. Jackson Brown.
According to a 1991 Daily Beacon article, the elder Brown, a writer, was asked by his publisher if he had written anything lately and replied that he had only compiled a list for his son. The publisher asked for a copy for his own son and decided to publish the list in book form. Adam Brown joined his father on a trip to Australia, appearing on 27 radio and television shows marking the Australian debut of the volume. The Browns also appeared on the Today show, and the story was featured in a variety of magazines. The book spent 158 weeks on the New York Times best seller list, and many millions of copies of the book have been sold.