Another take . . .
. . . funny what thirty years can do . . .
Scott Turow on the Justice Department
. . . and the Amazon e-book situation:
From the Authors Guild website, here.
The entire article should be mandatory reading for anyone interested in books, no matter their genre or purpose.
. . . and the Amazon e-book situation:
We have no way of knowing whether publishers colluded in adopting the agency model for e-book pricing. We do know that collusion wasn’t necessary: given the chance, any rational publisher would have leapt at Apple’s offer and clung to it like a life raft. Amazon was using e-book discounting to destroy bookselling, making it uneconomic for physical bookstores to keep their doors open.
Just before Amazon introduced the Kindle, it convinced major publishers to break old practices and release books in digital form at the same time they released them as hardcovers. Then Amazon dropped its bombshell: as it announced the launch of the Kindle, publishers learned that Amazon would be selling countless frontlist e-books at a loss. This was a game-changer, and not in a good way. Amazon’s predatory pricing would shield it from e-book competitors that lacked Amazon’s deep pockets.
Critically, it also undermined the hardcover market that brick-and-mortar stores depend on. It was as if Netflix announced that it would stream new movies the same weekend they opened in theaters. Publishers, though reportedly furious, largely acquiesced. Amazon, after all, already controlled some 75% of the online physical book market.
From the Authors Guild website, here.
The entire article should be mandatory reading for anyone interested in books, no matter their genre or purpose.
E-book pricing
The feds are pressing publishers to end the practice demanding that retailers (Amazon and Apple, in the main) sell their works for a certain price point - or as Amazon puts it "setting the price" for the books.
Item:
The only problem is, that practice has saved the industry from widespread bankruptcy and dissolution.
Meanwhile, the elephant in the room are the monopolistic practices that Amazon itself has followed, driving down prices so it could dominate the market.
The publishers aren't the only ones threatened. Lower prices may encourage more sales, but that will not help the vast majority of writers. Anyone who doesn't manage to many thousands of books year after year will find it increasingly difficult to make a living. And that will mean less high quality books, shorter careers - and ultimately, either higher prices or a lot less selection.
As a reader, I love lower prices. As a writer ...
The feds are pressing publishers to end the practice demanding that retailers (Amazon and Apple, in the main) sell their works for a certain price point - or as Amazon puts it "setting the price" for the books.
Item:
An investigation by the Justice Department of pricing collusion between Apple and electronic book publishers has been building in recent months as antitrust officials have pressured five major publishers to reach a settlement, threatening to sue them on charges of working together to raise the price of e-books, people with knowledge of the inquiry said Thursday.Story.
The only problem is, that practice has saved the industry from widespread bankruptcy and dissolution.
Meanwhile, the elephant in the room are the monopolistic practices that Amazon itself has followed, driving down prices so it could dominate the market.
The publishers aren't the only ones threatened. Lower prices may encourage more sales, but that will not help the vast majority of writers. Anyone who doesn't manage to many thousands of books year after year will find it increasingly difficult to make a living. And that will mean less high quality books, shorter careers - and ultimately, either higher prices or a lot less selection.
As a reader, I love lower prices. As a writer ...
There is a solution
Item:
Should I send him a copy of Helios?
Item:
MOUNT HOLLY, N.C. — President Barack Obama on Wednesday made his most urgent appeal yet for the nation to wean itself from oil, calling it a "fuel of the past" and demanding that the United States broaden its approach to energy.(Story.)
Should I send him a copy of Helios?
Meanwhile, in Yemen . . .
Item:
Interestingly, nearly all mainstream media reports have left out the mutiliations, despite that being a fairly prominent part of the attack.
And people think al Qaeda and radical Islam is no longer a threat?
Item:
The death toll from an al-Qaeda assault on a military base in southern Yemen has risen to 185 government soldiers, military and medical officials said Tuesday. Many soldiers' bodies were found mutilated, and some were headless.Story here.
Interestingly, nearly all mainstream media reports have left out the mutiliations, despite that being a fairly prominent part of the attack.
And people think al Qaeda and radical Islam is no longer a threat?
Speaking of reviews . . .
This one from the LA Times on American Sniper:
Full review.
And for the record - damn straight that was intentional. Come on.
This one from the LA Times on American Sniper:
"American Sniper" is about one man's evolution from restless civilian to dedicated killer. For those who like their American military personnel to be diffident and dutifully respectful of their enemies, this book is not for them.
Full review.
And for the record - damn straight that was intentional. Come on.
Fisher does it again . . .
