November 18, 2005

You know, I spend a lot of time writing about Google and Amazon in this space. But there’s a reason for that. They continue to drive a feverish pitch of innovation in bookselling and publishing. Today, for example, I received a message inviting me to participate in a beta test by setting up a new type of preview link. Hover over this link or the following link to my forthcoming UNAUTHORIZED A FEAST FOR CROWS ANALYSIS (Dec. 15).

(Note: The link works 50% of the time so Amazon can measure its effectiveness. If you don’t see it the first time you come here, clear out your amazon_vf cookie and refresh.)

Official Google Blog: The circle of analytics

MOUNTAIN VIEW — Google Analytics today announced a partnership with The Internet Archive to deliver historical analytics to their customers. Google Analytics will use the Internet Archive’s Wayback Machine to perform statistical visualizations on web sites from the distant past.

“At launch our delay was 30 hours or more, but we hope to get it up to 72 hours within a matter of days, and ultimately to deliver statistics from before the Web was created,” said senior product manager for prehistoric world conquest Solong Beengoodtaknowya.

The new alliance is the latest in a series of product announcements from Google, which has recently released Google All Your Base Are Belong To Us, Google Fair Use Unlimited Book Scanning, and Google Featureless Reader.

“We pride ourselves on the unique architecture that enables us to deliver split-second performance for search but multi-day down time for new products,” said Google vice president for insufficient capacity Stan Afterallitsfree.

Customers’ initial reaction was positive. “Yesterday I was looking at real-time analytics as a paying customer,” said Haram Cliqth’ru, CEO of search optimization firm Clickrobot. “Tomorrow I will be looking at historical data for free.”

Nonfiction - 11/14/2005 - Publishers Weekly:

SIGNATURE REVIEW by Lydia Millet

The Bomb in the Basement: How Israel Went Nuclear and What That Means for the World
Michael Karpin. Simon & Schuster, $26 (416p) ISBN 0-7432-6594-7

…

Israeli journalist Karpin’s groundbreaking new book, following in the wake of a documentary of the same name he made in 2001, offers an in-depth look at Israel’s acquisition of nuclear arms technology and at the ideology and politics driving it….

Karpin’s strength lies in tracing material detail rather than inspeculation of a more abstract kind. … The irony that Israel—a state created with a very special mission as a utopian refuge for Jews escaping persecution and genocide—has chosen to base its security on a weapons system historically used exclusively for the mass killing of civilians is barely examined.

This is hardly surprising, since such a discussion could amply fill a second volume; nonetheless, the author’s conclusion that achieving the nuclear option, though possibly a “great mistake,” did have a “certain justification,” namely the threat of the destruction of Israel by neighboring Arabs, is conceptually underwhelming. Still, for all those interested in understanding how Israel’s idealistic origins dovetail with its hawkish position in the game of nuclear deterrence and fraught relationship with other countries in the Middle East, this well-researched study is a must-read. (Jan.)

Just about every documentary that gets sold to network TV here or in the UK generates a book. Most of them are a little bit “underwhelming” because there is no strictly textual impetus for the book’s creation. Nevertheless, this looks like one that I will definitely want to read.

I get an awful lot of spammy press releases from self-published authors, but this one sounds pretty worthy.

He Can Get Away with Murder — Aren’t They All Immune?: “What kind of courage does it take to slip out of a damaged life? At fifteen, Hannah Stone runs away from her mother’s abusive boyfriend, determined to somehow help the rest of her family escape. She walks a tightrope and she knows it. She arrives in Manchester, NH at three in the morning, her savings are gone. The only path open to her is a modeling school that offers Hannah riches, but she does not know that the school is a front for prostitution and also offers a tormented life of lies.

Determined to escape, Hannah’s only weapon is an early gift from her mother — the knowledge that moral values, responsibility and accountability for one’s actions are the keys to self-esteem and happiness.

A stunning and sensitive story about a battered woman’s plight, “Even As It Stings” is not just Hannah’s story — it’s the story of many abused women.

This gripping novel offers insights and advice, and most significantly, hope to triumph over evil.

About the Author:
Elm Battersby (Elizabeth Lorraine Mellon Battersby) [nice nickname!] was born in Haverhill, MA and graduated from West High, Manchester, NH. She attended Loyola University, CA and American University, DC. A writer, poet, editor, English tutor and ghostwriter, Elm is a member of The National League of American Pen Women, the Original Palm Springs Writers Guild, Palm Springs, CA and Toastmasters International. Her children’s book, “Missy B.J.”, is recorded for the blind. She has published one short story and her poetry has been published nationally. Her collection of technical manuals also has been published. Retired from a career that included high fashion, she is 82 years young and lives in Danville, CA.

“Faith in God keeps me balanced. Each of His new days is a gift bringing into focus compelling opportunity for more personal growth.”

Proceeds from the sale of this book go to a local women’s shelter. “

Publishers, Google Battle over Books - 11/18/2005 - Publishers Weekly:

he debate between publishers and authors and Google and its allies held last night at the New York Public Library was heated, sometimes contentious and mostly civil, and even produced a point on which all sides agreed–that they are miles apart on what they view as fair use in the 21st century.

Stanford professor Lawrence Lessig …

Lessig added a slight twist to the debate when he said he was worried Google would settle with the authors and publishers thereby creating a system that would precent smaller companies from creating new products. Judging from last night’s discussion, a settlement is far away.

Another way of characterizing the discussion is “posturing.”

PublishersWeekly.com:

Veteran reporter and 60 Minutes correspondent Mike Wallace, among a number of well-known authors, was at a luncheon for the National Kidney Foundation to talk about his new memoir, Just Between You and Me from Hyperion. Pictured (l. to r.) are PW’s West Coast correspondent, Bridget Kinsella, with Wallace and Elaine Petrocelli, owner of Book Passage.

Why is thin-skinned Mike Wallace working so hard to shill his book? He’s 85: surely he’s financially secure him by now. Gotta give him credit for the work ethic…

Publishers Marketplace: Recent Deals:

Democratic political consultant Bob Shrum’s book “about politics and what I’ve seen, the lessons I draw from it,” to Simon & Schuster, for six figures (according to the NY Observer), for publication in spring 2006, by Flip Brophy at Sterling Lord Literistic.

Publishers Marketplace: Recent Deals:

Psychologist and senior research fellow in the School of Divinity at the University of Cambridge Kevin Dutton’s EXTREME PERSUASION, which tackles conflict resolution and how to get others to do what we want, using the findings in neuroscience and psychology as well as studies of psychopaths, hostage negotiators, and monks, to Andrea Schulz at Harcourt, in a good deal, in a pre-empt (US); and to Maya Mavjee at Doubleday Canada, in a very nice deal, by Christy Fletcher at Fletcher & Parry, on behalf of Peter Tallack at Conville and Walsh.

This sounds like a very worthwhile book.