B&N ‘Nook’ to Rival Kindle

Barnes and Noble’s ‘Nook’ eBook reader hit the streets n November and with a color LCD touchscreen, is sure to rival Amazon’s Kindle this holiday season.

Video here:
http://www.webcastr.com/videos/news/nook-e-reader-launched.html

Mixed Bag of Reviews for Palin’s “Going Rogue.”

Whether you see her as someone closely resembling Tina Fey’s hysterical characterture on SNL, a new voice for the conservative movement or some kind of public opportunist seeking the spotlight for an as yet-to-be-named future opportunity (talk show, perhaps?) you must admit there is no shortage of opinion when it comes to the recent and well hyped musings of former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin’s new ‘memoir’ “Going Rogue.”

It is said that winners write books to memorialize their accomplishments and losers write them to settle scores. Most opinions on Palin’s count appear to fall into the latter, with a few on the far right praising her for her candor and her outside-the-beltway, aw shucks, hockey mom POV.

Rather than add another voice to the already cacophonous opining in the media world, we thought we would point you to some of the most interesting and prominent reviews from a variety of other trusted sources. There is no limit to the number of people that have weighed in on this treatise. Here are a few of the highlights:

Time magazine

The Wall Street Journal

New York Daily News

The New York Times

Mediaite

Bowie by Mark Spitz

There has arguably never been a more sexually charged performer in the history of rock than David Bowie. When he first appeared on the world stage, Bowie was shrouded in an image of sexual ambiguity as well as being seen to promote an image of bi-sexuality. Yet, according to Spitz’s biography, ultimately, nothing could have been further from the truth.

Spitz details the musical career of Bowie, that was admittedly flagging until his reemergence on RCA in the Hunky Dory/Ziggy Stardust era (probably Bowie’s most important period of musical output.) Relying on the guidance of manager Tony DeFries, Bowie was promoted as an accomplice of other post T. Rex, punk and style progenitors like Iggy Pop and Lou Reed that played along with the image in order to gain fame and publicity (like being on the cover of the UK mag rags every other week for a period of time.)

The excesses of Bowie’s lifestyle and business dealings finally caught up with him after his ‘decade of decadence’ leaving the singer with a series of busted deals and trying to find himself after having been one of the biggest musical pioneers of the rock era.

Though not the first (or even the best) book on the enigmatic singer (check out previous biographies by Charles Shaar Murray, Nicholas Pegg and Thomas Seabrook’s excellent ‘Bowie in Berlin’ for a detailed account of his electro-techno trilogy with Robert Fripp and Brian Eno), Spitz’s book (despite a lack of much direct contact with the singer) covers a wide range of DB’s career and is a decent compliment to the already existing works on the subject. – Tim Devine

100 Books Every Job Seeker Should Read

During an economic storm in which jobs are disappearing, executives are taking massive pay cuts, and qualified applicants are being turned away from pursuing their careers, handing in your resume might seem like a shot in the dark. These books tell you, “hit them with your best shot.” Instead of teaching you to focus on the negative and dwell on the “what-ifs,” these motivational books will encourage you to walk into any office, look the manager in the eye and remember that you deserve the opportunity to follow your dreams.

Interviewing

Interview with confidence and class, and be prepared to answer even the toughest questions with the help of these great books.

Winning Job Interviews: by Paul Powers. This book was designed for interviewers, so it powerfully gives the interviewee a look at the other side. Be prepared for any interview question with this book.
Fearless Interviewing: How to Win the Job by Communicating with Confidence: by Marky Stein. Dazzle your interviewers immediately and set the stage for the rest of your perfect interview.
Interviewing: Principles and Practices: by Charles Stewart and William Cash. Offers comprehensive coverage of a wide range of interviews, as well as the most thorough treatment of the basics of interviewing.
Acing the Interview: How to Ask and Answer the Questions That Will Get You the Job: by Tony Beshara.

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Podcast: Chris Jordan on Midway Atoll and the Great Pacific Garbage Patch

Photographer and activist Chris Jordan speaks with Eve Bowen about his recent photographs, taken at one of the world’s most remote marine wildlife sanctuaries, of albatross chicks killed by plastic waste that their parents have mistaken for food. To read more and see Jordan’s images of the chicks, please visit http://blogs.nybooks.com

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Podcast: Chris Jordan on Midway Atoll and the Great Pacific Garbage Patch

Free – Chris Anderson (Hyperion)

Three years ago, Chris Anderson set the world on it’s ear with his first book, The Long Tail; the book that first addressed the marketing phenomenon brought about by the internet, of selling more of less. As editor-in-chief of Wired magazine, Anderson is rightly seen as one of the top prognosticators when it comes to the convergence of technology and society and it was with that in mind that hopes were running high for his latest undertaking (and one that the world was finally ready for) ‘Free: The Future of a Radical Price.’

Now many have bemoaned the way in which digitization has worked at cross-purposes to monetiztion with everyone from the music business to print journalism bemoaning the seismic shift in the distribution of their bits and bytes. And while Anderson attempts to explain new models where what was once the product may actually be just the come on for the real product, or what is often described as various forms of ‘freemium,’ the examples (many) and logistics behind them do not always fit perfectly into their round hole. (For example, Anderson takes the bait of those in the music business, arguing that the income shifts from recordings – which can be traded freely – to the revenue capture of concert tickets and merchandising without really acknowledging that there are many who participate in one but not the other.)

All in all, his examples are plentiful (From the TED Conferences to Burger King – quite a range!) and much of what he examines needed the organizing of the light of day. It’s just that like many of these models themselves, the paths to sustainable income are not clear nor sometimes is Anderson’s analysis. (Athough to his credit, the digital version of the book is widely available for the price in the title.) – Tim Devine

Sony Announces Two New Readers. Drops eBook Prices.

Sony is delivering on its promise of making digital readers and eBooks accessible and affordable for consumers with the introduction of two new Readers. Part of a new Reader line, the Reader Pocket Edition puts a library in your hands for as little as $199. Both the Reader Pocket Edition and the Reader Touch Edition will be available at the end of August, at SonyStyle.com, SonyStyle stores and select retail partners. Also, new releases and New York Times bestseller titles in the eBook Store from Sony will now be available for $9.99.

“We firmly believe consumers should have choice in every aspect of their digital reading experience,” said Steve Haber, president of Sony’s Digital Reading Business Division. “Our goal is to expand the market and provide greater access to what consumers want to read when they want to read it ? whether they buy, borrow or get it for free.”

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