Exploring Books, Life, and Writing
Those who know me, know that I think Zinsser’s On Writing Well is the Bible of advice to authors. I even talk about Zinsserizing a manuscript–an mischievously ironic term, since Zinsser abhors such neologisms.
In the book, Zinsser self-consciously makes an apparent contradiction.
Continue reading “The Myth of Wider Readership”
I’ve been a runner for over twenty-five years. I ran cross-country in high school but gave it up in my twenties. As thirty approached, I realized my body was not serving me well, so I took up the sport again.
Over the years I worked my way up to three miles, then five and then seven. Eventually I ran a couple of Chicago marathons. But now each year I settle for one modest 10K in western Michigan in which I try to beat my age–setting my goal at one minute for every year.
I’d always heard about the runner’s high and the greater energy levels that carry you through the day. I’ve never experienced either.
Continue reading “Getting Exercised”
I just came across an excellent and important article the old fashioned way–someone pushed a piece of paper in front of me. (Actually, the paper got stuck in my in-basket for a few months, and I just unearthed it. Is that an argument for digitization? Not necessarily. I lose things on my computer all the time. But I digress.) Malcolm Gladwell writes a tour de force review debunking Chris Anderson’s new book Free: The Future of a Radical Price (retailing for $26.99!).
Continue reading “The Future of Free”
The world of e-book devices, apps, providers and acquisitions is fast-changing and very complex. Keeping up with it all is a challenge for any publisher. A colleague drew my attention to a very helpful map of the e-book universe brought to us by the folks at TechFlash.com.
Continue reading “The e-Book Universe”
In today’s job market, everyone wants that little edge that will set them apart from other applicants. And on the job, everyone wants to make themselves as valuable and indispensable as possible. What can you do?
Continue reading “Want an Edge in the Job Market?”
When I read a business book, I’m often looking for the hot, sexy idea that puts a new spin on things, the innovative perspective that helps me see things in a new way, the dead-on research that makes a compelling case all by itself. Creating Magic: 10 Common Sense Leadership Strategies from a Life at Disney by Lee Cockerell is none of these things.
Someone recently asked me a helpful diagnostic question for those in leadership, a question that helps you get at the big picture. “What causes you to lose sleep at night?” Certainly for me the Great Recession and the sea changes it may be bringing in book publishing have been right at the top of the list for me.
Continue reading “Shatzkin’s Bad News, Good News”
Gizmodo has offered us a handy comparison of e-book readers. Matt Buchanan does a nice job here–and the comments are enjoyable reading too.
There are many myths about Galileo. One is that he invented the telescope. (He didn’t. Hans Lippershey gets the honors. A year afterward, on this date four hundred years ago, Galileo demonstrated his version of the device to merchants in Venice. (The sale price was not a pound of flesh.)
Here’s a little quiz to see how good you are at separating fact from fiction. Jot down which you think are true and which are false:
Continue reading “400 Years Ago Today, Galileo Didn’t Invent the Telescope”
Offering competition in the marketplace is the American way–and the Japanese way too, apparently.
Sony has just announced that it will be adopting an open e-book format (called ePub) to help counter the early lead Amazon’s Kindle proprietary format has taken in the market. Those who buy e-books on Kindle can only read them on Kindle (or iPhone). The open ePub format will allow readers to buy e-books and read them on the device of their choosing.
Continue reading “The e-Book Competition Heats Up”