Wednesday, September 30, 2009
Yeah, right: Being a bad guy can be good for career
By Anthony Balderrama
CareerBuilder.com writer
Editor's note: CNN.com has a business partnership with CareerBuilder.com, which serves as the exclusive provider of job listings and services to CNN.com.
Playing the bad guy in the office can help your career if you do it correctly, author says.
(CareerBuilder.com) -- In film and literature, the villains are the most entertaining characters. We root for good to triumph over evil and we're connected to the protagonist, but we're most interested in the bad guy.
Think about classic films and pick out the best characters. In "The Wizard of Oz" I'm glad Dorothy ends up with her family, but the Wicked Witch and her winged simians were the coolest part of the story. In "Psycho," the focus is on creepy Norman Bates. Let's face it, being bad is fun.
Why, then, do we become so skittish about embracing the role of bad guy at work?
Think back to times during your career when you were too afraid to take an unpopular stance. Whether you've been working for three months or three decades, you've probably had at least one of those moments when you didn't want to be the lone voice of dissent. No one wants to be disliked by everyone else.
"This doesn't mean that people shouldn't be strong, assertive and provocative at times, but they better understand the potential impact of what they are choosing to do," says Rick Maurer, a change management expert of Maurer & Associates.
The question becomes, how do you embrace these maligned roles without ruining your career? Here are three instances when you might find yourself being the bad guy or gal and what you should think about:
Standing up for what you think is right for the company or team
Opinions clash in every team effort. No decision involving a group vote ever happens without someone voicing concerns that ultimately slow down the process. Is it worth being the cheese that stands alone?
Don't Miss
"This is one of the most difficult issues a person can face at work," says Dr. Paul R. Damiano, president of Good Works Consulting.
"The key is that you legitimately have to be concerned about the best interest of the company."
When expressing your trepidation, keep the focus on how the company benefits from your idea and how a bad decision is detrimental to everyone. Don't put the focus on how it affects you because people will make assumptions about your motives.
"If the group finally does override you, be sure to vocalize your support for the final decision, otherwise, they may see you as subtly trying to sabotage or undermine the decision to prove you were right all along," Damiano says.
Playing devil's advocate
Sometimes the unpopular opinion isn't one that you believe in, but it's the one that gets people thinking. That's when you're tempted to play devil's advocate merely to challenge everyone to consider the reasons for their opinions. If you can rile people up and make them think about all sides of a situation, you can prepare them for controversy that might come their way as a result. But you could have your own controversy to deal with as well.
"Even when the meeting is over, something called role transference can occur and people may still truly believe that you are against the issue at hand, when in fact you may have been merely trying to get people to think more broadly or deeply," Damiano says.
To avoid any confusion, Damiano suggests a visual cue to separate you from your role as antagonist. It might sound silly, but it gives everyone a focal point for their frustration.
"For example, you could hold a Koosh ball, wear a certain hat or sit in a designated seat when playing the devil's advocate," he suggests. "Then when you separate yourself from the tangible object (pass the ball, remove the cap, take your normal seat) it will be easier for your colleagues to separate you from your role playing opinions."
However you choose to separate yourself from the role as naysayer, remember to emphasize your goal of challenging the group. Playing devil's advocate is only a worthwhile exercise if you make people reevaluate how they look at an issue, not how they look at you.
Standing up for yourself
Hopefully you never have to encounter this situation, but it could happen: You share an idea with a co-worker, he presents it to the boss, she showers him with praise and you're left as the fool who doesn't have any good ideas. Do you let someone steal your hard work? What do you say if you're criticized for not being as productive and creative? Ultimately, this is a showdown of your word against his.
"This is often a matter not of what we say, but how we say it," Damiano says. "In these instances, you definitely need to confront the issue, and you need to talk about the emotional impact it had on you without becoming emotional in the process."
Can you be passionate without being irrational when you're trying to defend yourself? We are talking about your hard work and integrity, after all.