Rob LeFebvre, writing for Shelf-Awareness for Readers, gave Helios a very generous and gracious review:
http://www.shelf-awareness.com/readers-issue.html?issue=73#m1453
Rob LeFebvre, writing for Shelf-Awareness for Readers, gave Helios a very generous and gracious review:
DeFelice's plot rockets along, keeping reader interest throughout. The real find in The Helios Conspiracy, though, is the character of Andy Fisher: he's foul mouthed, standoffish, sarcastic and damn good at what he does, but without any arrogance to ruin it. Fisher's one-liners and quips fill the pages as readers follow each new wrinkle in the case, as well as playing a welcome counterpoint to the seriousness of the story.The whole review:
http://www.shelf-awareness.com/readers-issue.html?issue=73#m1453
The clock continues to tick
From one of the Israeli pilots who helped prevent Iraq from getting nukes:
Full commentary here.
From one of the Israeli pilots who helped prevent Iraq from getting nukes:
Today, Israel sees the prospect of a nuclear Iran that calls for our annihilation as an existential threat. An Israeli strike against Iran would be a last resort, if all else failed to persuade Iran to abandon its nuclear weapons program. That moment of decision will occur when Iran is on the verge of shielding its nuclear facilities from a successful attack — what Israel’s leaders have called the “zone of immunity.”
Some experts oppose an attack because they claim that even a successful strike would, at best, delay Iran’s nuclear program for only a short time. But their analysis is faulty. Today, almost any industrialized country can produce a nuclear weapon in four to five years — hence any successful strike would achieve a delay of only a few years.
Andy is back - hide your coffee
My new book featuring FBI agent Andy Fisher is out today - more information and buying links here:
http://www.jimdefelice.com/Andy_Fisher_37IG.html
PW called it pointless. Kirkus gave it a starred review as one of the best books of the year. Go figure.
Extensions
For reasons known primarily to my host company, the home/landing page for my website has changed to
http://www.jimdefelice.com/Home.html
If you look real close, you'll notice that the extension is slightly different. It's not a problem if you get there from the flash opening at www.jimdefelice.com, but if you've bookmarked the shortcut, it may end up as a problem.
Sorry for the inconvenience.
BTW, there are audios from the American Sniper work sessions inside, as well as material on the new book, The Helios Conspiracy.
For reasons known primarily to my host company, the home/landing page for my website has changed to
http://www.jimdefelice.com/Home.html
If you look real close, you'll notice that the extension is slightly different. It's not a problem if you get there from the flash opening at www.jimdefelice.com, but if you've bookmarked the shortcut, it may end up as a problem.
Sorry for the inconvenience.
BTW, there are audios from the American Sniper work sessions inside, as well as material on the new book, The Helios Conspiracy.
Shameless promotion - for indies
But I also love small bookstores. The best ones are not just a good place to shop, but a valuable contributor to the community. One of my favorites, Merritt Books, runs any number of programs that help a variety of people, and plays an important role in encouraging young people to read.
To get my new book - or any new book - at your local independent bookstore, you can order it through this website:
http://www.indiebound.org/book/9780765323279
Dreamland audio
Some of the early Dreamland novels have not been available on audio. That's going to change this spring.
This is a concept cover from the new series - I don't know how close it will be to the final product, but it already looks very, very cool.
I don't think Dale or I ever dreamed of how popular the series would become. I'm sure I speak for him when I say we're both extremely grateful to our readers, and humbled by their continued interest.
Finding the independents
Looking for a good local independent bookstore? Here's a page that will show the closest ones in your area:
http://www.indiebound.org/indie-store-finder
Looking for a good local independent bookstore? Here's a page that will show the closest ones in your area:
http://www.indiebound.org/indie-store-finder
Sample chapter
You can get the first (and maybe even the second) chapter of Helios on this page (scroll down): http://www.jimdefelice.com/Andy_Fisher_37IG.html
You can get the first (and maybe even the second) chapter of Helios on this page (scroll down): http://www.jimdefelice.com/Andy_Fisher_37IG.html
A serious lack of imagination
Item:
NYT story, which is as clueless as the rest.
Ya think? So what would they do? Give up?
Or use all of the resources at their disposal?
There's a reason pundits and reporters are pundits and reporters, not military planners.
Item:
“All the pundits who talk about ‘Oh, yeah, bomb Iran,’ it ain’t going to be that easy,” said Lt. Gen. David A. Deptula, who retired last year as the Air Force’s top intelligence official and who planned the American air campaigns in 2001 in Afghanistan and in the 1991 Gulf War.
NYT story, which is as clueless as the rest.
Ya think? So what would they do? Give up?
Or use all of the resources at their disposal?
There's a reason pundits and reporters are pundits and reporters, not military planners.
Iran, Israel & the U.S.
How much influence does the U.S. have over Israel when it comes to Iran?
Not as much as some think:
“A strike at this time would be destabilizing and wouldn’t achieve their long-term objectives,” [Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Martin] Dempsey said of the Israelis. “I wouldn’t suggest, sitting here today, that we’ve persuaded them that our view is the correct view and that they are acting in an ill-advised fashion.”
