I disagree. How is selling books so different than other commodities?
You don't have to be a "food expert" to run a supermarket, so why do
you have to be a book expert to run a book store? What does it even
mean to be a book expert?

Having people from out of the industry being brought in adds a fresh
perspective to selling books, and it's an asset to Borders to have
proven managers from lots of different industries.

In terms of anecdotal evidence that the company is doing well, the
Borders in my area gets way more traffic than the B&N. And the reason
is simple: the staff at Borders is friendlier, and that's the main
thing you want at a book store - the ability to go in, browse, sit for
a cup of coffee, and not feel any pressure to buy. It's obvious that
sales will follow in such an environment.