"The best way to do this is to actually practice or role play the conversation a few times with a friend or colleague before talking to the person who unfairly took your ideas," Damiano says. If possible, he also encourages you to record yourself so you can analyze how you come across and judge whether or not your message is effective. Then you'll be ready to stand up for yourself.
The gender effect
Lurking beneath each of these issues is that reality that women often know that things they do could backfire because gender still factors into some people's perceptions. Some women might be hesitant to be the office villain, even momentarily, because of the sexist stigma associated with assertive females in the workplace.
On the other hand, if you're a woman who doesn't want to stand out for the wrong reasons, are you also a worker who's not standing out at all? If you're invisible at work you could be feeding into the stereotype of a meek female worker who's more wallflower than leader.
Seems pretty lose-lose to me. Dr. Debra Condren, author of "Ambition is Not a Dirty Word," disagrees.
"There's a big cost to women who shun the role of bad guy: It keeps you from going for your share of the opportunities pie at work, from taking risks that can have huge pay-offs, from standing up to people when you need to, from being tough even if it brings on disapproval from others, from taking the credit you deserve," she warns.
"It keeps you from being taken as seriously in the workplace as those who stand up for themselves and play bad-guy hardball. It keeps you from earning what you're worth (i.e., it can cost women between $500,000 and $2 million in earnings over the course of their careers) and from earning as much as your male counterparts who are willing to play the bad guy in negotiations do."
When she puts it that way, do you really have a choice?
Copyright CareerBuilder.com 2009. All rights reserved. The information contained in this article may not be published, broadcast or otherwise distributed without the prior written authority
All About Jobs and Labor
So much I could say here...
Thursday, September 17, 2009
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
Radiation threats: The 10 most potentially hazardous smartphones | Tech Sanity Check | TechRepublic.com
Based on new research, learn the 10 smartphones that emit the most radiation, the 10 that emit the least radiation, and a few quick safety tips.
——————————————————————————————————————————————————
One of the scariest unknown technology risks of this decade is the issue of radiation from cell phones. There’s still an open question about whether long term exposure to these mobile devices will cause damage or disease to human beings.
The Environmental Working Group has a comprehensive new study (download the full report as a PDF) that surveys the scientific research on cellphone heath risks and provides radiation data for most of the current cellphones in use. Here’s how the EWG explained the mission of its study:
We at Environmental Working Group are still using our cell phones, but we also believe that until scientists know much more about cell phone radiation, it’s smart for consumers to buy phones with the lowest emissions. The U.S. government ought to require cell phone companies to label their products’ radiation output so that consumers can do the numbers at the point of sale. It doesn’t, so EWG has created this user-friendly interactive online guide to cell phone emissions, covering over 1,000 phones currently on the market.
The EWG study looks at all mobile phones, but since smartphones are becoming a standard tool for businesses and IT professionals, I’ve drilled down and looked at the list from a smartphone perspective. I’ve broken out the 10 smartphones that produce the most radiation, the 10 that product the least amount of radiation, and a list of the radiation ratings of some of the most popular smartphones that did not make either of those two lists.
When you look at these lists, keep in mind that the EWG has also included some older models that are no longer being sold but are still used by many workers and consumers. Also note that “W/kg” stands for watts per kilogram, a measurement for power density.
The 10 smartphones with the highest radiation
- T-Mobile MyTouch 3G (1.55 W/kg)
- Blackberry Curve 8330 (1.54 W/kg)
- Palm Treo 600 (1.53 W/kg)
- T-Mobile Shadow (1.53 W/kg)
- Palm Treo 650 (1.51 W/kg)
- Blackberry Curve 8300 (1.51 W/kg)
- Blackberry Bold 9000 (1.51 W/kg)
- Sony Ericsson P910a (1.50 W/kg)
- HTC SMT 5800 (1.49 W/kg)
- BlackBerry Pearl 8120/8130 (1.48 W/kg)
The T-Mobile MyTouch 3G, an HTC smartphone powered by Google Android that debuted to lots of fanfare this summer, topped the list of the worst radiation offenders. However, other popular smartphones dominated the list as well, especially BlackBerries and Treos. The BlackBerry Curve, the best-selling smartphone on the market in 2009, was a close second on the list, and it was joined in the top 10 by its cousins, the BlackBerry Pearl and the BlackBerry Bold.