Dempsey doesn't think a strike would be prudent "at this time." But he didn't predict the future - or the present, for that matter, given his candid comment about the Israelis.
Pandora's Box revisited . . .
Item:
Story.
Item:
The full details of recent experiments that made a deadly flu virus more contagious will be published, probably within a few months, despite recommendations by the United States that some information be kept secret for fear that terrorists could use it to start epidemics.
The announcement, made on Friday by the World Health Organization, follows two months of heated debate . . .
Story.
A star is born . . .
Kirkus, the book industry trade publication, gave The Helios Conspiracy a starred review in its latest issue. (Web page here.)
I'm extremely grateful for the review, and also for the feedback and help I received while working on the book from a host of people, including the Guru, who as always gave me very useful notes.
Don't worry about my head getting too big - the book was smashed by PW (the other major industry reviewer) last week. Just goes to show how personal reading is.
I think Helios, with its satiric and comic tone, may be hard for some to adjust to after Leopard's Kill and American Sniper. I can completely understand that. We all have different moods and interests; Helios and Fisher represent a particularly bent set of both on my part.
Helios will be available March 1.
Blundering their way to war
Item:
(NYT story here; the analysis is somewhat better than elsewhere, and corrects some of the knee-jerk reaction of their earlier stories.)
Massive miscalculations - the perfect prelude to a war.
Item:
Karim Sadjadpour, an Iran expert at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, said the belligerent moves by Iran actually underscored weakness.
“If there’s a meta-narrative here, it’s that Iran tends to speak loudly but carries a small stick,” Mr. Sadjadpour said. “Their alleged terror attacks projected incompetence more than fear, their announced nuclear progress is likely exaggerated, and their threat to pre-emptively cease oil exports to Europe turned out to be another bluff.”
(NYT story here; the analysis is somewhat better than elsewhere, and corrects some of the knee-jerk reaction of their earlier stories.)
Massive miscalculations - the perfect prelude to a war.
Romance
I hadn't seen Dogboy in many months, so when he ran into the bar the other night, my initial response was something along the lines of happy shock. The Dog is always good for a story and a laugh, though not always together.
Then I noticed the troubled look in his face as he ordered a double Jack.
"You OK?" I asked. "You look like you just saw a ghost."
"I did. An old girlfriend."
The details came out in bits and pieces. Dogboy had been in the local supermarket, stocking up on beer and pizza, when he saw his old girlfriend at the other end of the aisle. He was stunned.
"She looked like bag lady who'd been in a train wreck," he told me, pushing his glass back for a refill.
"This is a bad thing?"
"You don't understand. I think about this woman all the time. I always thought she was the one. I always thought . . ."
Neither one of us spoke for a bit. I gathered from what he had been saying that his marriage -- yes, the Dog is married - had been somewhat rocky lately. But that seemed to have changed in a supermarket instant.
Finally, I asked what he'd said to the old girlfriend. He shook his head.
"Never got close to her. I pretty much fled the store," he said. "But on the way out, I bought every rose they had. Tomorrow's Valentine's Day, you know."
"Uh-huh."
"Sometimes you don't know what you've got until you see what you might have had."
I hadn't seen Dogboy in many months, so when he ran into the bar the other night, my initial response was something along the lines of happy shock. The Dog is always good for a story and a laugh, though not always together.
Then I noticed the troubled look in his face as he ordered a double Jack.
"You OK?" I asked. "You look like you just saw a ghost."
"I did. An old girlfriend."
The details came out in bits and pieces. Dogboy had been in the local supermarket, stocking up on beer and pizza, when he saw his old girlfriend at the other end of the aisle. He was stunned.
"She looked like bag lady who'd been in a train wreck," he told me, pushing his glass back for a refill.
"This is a bad thing?"
"You don't understand. I think about this woman all the time. I always thought she was the one. I always thought . . ."
Neither one of us spoke for a bit. I gathered from what he had been saying that his marriage -- yes, the Dog is married - had been somewhat rocky lately. But that seemed to have changed in a supermarket instant.
Finally, I asked what he'd said to the old girlfriend. He shook his head.
"Never got close to her. I pretty much fled the store," he said. "But on the way out, I bought every rose they had. Tomorrow's Valentine's Day, you know."
"Uh-huh."
"Sometimes you don't know what you've got until you see what you might have had."
Black Eagle Force
Our friends over there recently updated their website. Check 'em out . . .
http://www.blackeagleforce.com/
Our friends over there recently updated their website. Check 'em out . . .
http://www.blackeagleforce.com/
Loss of an icon
Sadly noted:
Story.
