Jason Clarke

Congratulations to my friend Bridie Clark, whose book Because She Can is available in bookstores today!

Because She Can is a fun, funny, revealing look at a young woman who takes on a hellish boss, a hectic industry, and…well, you’ll have to read it to find out! Learn about the book and more at Bridie’s website, BridieClark.com.

Disclosure: My employer, RainStorm Consulting, is proud to have developed Bridie’s website. We’ve also worked with her on other projects.

As you may have noticed, I have a new short story out, and I want to tell you all about it. It’s called “A Hard Word to Pronounce”, and it’s about a young twenty-ish guy on the day of his best friend’s wedding.

Because it’s a short story- and not a novel, or collection- I’m releasing it in e-book format, which basically means that it’s a great quality PDF. When you get it, you can either read it on your computer (or iPod or whatnot), or choose to print it out and take it with you. It’s $2 to own, and you can read an excerpt and purchase it right here:
http://jasonclarke.org/hardword

Whoah…a short story, in PDF download format, for two bucks? That sounds a bit crazy, no? But really, if you think about it, it’s kind of cool- because besides the fact that it gives you the option of saving some trees (and hasn’t it been a while since you had a chance to do that?), it’s also neat because it dramatically lowers the costs of production- savings which are passed directly on to you, dear reader.

Let me tell you just a bit more about this process, because I think it’s a direction that publishing is moving in. In this case, instead of packaging the story into a larger book– and that has to be done, because most printed books have set minimum page counts– you’re getting just one short story, but for much less than you’d pay for a typical book. That’s because it’s being delivered instantly (another benefit), without the interruption of a vast set of fixed costs such as printers, shippers, and even publicists and marketers.

That’s it for now. Even if you don’t care about the future of publishing, or saving a tree or two, please head over to my website, check out the story, and perhaps purchase it for yourself or a loved one. You can find all the info, plus order it, right here:

http://jasonclarke.org/hardword

And please do send me your thoughts and/or comments. I look forward to hearing from you, and I promise to keep you updated.

Via MSNBC, I just learned that my former publisher, ReganBooks, is putting out a book by O.J. Simpson titled “If I Did It.” According to news reports, the book will describe how Simpson “would have” killed Nicole Brown and Ron Goldman, murders he was aquitted of in 1995.

Although I value free speech, I also value appropriate restraint, and in this case I think ReganBooks has gone beyond the pale in their effort to publish sensational material. More than that- I’m truly disgusted and thoroughly embarrassed to be associated with a publisher who is stooping to such a disgraceful act.

UPDATE: Gratefully, ReganBooks parent NewsCorp has decided to junk both the book, as well as TV special created to accompany it.

Writing in The New York Times over the weekend, Jennifer Senior lays absolute waste to Louis Lapham’s new book, Pretensions to Empire: Notes on the Criminal Folly of the Bush Administration, and in the process makes a truly fascinating and satisfying point about not just Lapham, but about a sad majority of President Bush’s harshest critics:

People who are serious about politics don’t just preen. They report, explain, explore contradictions, struggle with ideas, maybe even propose suggestions. If they do none of these things, they’re simply heckling, and if the best Lapham can do is come up with 50 inventive new ways to call Bush an imbecilic oligarch, that’s all he’s doing: heckling. Like his worst counterparts on the right, he compares those he doesn’t like to fanatics, as when he refers to David Frum and Richard Perle as “Mufti Frum” and “Mullah Perle,” adding, “Provide them with a beard, a turban and a copy of the Koran, and I expect that they wouldn’t have much trouble stoning to death a woman discovered in adultery with a cameraman from CBS News.” Possibly, but provide Lapham with a blond wig, stiletto pumps and a copy of “The Fountainhead,” and I suspect he wouldn’t look much different from Ann Coulter. He’s just another talk-radio host, really — only this time by way of Yale and Mensa.

(Via Glenn Reynolds)

Some books I’ve read lately, in approximate reverse chronological order:

Starlet, Robert B. Parker - 4 out of 5 stars My favorite Spenser novel so far. Again, a slow start builds to a thrilling, surprising, and organic conclusion. The fun of Spenser, combined with the constant literarly jabs, plus a usable plot make this an outstanding read. I’m reading two more Spenser books right now.

The Widening Gyre, Robert B. Parker 3 1/2 out of 5 stars A short Spenser novel, but a good one. Like the Flynn series, Parker seems to trust the reader enough to not focus obsessively on giant plot/set pieces- instead, we get to keep our focus on Spenser, which can be most enjoyable, if at times static.

Thin Air, Robert B. Parker - 3 1/2 out of 5 stars My first introduction to the Spenser series of mystery novels and my first experience with Parker. At first I started off groaning at the dialog but once it got going- and it took a bit- I was captivated by the thorough investment in the character and enjoyed the contrast of the apparent cliche of the character with the countless clever references. By the end, I had lodged several similarities between Parker and McDonald, though Parker’s Spenser and McDonald’s Flynn are nearly polar opposites.