The 10 smartphones with lowest radiation
- Nokia 9300i (0.21 W/kg)
- Nokia 7710 (0.22 W/kg)
- T-Mobile MDA Wiza200 (0.28 W/kg)
- Samsung Impression SGH-a877 (0.35 W/kg)
- Nokia 9300 (0.44 W/kg)
- Samsung Propel Pro SGH-i627 (0.47 W/kg)
- Samsung Gravity SGH-t459 (0.49 W/kg)
- BlackBerry Storm 9530 (0.57 W/kg)
- Nokia E90 (0.59 W/kg)
- Nokia N96 (0.68 W/kg)
Nokia, with five models in this top 10, and Samsung with three, were clearly the winners in terms of smartphones that emit the least amount of radiation. It’s also interesting to note that although both of these companies produce dozens of different models, neither of them had a single model that made the list of the worst radiation offenders. The surprising member of the low-radiation club was the BlackBerry Storm (RIM’s first touchscreen device) since so many of the other popular BlackBerries were on the high-emitters list.
Other notables, from lowest to highest
- HTC Touch Pro (0.91 W/kg)
- Palm Pre (0.92 W/kg)
- iPhone (0.97 W/kg)
- Samsung JACK i637 (1.04 W/kg)
- T-Mobile’s Google G1 (1.11 W/kg)
- Blackberry Pearl Flip 8220 (1.14 W/kg)
- iPhone 3GS (1.19 W/kg)
- Samsung BlackJack II SGH-i617 (1.20 W/kg)
- Motorola MOTO Q 9m (1.30 W/kg)
- iPhone 3G (1.39 W/kg)
- BlackBerry Tour 9630 (unknown)
If there’s another phone you’d like to look up, here is the full list. Also, when seriously evaluating any smartphone on any of these lists, make sure you click through and look at the EWG page with the details of the phone’s radiation emissions using different connections and doing different activities. The number listed is the maximum radiation rating, but it can be deceiving in some cases until you look at the whole picture.
For example, the iPhone 3GS has a rating of 1.19 W/kg, which is a middle-of-the-pack rating. However, 1.19 is its maximum radiation level, which only happens when it is connected in UMTS 1900MHz mode. In its other four modes, it averages 0.63 W/kg, which is more consistent with the lower tier of radiation emitters.
Safety tips
As part of the report, the EWG also provided eight safety tips for cellphone users who are concerned about radiation. Here is a quick list of the tips. You can click through to the original list for more detail on each of the items.
- Buy a low-radiation phone
- Use a headset or speaker
- Listen more, talk less
- Hold phone away from your body
- Choose texting over talking
- Poor signal? Stay off the phone
- Limit children’s phone use
- Skip the “radiation shield”
The EWG also offers a one-page PDF that lists all eight of these tips along with a further explanation of each. IT professionals might consider distributing this PDF to employees who use company cellphones or posting it on the corporate intranet. Of course, you should consult senior management and your legal department before distributing something like this since it involves employee health.
See also: Are cell phones safe? Researchers still uncertain (CNET)
Bottom line
While there isn’t conclusive scientific evidence proving that cellphones cause illnesses or diseases in humans, the EWG report does point to research that has shown links between prolonged cellphone use and brain cancer, salivary gland tumors, migraines and vertigo, and decreased male sperm count (from carrying a cellphone in the pocket).
A lot more research still needs to be done, but in the meantime it makes sense for mobile manufacturers to limit cellphone radiation whenever possible and for users to be aware of which phones produce the most radiation so that they can take steps to limit radiation exposure as a precautionary step.
UPDATE 09/14/2009, 9:00 AM EST: I got a note from Daniel Van Hoy, a broadcast engineer, who wrote, “There is a big difference between ‘ionizing’ and ‘non-ionizing’ radiation… Cell phones, radios and TV transmissions emit non-ionizing radiation that has a longer wavelength, lower frequency and lower overall energy per photon than UV light, X-rays and gamma rays (a form of radioactivity), which are known as ionizing radiation because they have enough power to eject an electron from its orbit and leave behind a charged ion that can damage cells and tissues.” I verified this information to be correct. There’s also more on ionizing vs. non-ionizing radiation from the U.S. EPA.