Of purely personal interest - me and the Blaze Boys shot part of a (very, very short) movie there before time began . Said movie is now fortunately lost to humanity.
Sadly noted:
The Miss Albany, a streamlined metal diner fabricated to look like a railroad car, has been a fixture of north Albany since Herbert H. Lehman was governor, but it is closing on Friday.
Story.
Of purely personal interest - me and the Blaze Boys shot part of a (very, very short) movie there before time began . Said movie is now fortunately lost to humanity.
Deleted enemy
In one of the original drafts for Assault Horizon, I wanted to have a ground effects airplane/ship similar to the Ekranoplan as part of the rebel attack. (The game version would have had an array of weapons, unlike its real-world inspiration.)
It was deleted for various reasons, but I still love the concept . . . some day, we'll find a place to get it in.
In one of the original drafts for Assault Horizon, I wanted to have a ground effects airplane/ship similar to the Ekranoplan as part of the rebel attack. (The game version would have had an array of weapons, unlike its real-world inspiration.)
It was deleted for various reasons, but I still love the concept . . . some day, we'll find a place to get it in.
Is writing or making coffee the higher calling?
Speaking as a writer and coffee drinker, many days I think I'd have to go with the coffee . . .
Item:
From a blog op-ed in the NY Times, here.
Great piece, and not just about writing . . . or being a barista.
Speaking as a writer and coffee drinker, many days I think I'd have to go with the coffee . . .
Item:
I realize that no matter where I go in life, how much money I make, or how much fun I have making it, I will always be a barista to somebody.
From a blog op-ed in the NY Times, here.
Great piece, and not just about writing . . . or being a barista.
One perspective on Afghanistan
And not the one you've seen in the media.
Item:
The rest of the story.
The writer is a lieutenant colonel in the Army.
And not the one you've seen in the media.
Item:
I was sincerely hoping to learn that the claims were true: that conditions in Afghanistan were improving, that the local government and military were progressing toward self-sufficiency. I did not need to witness dramatic improvements to be reassured, but merely hoped to see evidence of positive trends, to see companies or battalions produce even minimal but sustainable progress.
Instead, I witnessed the absence of success on virtually every level.
The rest of the story.
The writer is a lieutenant colonel in the Army.
The Iran watch continues
From today's NYT - Israel leaders mean what they say:
From today's NYT - Israel leaders mean what they say:
“The leader has to decide when to act and when to wait, when and what to declare and when to keep silent,” [Defense Minister Ehud] Barak told the annual Herzliya Conference devoted to Israel’s security.
He said that never in Israel’s history had a topic of such import been debated with such thoroughness and frankness as this one. An Iran with nuclear weapons, he asserted, would be “far more complex, dangerous and costly in blood and money than stopping it today would be.”
“Those who say ‘later,’ may find that later is too late,” he warned, and added, “We mean what we say.”
More here.
Soap dialogue
Him: Say, there's something weird going on with the soap in the bathroom.
Her: What weird?
Him: It's got crust or something.
Her: Those are pine crumbs to add scent.
Him: Pine crumbs? And did you know, it's turning green?
Her: It's not turning green. Those are different scent swirls.
Him: It's that way on purpose?
Her: It's fancy - I put that soap in there before Christmas. Does that mean you haven't used it until now?
Him: Who do like in the Super Bowl?
Him: Say, there's something weird going on with the soap in the bathroom.
Her: What weird?
Him: It's got crust or something.
Her: Those are pine crumbs to add scent.
Him: Pine crumbs? And did you know, it's turning green?
Her: It's not turning green. Those are different scent swirls.
Him: It's that way on purpose?
Her: It's fancy - I put that soap in there before Christmas. Does that mean you haven't used it until now?
Him: Who do like in the Super Bowl?
Epitaph for a war hero
The Guru sent this out last night, as the last words for a (fictional) hero who happens to be a contract worker:
Their shoulders held the sky suspended;They stood, and earth's foundations stay;What God abandoned, these defended,And saved the sum of things for pay.
-A.E. Houseman
Now all I have to do is write a book to go with it . . .
Amazon - friend and enemy?
. . . or the terrible bind for publishers (and therefore, authors):
And now this. Amazon could be an unstoppable competitor to big publishing houses. If history is any guide, Bezos, who declined to comment for this story, doesn’t care whether he loses money on books for the larger cause of stocking the Kindle with exclusive content unavailable in Barnes & Noble’s Nook or Apple’s iBookstores. He’s also got almost infinitely deep pockets for spending on advances to top authors. Even more awkwardly for publishers, Amazon is their largest retailer, so they are now in the position of having to compete against an important business partner. On the West Coast people cheerfully call this kind of arrangement coopetition. On the East Coast it’s usually referred to as getting stabbed in the back.
Full story in BusinessWeek.