Flynn’s In, Gregory McDonald 3 1/2 out of 5 stars The original Flynn book. A midly interesting plot, but Flynn and his pal Cokie shine as uniques in a world of corruption. Worth the read, for sure.

Flynn’s World, Gregory McDonald 3 1/2 out of 5 stars A newer Flynn book- and a good one. Once again, the character crackles while the story feels limp and almost pointless. Still though- great character.

Digital Fortress, Dan Brown - 3 out of 5 stars Slightly better than Deception Point, but still long and exhausting near the end, this book foreshadowed Brown’s action+conspiracy+gadget template but didn’t reach the heights of DaVinci.

Confess, Fletch, Gregory McDonald 4 1/2 out of 5 stars A most unknown and underrated Fletch book- my favorite of the series.

Fletch, Gregory McDonald 4 out of 5 stars An unmissable classic of the detective genre. Harder, sharper, and much more dramatic than the (classic) movie, this is how it’s done.

Deception Point, Dan Brown 2 1/2 out of 5 stars Brown’s most movie-like, least interesting book.

If you visited Google today, you may have noticed the Sir Arthur Conan Doyle logo.

Doyle is a personal hero of mine. He would have been 147 today. Besides the obvious- he’s the greatest mystery writer to ever live, and the inventor of the true modern mystery novel (forget Poe)- Doyle also led an amazing real life. His own detective work freed two innocent men, he introduced skiing to Switzerland, he was a devoted husband and friend, a doctor, and he was known across two continents as an adventurer and storyteller. And oh yeah, he was a knight.

Besides the obvious- The Complete Works of Sherlock Holmes, which are among the most thrilling, enjoyable, and literary works ever published- I highly recommend The True Crime Files of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, which tells the true story of Doyle’s work to free two innocent men accused of horrible crimes.

Eeek! I’ve been away for over a week (rhyme not intended). Here are some of the things I’ve been up to since I’ve been gone:

* On Sunday, three years to the day of the launch of Moorelies.com, I re-launched by TV/Video/DVD blog, Network Landscape. Check it out, and if you’re interested in covering online video, TV, and etc., drop me a line.

* I added some photos to Flickr today, including two of the bookshelves in our office. I tagged them with the showyourbookshelves tag so if anybody wants to join in that or whatever, go on. I think it would be fun to browse what folks have on their shelves.

* We’re finally, hopefully, cancelling Adelphia cable in favor of DishTV (Any DishTV subscribers out there, feel free to leave pro/con comments or emails).

* Upcoming Summer Watch: We’ve grilled out once, cut down a couple of errant branches, and played badminton at work twice. Yardwork to come.

Wildly popular software firm 37Signals is earning much press- predictably, some of the nicest is their own ;)- for the success of their latest book, Getting Real. If you haven’t heard, Real is a book on project management, software development, and business tips for the Web 2.0 era.

To their credit, the self-publishing model has allowed them to earn over $120,000 in profit by selling just ~6,000 copies of their book. For those who don’t know, that’s a pretty big deal, as most authors earn 8-15% royalties from their books, meaning that 6,000 copies sold is often either a failure or a moderate break-even for those choosing the traditional publishing route.

Although the firm deserves credit for their risk, I’m bothered by a precedent they’re setting. During the checkout process for the book (which I can’t link to thanks to their Ajax-ified site), they ask that buyers check a box agreeing to the following statement:

I understand I’m purchasing a single copy of book for myself and I won’t make copies of the book or distribute it to anyone else.

Think about that for a second: despite the fact that it’s in digital format, we are still talking about a book here. A book that- don’t forget, it’s in electronic format, meaning it’s nothing but a file- will cost you an already hefty $19 to own. That price ticks up a bit if you choose to print it, using your own paper and ink in the process (two things that are typically included in the price of a book). Now, they’re asking- ne, making me agree- not to distribute it?

They’re obviously reacting to the nature of the distribution platform; in this case the conventional wisdom is that a file is much easier to share than a physical book. But how much easier? Is it really so hard for me to carry a lightweight book to a friend’s house? Or to sell it or swap it on one of the innumerable auction/discount/trader sites out there on the web?

Sure, it may be more difficult than emailing a file. But imagine if every book you ever purchased came with a note that said “You must not distribute this book to anyone else.” Wouldn’t that be, oh I don’t know, laughable? How far would that kind of edict stand when discovered by intellectual property activists such as the fine folks at Creative Commons?

I’m not suggesting that 37Signals- or any author or self-publisher- should give away their product: far from it. As a published author, I’m keenly aware of the instinct to receive compensation in exchange for my efforts. However, it seems to me that there are two sides of the fence to come down on, and 37Signals has perhaps come down on the wrong one here.

Am I wrong, or is one of the advantages of selling your product on the web the fact that you can encourage distribution, sharing, linking, and via those factors employ your readers and buyers as evangelists, marketers, booksellers? Doesn’t it show more confidence in your product if you give more books away, not force your readers and buyers to watch over your property with little or no stake in it themselves?