Loading ...
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
The City as Food Collective - The New York Times > Dining & Wine > Slide Show > Slide 1 of 16
In the last decade, a combination of young chefs in a hard climate with few rules and relatively low economic pressure has made Portland, Me., one of the best places to eat in the Northeast. At left, the baker Stephen Lanzalotta's pizza, sold at Micucci Grocery.Photo: Stacey Cramp for The New York Times
related
Food Stuff - A New Food Processor by Demand
With a new line of food processors, Cuisinart has addressed a number of problems its customers have complained about over the years.
The blades on the new models, called the Elite collection, lock in place, so the contents of the bowl can be poured without the blade dropping off. The lock prevents leaks from the bottom of the bowl and a gasket prevents leaks from the top. The work bowls, which are slightly tapered, have a new pouring spout.
There is an added button for dough, which spins the blades at 1,450 r.p.m.s instead of 1,750 for the regular “on” button. But when I tried it for pastry I did not see much difference.
The top-of-the-line model FP-14DC, right, comes with three nesting bowls in 4 1/2-, 11- and 14-cup sizes. The small bowl, which can be used only when it’s in the largest one, has its own, smaller steel blade. Everything can go into the dishwasher.
I used the new machine for bread and pastry dough, mincing garlic, chopping nuts, making pesto and other preparations. Anyone experienced with a Cuisinart will have no trouble, but it comes with a DVD and a good instruction booklet.
The FP-14DC has a retractable cord and a box for accessories, like extra blades. There is only one slicing disk, which can be adjusted for one to six millimeters, and one shredding disk that can be reversed for thicker or thinner textures. A separate stem is used to attach the disks and the small blade to the 4 1/2-cup bowl.
The suggested retail price for the FP-14DC, on a brushed metal base is $299; $279 in black or white plastic. The FP-12DC, with 12-cup and 4 1/2-cup bowls, is $249 in brushed metal, $229 in white or black. There is also a four-cup chopper-grinder for $49.95 in plastic, $59.95 in brushed metal. They are sold at Bloomingdale’s, Macy’s, Williams-Sonoma and Sur La Table stores, among others.
Sign in to Recommend Next Article in Dining & Wine (14 of 17) » A version of this article appeared in print on September 16, 2009, on page D3 of the New York edition.
Carter: Racism plays major role in opposition to Obama
(CNN) -- Former President Jimmy Carter said Tuesday that racial politics played a role in South Carolina Rep. Joe Wilson's outburst during President Obama's speech to Congress last week and in some of the opposition the president has faced since taking office.
Former President Carter tells NBC Nightly News that racism has surfaced in opposition to President Obama.
"I think an overwhelming portion of the intensely demonstrated animosity toward President Barack Obama is based on the fact that he is a black man, that he's African-American," Carter told NBC News. "I live in the South, and I've seen the South come a long way, and I've seen the rest of the country that shares the South's attitude toward minority groups at that time, particularly African-Americans."
"That racism inclination still exists, and I think it's bubbled up to the surface because of belief among many white people -- not just in the South but around the country -- that African-Americans are not qualified to lead this great country. It's an abominable circumstance, and it grieves me and concerns me very deeply," Carter said.
Carter made similar remarks at an event at his presidential center in Atlanta, Georgia, The Associated Press reported Tuesday, pointing to some protesters who have compared Obama to a Nazi. "Those kind of things are not just casual outcomes of a sincere debate on whether we should have a national program on health care," the former president said at the Carter Center, according to AP. "It's deeper than that."
He grouped Wilson's shout of "You lie!" during Obama's speech in that category, according to AP. "I think it's based on racism. There is an inherent feeling among many in this country that an African-American should not be president," he said.