The evidence on copyright
Item (from a short entry by Terry Hart on Copyhype.com):
Definitely worth reading the whole thing (and following its links) here.
Item (from a short entry by Terry Hart on Copyhype.com):
The fact that evidence backs up one of the central premises of copyright law is, however, only a precursor to the real question: what, if anything, should be done to address the harm from online copyright infringement? The role of law in answering this question attracts perhaps the most heated debate. That leads to the next question: does copyright enforcement work?
Definitely worth reading the whole thing (and following its links) here.
Madden says: Giants by three . . .
Full story in WSJ.
In the world of videogames, the Giants are already Super Bowl XLVI champions.
EA Sports ran its annual Super Bowl simulation on Madden NFL 12, with the game picking the Giants to beat the Patriots, 27-24, on a 40-yard field goal by Lawrence Tynes as time expires. Eli Manning earns an MVP nod in this alternate universe, completing 25 of 39 passes with two touchdowns.
Full story in WSJ.
An amazing tale . . .
Full obituary in NY Times here.
(If you've read Leopard's Kill, you'll understand. At least to the point that anyone can.)
Jonathan K. Idema, a convicted con man who gained notoriety in post-invasion Afghanistan, as a swaggering hunter of terrorists, then ignominy when he was imprisoned for taking Afghans hostage and torturing them, died Jan. 21 at his home in Bacalar, Mexico. He was 55.
Full obituary in NY Times here.
(If you've read Leopard's Kill, you'll understand. At least to the point that anyone can.)
I happen to have been spending a bit of time in bookstores
lately. Some of these experiences have been amazing. I have met booksellers, in
independent stores and in chains, who have an incredible relationship with
their customers. Their stores are places I as a reader would want to wander
into, even if I was miles and miles from home.
But the other day, when I wasn’t miles and miles from home,
I wandered into a large chain store and came away as depressed about
bookselling as I have ever been. Because the people who run that store clearly
have no clue about what they’re doing.
Let me say that the two hardcover books I have out currently
were readily available, and received much more prominent display than many
other books in the store. Some of my backlist was there as well. I appreciate
that. I am extremely grateful for the support the store has given me. As a
writer, I have been fortunate and treated better than many.
But I wasn’t there as a writer; I came as a reader and a
customer. And the general health of this store, and by extension all bookstores
and the writers whose work is sold there, depends on how readers are treated.
The experience was, in a word, hell.
It wasn’t just the fact that a good quarter of the store’s
floor space, if not more, was given over to non-book items such as games,
stationery, etc. Now this wouldn’t be horrible for the store if people were
spending a lot of money in these sections – even though the markups in many
cases didn’t approach what the store could get for books. But these aisles were
empty of people. The selection of items was poor, and the number of items,
compared to how many books might have been positioned there, was pitiful.
I don’t necessarily put a lot of stock in the best-seller
lists, but they are something of an indication of what people want to buy at
any given moment. Did this store make it easy for people to find those books?
No. In fact, you had to hunt around for many of them – if
you bothered. Your impulse buying was directed to “bargain books” – things that
hadn’t sold elsewhere in the past. Many best sellers weren’t prominently
displayed anywhere in the store – maybe a good thing, since the store didn’t
seem to have much stock of them.
On the other hand, books that had a good deal of promotional
money or other consideration attached were piled everywhere. The only problem
was, customers didn’t seem to want those, even with the discounts they were
offering.
It got worse the deeper you went. The main shelves were a
mess. The layout of the books was terrible. With the exception of romance and
very obvious genre mysteries, fiction was a catchall for every type of novel.
Defoe nestled next to DeFelice.
I love the association myself, but I’m kind of wondering if
someone looking for Robinson Crusoe is going to be interested in Andy Fisher or
Jack Pilgrim.
Even in the difficult to navigate nonfiction areas, the
selection was chaotic. A great number of the books appear to have been on the
shelves for years. There is no attempt to highlight the most recent (and most
popular) selections – say the most recent summary of World War II, which has
had good reviews and relatively strong sales. If you’re looking for it, you’ll
come across the store’s single copy in the wrong section, though at least in
the same general area.
Things were even worse over in the music section. I hunted
for a half-hour, back and forth, looking for an album that has been the most
popular music CD for a significant portion of the last twelve months. I
eventually found it by accident. It was actually in a display unit, but the
display unit had been shoved into the back to section and situated so that it
was almost impossible to find.
Most of the rest of the music selections were, in a word,
obscure. There was a smattering of oldies, but this seemed haphazard at best. Finding
anything popular, even in rock, was difficult. This might have been acceptable
or understandable if there was a comprehensive catalog of alternative music,
maybe some vinyl, or things the wannabe hipster manning the department might
have liked – but the selection there was, to be extremely generous, spotty.
