After my father retired, he became a successful consultant in his field. To advertise his services, he ordered small plastic keychains with his name and contact information and passed them out to everyone he knew. Soon he received another offer from the promotional company: if he purchased pens in addition to the keychains, he would be entered into a drawing for a grand prize — a motorboat. Glossy photos of a sleek cabin cruiser rising on ocean waves accompanied the offer. Dad lived on an island and had always wanted a boat. He ordered the pens.

A few months later, Dad received amazing news: he’d won the grand prize! He celebrated by calling my sisters and me immediately, imagining all the places he would take us. We were skeptical. What did Dad know about the company or its track record

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