"The president is not only the head of government, he is the head of state. And no matter who he is or how much we disagree with his policies, the president should be treated with respect."
Don't Miss
The House voted Tuesday to formally disapprove of Wilson's behavior during the joint session of Congress. The resolution was approved largely along party lines, with Republicans calling the measure unnecessary partisan politics.
Wilson apologized to the White House last week, but congressional Democrats said he owed the chamber a similar statement of regret.
All About Jimmy Carter • Barack Obama • Racism and Bigotry
Saturday, September 12, 2009
Fuse | Thank you for adding your voice to your friends and neighbors asking the Mount Vernon City Council to stop Mayor Norris from giving the Key to the city of Mount Vernon to Glenn Beck.
Share this petition:
Glenn Beck calls the President a Racist:
Glenn Beck thinks there are Communists in the White House:Glenn Beck admits to Bill O'Reilly that he is CRAZY:
Glenn Beck agrees that another terror attack would be good for America:
Glenn Beck's craziest moments:
Thank you for adding your voice to your friends and neighbors asking the Mount Vernon City Council to stop Mayor Norris from giving the Key to the city of Mount Vernon to Glenn Beck.
Here is the text of our petition:
Dear Mount Vernon City Council,
We do not believe the city of Mount Vernon should honor Glenn Beck’s fear mongering, race-baiting, inflammatory and dishonest approach to politics. Our country is better than this.Please take action to overrule Mayor Norris’s decision to give Glenn Beck the key to the city. It disgraces Mount Vernon, Washington State, and our country to honor a national posterchild for intolerance, racism, and radical right-wing fringe politics.
Please share our petition with your friends and family on Facebook, Twitter or Email by clicking below:
A link to our petition is available at
http://fusewashington.org/GlennBeck
New iPod Touch Holds Secret 802.11n Wi-Fi And Camera Slot - PC World
A recent tear down of the new third generation iPod Touch reveals that the device is sporting an 802.11n Broadcom chip along with enough space to house the much rumoured camera.
The disassembly was conducted by the handy guys over at iFixit, and the results offer some hope for those who may have been disappointed with Apple's showing at their recent press event.
Dismantled, the device revealed a 6 x 6 x 3 millimetre space capable of housing a camera similar in size to that now found in the new Nano's. Despite the space being there, and Steve Jobs saying otherwise, many are now speculating that the lack of a camera is due to the rumoured manufacturing problems.
On a more exciting note, the iFixit tear down also revealed that the third generation iPod Touch is rocking an all new BCM4329FKUBG wireless chip [PDF], which manufacturer Broadcom states can support FM transition in addition to the now official 802.11n wireless standard, something even the iPhone 3GS can't handle.
Be sure to check out the full disassembly for more geeky facts on the new cheaper iPod Touch, and speculate in the comments as to what these hidden additions could mean.
Follow Geek Tech and Chris Brandrick on Twitter.
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
Buy Legit Copies of Popular Software for Less - Saving Money - Lifehacker
We try to primarily highlight freeware here on Lifehacker, but occasionally you need a piece of software that costs a pretty penny. Remember: Just because you can't get an app for free doesn't mean you can't still get it on the cheap.
A lot of people take the BitTorrent route when they're stuck between a rock and their wallet, but rather than using pirated software, weblog Digital Inspiration suggests a few solid tips for finding software deals on the internet. It's a fairly comprehensive post, and some of the suggestions are obvious, but we like a few tips in particular. For example:
If there is a software program that you want to purchase, go to the manufacturer's website and subscribe to their email lists and also follow their blog, Twitter feed, or Facebook page. Many companies regularly post deals and offers through these channels so you can be the first one to find about new deals.
Everyone's looking to "leverage social media" these days, and Twitter's full of promotions from software creators. You can even set up a separate group in a Twitter application like previously mentioned TweetDeck that contains all your deal-tracking feeds so you don't have to clutter up your personal feeds with your attempts at money-saving.
Hit up the full post for more great suggestions, then let us know how you get the most from your dollar when you have to shell out cash for an application—or operating system—in the comments.