I realize CDs are on the way out, but the sales are still,
in raw numbers, fairly significant . . . though let me go out on a limb here
and say, not at this store, despite the floor space devoted to them.
About that wannabe hipster – the store happened to be
running a promotion for a local girls school. The idea was that ten percent of
the proceeds would go to the school if you mentioned the school when you
checked out. I had their flier in hand but forgot to mention the school until
the very end of the transaction, at which point wannabe told me they would not
get the ten percent.
In an instant, what had started as a feel-good, we’re part
of the community venture, turned one hundred and eighty degrees against the
store. Standing at the register, I now felt that the store, even beyond its
disorganization and inept retailing, was actively evil.
I told the hipster that he could cancel my sale. Only the
groans of the people around me made me reconsider. That and the fact that the
gift cards I was planning to use for the purchase would now simply go to waste,
because I will never shop in that store again.
And as you might guess, I happen to spend a lot of money
each year on books. And this store happens to be the closest and largest near
me.
Beyond doing a better job training and managing staff, this
chain ought to take a much closer look at themselves. They should think about
the experience people have buying books on-line – how easy it is, how
selections are suggested, how different items are marketed, connections made,
etc.
I wouldn’t tell them how to run their business if over the
years they hadn’t told me, in so many words, how to run mine. I’m glad I never
took their advice, because clearly they haven’t a clue about what it is they
do, let alone what anyone else in the world is up to.
Mandatory reading . . .
... if you're wondering about Iran & the bomb.
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/29/magazine/will-israel-attack-iran.html
... if you're wondering about Iran & the bomb.
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/29/magazine/will-israel-attack-iran.html
Well put . . .
From Publisher's Lunch, reporting on a panel at Digital Book World:
From Publisher's Lunch, reporting on a panel at Digital Book World:
Michael Pietsch recalled the "paternalistic" era in which he started in publishing at Scribner, and how far we have come since then. "Publishers have been perhaps forced to understand they are service providers" and need to "bring authors into every step of our process as much as possible...to fully unleash the enormous value they bring to their publication.
Ratcheting up . . .
Item - Europe starts to get serious:
Story here (and plenty of other places)
The question is, what is Iran's response?
Item - Europe starts to get serious:
Iran Urged to Negotiate as Europe Agrees on New Sanctions
Under the deal, the members agreed not to sign new oil contracts with Iran and to end existing ones by July 1, said diplomats who asked not to be named because they were not authorized to comment.
Story here (and plenty of other places)
The question is, what is Iran's response?
Fiction or prediction . . .
Item:
Story in NY Times.
Looks like the plot summary for the next Rogue Warrior . . .
Item:
MEXICO CITY — The Mexican drug war that has largely been defined by violence along the border is intensifying in interior and southern areas once thought clear of the carnage, broadening a conflict that has already overwhelmed the authorities and dispirited the public, according to analysts and new government data.
Story in NY Times.
Looks like the plot summary for the next Rogue Warrior . . .
The digital struggle . . .
From an interview with Robert Levine by Ben Watt posted on Buzzin Fly
Full interview here. It's insightful, wide-ranging and thoughtful - and must reading for anyone interested in the future of books, art and music.
From an interview with Robert Levine by Ben Watt posted on Buzzin Fly
I like to say that I want everyone to be able to publish a book - I just don't want everyone to be able to publish my book. That's the difference between fair and unfair competition.
Full interview here. It's insightful, wide-ranging and thoughtful - and must reading for anyone interested in the future of books, art and music.
Would I even pass the test?
Someone sent me a link, obviously as a joke or maybe a hint - there's a study guide out to help students trying to figure out what's going in Deep Black, the first book in the Deep Black series.
I guess I should be flattered, even if the study guide is more expensive than the book.
Maybe I should buy it and find out what the hell I was trying to say . . .
'Fresh meat' is a compliment, right?
I'll take it as one anyway.
(A very generous review of the new book.)
The changing face of war
One of the more subtle themes of American Sniper is how fighting in urban environments amid civilian populations has caused a dramatic shift in tactics. That shift is what led to Chris and other snipers' large totals.*
Warfare in the 20th century was essentially about mass but indiscriminate slaughter. Most if not all of the key inventions and tactical innovations were related to one central idea - kill a lot of people on the battlefield.
This isn't quite the ideal in an urban environment, and much less so when there's a large civilian population around. In that case, precision fire -- whether by ground troops or aircraft -- becomes a premium.
I don't mean to imply that machine guns and artillery aren't important in the 21st century; on the contrary. It's just that the pendulum has swung in the other direction without most people (civilians, at least) knowing or understanding it. In a very real sense, "snipers" have become an important tool for limiting collateral damage and civilian deaths. The public view of what they do hasn't caught up, yet. And so people focus on a "kill count" without quite understanding the context it belongs in.