That was the conclusion, but I won’t go away without offering some positive suggestions for altering their policy. Here goes:

* Lower the price. Guys, drop the price to $9.99. Let’s be honest here- some (read: lots) of the cost of publishing goes into, you know, printing and shipping the books: two big factors you’ve wisely avoided. So skip the vanity price in favor of one that will appeal to a wider audience and pass the savings onto your adoring fans. They may just thank you for it.

* Ease the draconian sharing restriction. Instead of telling buyers that they “won’t make copies of the book or distribute it to anyone else”, I suggest they re-phrase their agreement this way:

- Please do not distribute electronic copies of this book
- If you love the book and want to share it, please print a copy and share that. Then encourage others to do the same.

* Share the love. Send out 20-30 printed, bound copies of the book to bloggers, software developers, etc. Do it on your dime and ask them to consider reading the book and possibly offering their thoughts via their blog or in company meetings, etc. Then encourage them to share those printed copies freely. Guess what? Nobody will. Those 30 or so printed beauties will become like gold-plated trading cards among the tech blogerati, and you’ll get much better press for it in the long run. It would take away 30 guaranteed sales, but it might earn you a few hundred more from folks who may not have known you before.

UPDATE: I changed the spelling of the word “precedent” in this post after reading this rude, snarky comment on this guy’s Flickr photostream. Go, civility! And for those who think the above post is a “rant”, please explain exactly why in the comments. Be careful to define the word “rant” for the purposes of your argument.

“A return to some sort of balance, in which the world looks a bit more like the eighteenth century than the twentieth, is likely to be a good thing.”

So says Glenn Reynolds, perhaps better known as InstaPundit, in the conclusion of his new book, An Army of Davids (view it on Amazon.com).

While that may seem a strange statement to make, you’ll be hard-pressed to disagree with it after reading Reynolds’ brisk, yet thoroughly fascinating treatise on the future of life, from blogging to space colonization.

I’ve been a big admirer of Reynolds blog for a few years, yet I always got the sense that blogging was just one of the Tennessee Law professor’s many hobbies. I think I’ve been proven right, in that quite a few of them- from beer brewing, to music, to an interest in space, nanotechnology, and life extension- are on display in Davids, as Reynolds proves to be a likeable and intelligent guide through some pretty far reaches of technology.

Beginning with the tremendous impact that blogging has wrought on top-down institutions such as government and big media, Reynolds uses the “Army of Davids” metaphor repeatedly to advance his theory that loose, decentralized networks of individuals will be the diriving force behind a multitude of amazing changes taking place over the next 30-50 years. When I say “amazing”, there’s not much hyperbole there- the colonization of space (seriously!) is one such dramatic change that Reynolds hopes will be come about thanks to the power of the individual bypassing the beaurocracy of a government.

Reynolds also describes some trends that, rather than being powered by the “Army”, will instead benefit it: If scientists succeed in slowing or even reversing the aging process, Reynolds argues that the single individual will become even more empowered, leading to a dramatic increase in personal productivity, creativity, and the like. These are just two examples- the singularity, space elevators, and artificial intelligence are also discussed.

If you think the topics of the previous paragraphs are the stuff of science fiction, I might’ve agreed with you just a few days ago. But after finishing Army of Davids, I’m excited to learn more about some things I once thought of as fantasy that Reynolds argues are already well underway.

The book is a quick read- I digested it in just a couple hours- but that is far from an insult. Rather, I suspect Reynolds’ conversational, at times swift-moving prose and frequent long-form quotes are designed to assume the reader’s intelligence, rather than condescend to it. Supplementing the wide variety of subject matter are copious citations, especially helpful when Reynolds cuts broad strokes through his often unfamiliar (to many) subject matter.

On his blog, Reynolds has, on at least two occasions, referenced reviewers who met with confusion as the latter half of the book veered away from blog-related topics and moved into more scientific and even sci-fi-esque territory. Personally, I didn’t have a problem with the book transitioning into trends of the near future. Because Reynolds is perhaps best known as a blogosphere celebrity, I’m guessing some readers expected the book to remain media-centric. However, I’m pleased that Reynolds guided his book away from a pleasing yet tiring re-hash of recent memory and instead took a risk by exposing readers to a some tip-of-the-iceberg stuff that I, for one, would likely have never learned of otherwise.

So if you’re expecting a light read about the impact of blogging, look elsewhere. But if you’re interested in the extension of trends that blogging is only a small part of, you’ll probably learn a great deal- and become pretty excited- about the future that An Army of Davids foretells.

The night before my book came out, Glenn Reynolds linked to it and drove its Amazon rank from around 12,000 down the mid-hundreds. Two days later, his links again propelled the book, this time all the way to #4.

Of course, I can’t return the favor, but the least I can do is link to Reynolds’ new book, An Army of Davids, and encourage you to pre-order it. I haven’t read it yet, but if you’re a fan of Reynolds’ blog- or blogging in general, or free markets, or people-powered media, progress, etc- you’re guaranteed to like Army of Davids.