How to Buy Genuine Software Online for Less [Digital Inspiration]
Why 09/09/09 Is So Special - Yahoo! News
Have special plans this 09/09/09?
Everyone from brides and grooms to movie studio execs are celebrating the upcoming calendrical anomaly in their own way.
In Florida, at least one county clerk's office is offering a one-day wedding special for $99.99. The rarity of this Sept. 9 hasn't been lost on the creators of the iPod, who have moved their traditional Tuesday release day to Wednesday to take advantage of the special date. Focus Features is releasing their new film "9," an animated tale about the apocalypse, on the 9th.
Not only does the date look good in marketing promotions, but it also represents the last set of repeating, single-digit dates that we'll see for almost a century (until January 1, 2101), or a millennium (mark your calendars for January 1, 3001), depending on how you want to count it.
Though technically there's nothing special about the symmetrical date, some concerned with the history and meaning of numbers ascribe powerful significance to 09/09/09.
For cultures in which the number nine is lucky, Sept. 9 is anticipated - while others might see the date as an ominous warning.
Math magic
Modern numerologists - who operate outside the realm of real science - believe that mystical significance or vibrations can be assigned to each numeral one through nine, and different combinations of the digits produce tangible results in life depending on their application.
As the final numeral, the number nine holds special rank. It is associated with forgiveness, compassion and success on the positive side as well as arrogance and self-righteousness on the negative, according to numerologists.
"Pythagoras most of all seems to have honored and advanced the study concerned with numbers, having taken it away from the use of merchants and likening all things to numbers," wrote Aristoxenus, an ancient Greek historian, in the 4th century B.C.
As part of his obsession with numbers both mathematically and divine, and like many mathematicians before and since, Pythagoras noted that nine in particular had many unique properties.
Any grade-schooler could tell you, for example, that the sum of the two-digits resulting from nine multiplied by any other single-digit number will equal nine. So 9x3=27, and 2+7=9.
Multiply nine by any two, three or four-digit number and the sums of those will also break down to nine. For example: 9x62 = 558; 5+5+8=18; 1+8=9.
Sept. 9 also happens to be the 252nd day of the year (2 + 5 +2)...
Loving 9
Both China and Japan have strong feelings about the number nine. Those feelings just happen to be on opposite ends of the spectrum.
The Chinese pulled out all the stops to celebrate their lucky number eight during last year's Summer Olympics, ringing the games in at 8 p.m. on 08/08/08. What many might not realize is that nine comes in second on their list of auspicious digits and is associated with long life, due to how similar its pronunciation is to the local word for long-lasting (eight sounds like wealth).
Historically, ancient Chinese emperors associated themselves closely with the number nine, which appeared prominently in architecture and royal dress, often in the form of nine fearsome dragons. The imperial dynasties were so convinced of the power of the number nine that the palace complex at Beijing's Forbidden City is rumored to have been built with 9,999 rooms.
Japanese emperors would have never worn a robe with nine dragons, however.
In Japanese, the word for nine is a homophone for the word for suffering, so the number is considered highly unlucky - second only to four, which sounds like death.
Many Japanese will go so far as to avoid room numbers including nine at hotels or hospitals, if the building planners haven't already eliminated them altogether.
- The Most Popular Myths In Science
- Review: Animated "9" Destined to Be Next Great Cult Film
- World to End in 2012: A Hoax Gone Too Far?
LiveScience.com chronicles the daily advances and innovations made in science and technology. We take on the misconceptions that often pop up around scientific discoveries and deliver short, provocative explanations with a certain wit and style. Check out our science videos, Trivia & Quizzes and Top 10s. Join our community to debate hot-button issues like stem cells, climate change and evolution. You can also sign up for free newsletters, register for RSS feeds and get cool gadgets at the LiveScience Store.
- Original Story: Why 09/09/09 Is So Special
With The Lost Symbol, Booksellers Anticipate a Big Week
Oh, is there a new Dan Brown novel coming out next week?