I realize it's a paradox - an individual kills more enemy combatants so that innocent people can be spared. But that's what's going on.
* That and the fact that higher ups had them document every kill. Which will be invaluable to historians someday, assuming the records aren't destroyed.
One of the more subtle themes of American Sniper is how fighting in urban environments amid civilian populations has caused a dramatic shift in tactics. That shift is what led to Chris and other snipers' large totals.*
Warfare in the 20th century was essentially about mass but indiscriminate slaughter. Most if not all of the key inventions and tactical innovations were related to one central idea - kill a lot of people on the battlefield.
This isn't quite the ideal in an urban environment, and much less so when there's a large civilian population around. In that case, precision fire -- whether by ground troops or aircraft -- becomes a premium.
I don't mean to imply that machine guns and artillery aren't important in the 21st century; on the contrary. It's just that the pendulum has swung in the other direction without most people (civilians, at least) knowing or understanding it. In a very real sense, "snipers" have become an important tool for limiting collateral damage and civilian deaths. The public view of what they do hasn't caught up, yet. And so people focus on a "kill count" without quite understanding the context it belongs in.
I realize it's a paradox - an individual kills more enemy combatants so that innocent people can be spared. But that's what's going on.
* That and the fact that higher ups had them document every kill. Which will be invaluable to historians someday, assuming the records aren't destroyed.
It's dangerous to drive in Iran
Especially if you're a nuke doctor.
Item:
Full story from Reueters here.
Especially if you're a nuke doctor.
Item:
TEHRAN, Jan 11 (Reuters) - An Iranian nuclear scientist was blown up in his car by a motorbike hitman on Wednesday, prompting Tehran to blame Israeli and U.S. agents but insist the killing would not derail a nuclear programme that has raised fears of war and threatened world oil supplies.
The fifth daylight attack on technical experts in two years, the killer's magnetic bomb delivered a targeted blast to the door of 32-year-old Mostafa Ahmadi-Roshan's silver sedan as he drove down a busy street close to Tehran University during the morning rush hour. The chemical engineer's passenger also died, Iranian media said, while a passer-by was slightly hurt.
Full story from Reueters here.
Shining the light
One of the questions reporters always ask Chris Kyle seems like a pretty
basic one: Why did you decide to write this book?
Anyone who knows Chris will realize that it's actually a tough one to answer, since it must have been a
pretty difficult decision. He’s extremely laid back, not the sort of guy who seeks out
attention. On top of that, SEALs really pride themselves on being “silent
professionals,” and he's a SEAL through and through. As a general rule, SEALs don’t talk about what they do outside
of the small circle of fellow operators.
I can’t speak for Chris, but I have heard him heard say many
times that he finally decided to go ahead with the book because of two things:
1) He wanted to “shine the light” on the sacrifices all
service people and their families go through, and
2) He wanted to bring some attention to his fallen comrades,
Marc Lee and Ryan Job.
I certainly believe that is true, and we attempted to do
both things in the book.
(I should mention that much of Chris’s story as a sniper was
coming out elsewhere, and so media attention was inevitable. While the actual
number of kills is not important to Chris, it is almost always the thing other
people focus on. I don’t know if this played a role in his decision, but I
would think being able to put the number into the fuller context of who he was
and how the war was fought was important.)
Some reporters may think that the motivation of “shining a
light” on fallen friends is a public relations invention. In our cynical world
it probably sounds contrived. But if you hear Chris talk about Marc Lee or Ryan
Job, you realize it’s not contrived at all.
On the contrary, I think it’s a grateful payback not just for their
sacrifices in battle – which is something the entire country is grateful for –
but in the case of Ryan for his personal inspiration as he fought,
successfully, to cope with his disability, and in the case of Marc for his continuing legacy, as exemplified by his mom.
I hope you’ll read the book, but if you haven’t, Ryan was
blinded in battle. Before the war, he was possibly the most unlikely SEAL
in the platoon, if not the Team. No SEAL is out of shape – you just can’t get
through BUD/S, let alone what follows, if you are. But Ryan was far from an
athlete. What got him through the experience was sheer will power. And that
will power drove him after his injury.
To see a man struggle with a disability is a humbling yet inspiring experience. I can speak of my own visit some time ago to the Brooke
Army Medical Center in Texas, where I was quite honestly floored by the wounded
men I met there. Most had lost legs and-or arms. They were struggling to deal
with those injuries, physically and mentally. The exercises and other
rehabilitation routines alone would have been daunting for anyone in his or her
prime, even if they hadn’t been injured.
There is no way to sugarcoat either their wounds or the
struggle they were facing; I have to confess that in each case I had a
difficult time looking at them when first introduced.
