I have a feeling Jim Collins is thinking of something like the old Evel Knievel toy [0], where you put the motorcycle on a platform with a high-resistance crank, you turn the crank, and at some level of RPMs of an internal wheel, the motorcycle shoots forward.<p>Collins is a few years older than me, believe me the ad made an indelible impression at the time.<p>[0] <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B-H5g9WEqCc" rel="nofollow">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B-H5g9WEqCc</a>
Is there a name for this style of writing? It seems increasingly popular.<p>Start with a simple complaint, then give an enormous backstory including your childhood before getting to your point.<p>I think we're going beyond long form. There must be a term for it.