Skip to next paragraph
Darren Hauck for The New York TimesNext Chapter Bookshop in Mequon, Wis., is ready for the first day of sales of Dan Brown�s �Lost Symbol.�
The frenzy may not have reached Harry Potter levels quite yet, but the marketing rollout of �The Lost Symbol,� Mr. Brown�s follow-up to the international phenomenon �The Da Vinci Code,� is running full steam in advance of the publication date. Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group, which is shipping five million copies of �The Lost Symbol,� hired Special Ops Media, a company that designs Web marketing campaigns, to start pumping out Twitter clues on June 23. Nobody at Special Ops has been allowed to read the book, though, so the clues are more related to Dan Brown trivia in general.
On Tuesday the �Today� program begins a weeklong countdown to publication, with the host Matt Lauer divulging clues to various locations featured in the book. Mr. Lauer, one of only a handful of people who have been allowed to read �The Lost Symbol� in advance � and only after he signed an agreement not to reveal what�s in it, the publisher said � will interview Mr. Brown in a segment to be broadcast next Tuesday.
Last week Amazon�s chief executive, Jeffrey P. Bezos, posted a breathless memo to customers on the Amazon.com home page, informing them that the company was taking �one of the most anticipated publishing events of all time� very seriously. �We�ve agreed to keep our stockpile under 24-hour guard in its own chain-link enclosure, with two locks requiring two separate people for entry,� Mr. Bezos wrote.
Booksellers are hoping for a much-needed surge of traffic in a week with the release of not only �The Lost Symbol� but also two other much anticipated titles. Senator Edward M. Kennedy�s memoir, �True Compass,� comes out on Monday (first print run: 1.5 million copies), and Jon Krakauer�s �Where Men Win Glory,� a biography of the former National Football League star Pat Tillman, who volunteered for combat and was killed by friendly fire in Afghanistan, is being published on Tuesday (first print run: 500,000 copies).
�I think it�s going to be a great week for bookselling,� said Kathryn Popoff, vice president for the trade division at Borders Group, noting that Oprah Winfrey was also expected to announce her next book selection on Friday. Ms. Popoff acknowledged that dedicated Dan Brown fans might leave the bookstore with just one title in hand, �but our goal is with our merchandising and display to encourage people to buy another book while they�re in the stores.�
Blogs and Twitter accounts have been buzzing for months with speculation about the plot and secrets of �The Lost Symbol.� Mr. Brown, who was originally expected to deliver his follow-up to �The Da Vinci Code� in 2005, has provided a few hints: Robert Langdon is the protagonist again; it is set in Washington; the action takes place over the course of 12 hours; it features a deep look into the Masons.
The parodies have already begun. At Adamthinks.com, Adam Sacks, a Brooklyn-based animator, claims to have seen an advance copy of �The Lost Symbol� and lets slip plot points like �By analyzing a velvet Elvis painting in the Smithsonian, Langdon deduces the King was a member of Skull and Bones and was assassinated by way of prescription drugs,� and �In the last chapter, Harry Potter dies.�
At least half of all Borders stores plan to stay open until after midnight on Monday night so that the most impatient readers can buy a copy of �The Lost Symbol� at 12:01 a.m.
Next Chapter Bookshop, an independent in Mequon, Wis., a suburb of Milwaukee, will also be staying open until after midnight on Monday. Lanora Hurley, the owner, said starting next Tuesday, customers who commit to buying $100 worth of books in one sale will be given a free copy of �The Lost Symbol.� Signs hanging in the store promoting the deal read: �What will you be reading on September 16?�
In general, independent booksellers are not as excited about �The Lost Symbol� as they were for the Harry Potter books, which many heralded with elaborate parties and readings. Although many have ordered large quantities, some have decided to stay below the fray, figuring that customers will go for the discounts at the chain booksellers or mass-market discounters like Wal-Mart, which is currently offering buyers who preorder �The Lost Symbol� online a 52 percent discount off the $29.99 cover price. Barnes & Noble and Borders are discounting the title by 40 percent.