And yet, in each case, even a few minutes with them gave me
an example of how I should act when faced with difficulties far less critical
or life-changing than theirs. I can give you words – determination, drive,
perseverance – but they barely begin to describe the emotion these guys evoked.
I was continually humbled, and inspired. These are the real role models we need
in life.
Marc, unfortunately, died in battle; only memories live on.
But his mom has turned her grief into a positive life force for other
servicemen. While she is active in a foundation that helps veterans, to me the
most striking instance of her efforts, the things that truly inspire me, are her
random and unexpected acts of kindness for servicemen. She’ll occasionally pick
up a tab or do some other little but greatly appreciated act for a serviceman
she sees in an airport or somewhere else. Ninja kindness: Little things, massive effect.
So, while I can’t speak for Chris, it’s always been my
impression that a big part of the book is his way of thanking Ryan, Marc, and
the others who have fallen in combat – not just for having his back in the war,
but for driving him after it, and inspiring him to be a better man. From what I
have heard of these guys – selfless, full of humor, determined to succeed no
matter what – I can’t see how anyone privileged to know them would fail to
honor them in whatever way possible.
A lot of people who haven’t read the book, much less
actually met Chris, will form all sorts of opinions on things. I don’t give
them too much stock. But I do hope that those people will make an effort to
meet someone like Ryan or Marc's mom or any of our other veterans who have passed through a
difficult crucible and are now shining a light for all of us to follow.
Little gestures . . .
. . . can make a world of difference.
http://www.takeasoldierfishing.org/index.html
. . . can make a world of difference.
http://www.takeasoldierfishing.org/index.html
Some of the real stuff . . .
. . . no one talks about
http://www.marketwatch.com/story/fitco-cares-foundation-partners-with-former-navy-seal-to-provide-in-home-fitness-equipment-to-disabled-veterans-2012-01-03
. . . no one talks about
http://www.marketwatch.com/story/fitco-cares-foundation-partners-with-former-navy-seal-to-provide-in-home-fitness-equipment-to-disabled-veterans-2012-01-03
Excellent perspective on Japan
Was the 'lost' decade really lost?
Full piece in NYT.
The airport comment is especially poignant to anyone who regularly flies in the U.S.
Was the 'lost' decade really lost?
By many measures, the Japanese economy has done very well during the so-called lost decades, which started with a stock market crash in January 1990. By some of the most important measures, it has done a lot better than the United States.
Japan has succeeded in delivering an increasingly affluent lifestyle to its people despite the financial crash. In the fullness of time, it is likely that this era will be viewed as an outstanding success story.
How can the reality and the image be so different? And can the United States learn from Japan’s experience?
Full piece in NYT.
The airport comment is especially poignant to anyone who regularly flies in the U.S.
No comment necessary
(U.S. Navy rescues Iranian ship while Iranian "navy" tries not to blow itself up elsewhere. One version of the story; there are literally hundreds.)
(U.S. Navy rescues Iranian ship while Iranian "navy" tries not to blow itself up elsewhere. One version of the story; there are literally hundreds.)
Portrait of a sniper
Absolutely intense image of Chris Kyle in Time this week. Check out Pixel Box, Erik Tanner's blog.
Absolutely intense image of Chris Kyle in Time this week. Check out Pixel Box, Erik Tanner's blog.
Sniper updates . . .
Quick thank you on our behalf (behalfs??) for all the support and kind words regarding American Sniper.
As of this morning, American Sniper is holding at number 10 on the Amazon best-seller list, and an incredible 4 at B&N. There will be an interview with Chris (10 questions) in the upcoming Time magazine, and Bill O'Reilly will see if he can get himself choked out on tonight's show (tentative).
More to come at some point. Today's a travel day...
Quick thank you on our behalf (behalfs??) for all the support and kind words regarding American Sniper.
As of this morning, American Sniper is holding at number 10 on the Amazon best-seller list, and an incredible 4 at B&N. There will be an interview with Chris (10 questions) in the upcoming Time magazine, and Bill O'Reilly will see if he can get himself choked out on tonight's show (tentative).
More to come at some point. Today's a travel day...
The proxy war continues
The third installment in the Red Dragon Rising series. Will China overrun Vietnam?
Due out this week. You can get an excerpt here.
On a side note - that has to be my favorite cover ever.
The NY Post checks in . . .
“After the first kill, the others come easy. I don’t have to psych myself up, or do anything mentally — I look through the scope, get the target in the cross hairs and kill my enemy before he kills one of my people,” Kyle writes in his new autobiography, “American Sniper.”
Full story here.Read more: http://www.nypost.com/p/news/national/meet_the_big_shot_BxlVpxzQijkC9mwZcmwkrN#ixzz1iDMUpm00
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