On a recent New York Times bestseller list that featured Bill O’Reilly, Malcolm Gladwell, Doris Kearns Goodwin, Sarah Palin, and even the ubiquitous Ron Burgundy, there was the name of Colin Cowherd.

Cowherd’s new book, You Herd Me!, checked in at No. 11. Pretty good company for a first-time author.

Cowherd’s appearance on the list speaks to the power of sports talk radio. Nothing like a little promotion on the ESPN brand.

However, it also says something about his following. While he definitely can be polarizing, I had several people tell me they were looking forward to getting his book.

If you like Cowherd’s radio and TV shows, you’ll like his book. It is essentially the written version of his on-air routine taken, he says, to a level he can’t do on radio.

Cowherd, with assistance from Tim Keown, opines on many subjects in his own unique way. He goes off in many various directions, including opening up about some personal things, not to mention exposing himself on the cover.

Here is my Q/A:

How surprised are you to see your name on the New York Times’ bestseller list?

It’s never something I thought I would be able to do. I didn’t want to make a book that would embarrass me. I don’t want to take any shots, but I’ve read some books from other people in sports talk radio and I didn’t think there was enough substance. I put three years into this. It was very substantial work for me.

I had no idea it would sell. People who talk about their books on sports talk radio tend to sell more books. To be on the New York Times bestseller list is pretty surprising.

How about the cover, exposing yourself in boxing trunks?

It wasn’t my idea. The publisher came to me and said, ‘You have a different kind of radio show, let’s do a different cover. You expose yourself. You take a lot of shots from people.’ I was like, ‘Is it too silly?’ However, in the end, that’s what the publishers do for a living. If you can increase sales because it doesn’t look like the typical cover, why not?

You look like you’re in good shape.

I work out a lot.

Would you have done the cover if you looked like, say, Chris Berman?

No comment.

You spout your opinions daily to millions of people on radio. What motivated you to do a book?

There are a lot of newspaper writers that can bloviate in the newspaper. Then they come on TV, and they are some of the funniest people around.

I’ve lived in the other world. I’ve been light my whole career. I wanted to add substance to my career. I wanted to add depth. I wanted to prove I can burrow in on a topic and provide context to things that maybe the PPMs in radio don’t allow you to do.

You know you’re polarizing. People either love you or hate you.

I just am that guy. There’s always going to be people who think it is artificial. But I argue with my wife. I argue with my producers. You just have to be yourself on the air. People know I’m self-deprecating, confident, neurotic. That’s who I am. If I have had any success, it is based on people getting a straight shooter. Sometimes, I’m too cocky, too confident, too shrill.

You have to take my show holistically and in its entirety. If you do, you’ll see someone who is committed, honest, tries to do the right thing, and is not perfect.

You went into some personal stuff in the book. Why?

When you give, people give back. If you unveil yourself to the audience and show your fears, your audience gives back. I don’t want to talk at my audience. I want to talk to my audience. I don’t want to have a wall. If I’m sad or afraid of something, I share it. If I tell my therapist that, why not tell my audience?

If that makes me vulnerable, so be it. I’m seen as a straight shooter. If you’re a straight shooter, you have to expose your flaws, your fears and weaknesses.

What subjects stood out for you in the book?

I think the one where I talk about loneliness. I like where I talk about LeBron and Michael Jordan because I’m not reverential to them. I like when I unveil something that maybe hasn’t been said. I like when I take people, and they go, ‘Wow, that’s interesting I never thought of that.’ Maybe Peyton is his own worst enemy? Maybe Nike is the reason LeBron isn’t as popular as Michael Jordan?

I like people who make you think. Jon Stewart makes you think. Andy Rooney made me think. Interesting writers make me think. That’s the kind of content I wanted to produce.

Tim Keown helped you write the book. How did that work out?

I’m at my worst when I feel like I’m the smartest guy in the room. I’m at my best when I’m in a room where I have to bail water to keep up. That’s what I felt with Tim. He pushed me. He asked me questions that forced me to come up with real answers. We took out the sandpaper and smoothed out the edges.

Will there be a sequel?

That’s a good question. I don’t know. I have an idea for a second book. But I won’t do it without Tim. Basically, I’ve put enormous pressure on Tim.