�That doesn�t work for us,� said Frank Reiss, owner of A Cappella Books in Atlanta, the kind of bookstore that stayed open until after midnight when the last two Thomas Pynchon novels came out. Mr. Reiss said, though, that the bookstore had ordered 12 copies of �The Lost Symbol,� exceeding the store�s standard orders on commercial titles.
At Barnes & Noble, advance orders for �The Lost Symbol� have outpaced all other previous adult titles, said Patricia Bostelman, vice president for marketing, although J. K. Rowling still holds the all-time record. Advance orders for �The Lost Symbol� made it the No. 1 best seller on Amazon last week, followed by Kennedy�s �True Compass.� A person familiar with the Amazon order said that by last week customers had preordered close to 70,000 copies of �The Lost Symbol.�
Knopf Doubleday, after some agonizing, decided to release the e-book of �The Lost Symbol� on the same day as the hardcover. Given Mr. Brown�s popularity, it could be a key test of just how much demand there is for e-books.
Booksellers and publishers are hoping to take advantage of the Dan Brown phenomenon to sell corollary titles about secret societies, the Freemasons, the founding fathers and other related topics.
Cathy Langer, the lead buyer for the Tattered Cover bookstores in Denver, said the stores had ordered several ancillary titles, including �Born in Blood: the Lost Secrets of Freemasonry� by John J. Robinson, and �Freemasons for Dummies� by Christopher Hodapp.
�Let�s hope Mr. Brown�s new book raises questions to pique the curiosity and interest of readers to learn more, as he did with �Da Vinci,� � Ms. Langer wrote in an e-mail message. �It was a mini-industry for a while, and that would be just dandy.�
Publishers, too, certainly hope so. Three years ago, after Mr. Brown first hinted at the subject for his new thriller, Ulysses Press commissioned Mr. Hodapp to write �Solomon�s Builders,� a book about the Freemasons� influence in Washington. The publisher has also asked Mr. Hodapp to write a book dissecting the factual background of �The Lost Symbol,� once it is released.
HarperOne, the spiritual imprint of HarperCollins, signed a deal for �The Masonic Myth� by Jay Kinney two years ago but is publishing it this week to coincide with �The Lost Symbol.� HarperOne is also trumpeting the publication of �Racing Toward Armageddon,� by Michael Baigent, one of two authors who sued Mr. Brown for copyright infringement in a lawsuit asserting that Mr. Brown had plagiarized themes of �The Da Vinci Code� from �The Holy Blood and the Holy Grail,� a book Mr. Baigent wrote with another author. The court exonerated Mr. Brown.
Still, Claudia Boutote, associate publisher of HarperOne, called the publication of Mr. Baigent�s book �a nice coincidence.�
Sign in to RecommendMore Articles in Books � A version of this article appeared in print on September 8, 2009, on page C1 of the New York edition.
Monday, September 7, 2009
Fwix Attempts to Fill the Local News Void
One of the most distressing aspects of the freefalling newspaper industry is the effect that has on local news reporting. Although the fall of local papers is certainly an opportunity for bloggers and community-driven news sites, for news consumers, finding local news can become increasingly difficult.
Yesterday, Fwix launched, and it’s designed to be a local consumer newswire. Visit the Fwix page for your city and you have access to the latest local news stories from local sources and validated user-contributed content. You can then easily share those stories with your friends on Twitter (
).
Right now, Fwix is in 80 different cities in the U.S. and Canada. When you click on a story from Fwix’s homepage, you are taken directly to the story, but there is an AJAX toolbar appended to the bottom of your browser. You can click on that toolbar to share the story with friends, comment, or go to the next story. You can also just dismiss the bar and view the page unobstructed.
Fwix also has an iPhone application (iTunes link) that lets you view and share stories from your device. Soon, users will be able to contribute news to Fwix as they see it as well.
How well Fwix works as a local news aggregator really depends on your city. I live in Atlanta, and while there are lots of local blogs (and Fwix uses them as sources), the vast majority of Atlanta media is owned and operated by one company. Thus, most of the stories on Fwix are going to be from that company and its properties. If you live in a more media-diverse city, you might get more diverse results.
Fwix is an interesting idea and by targeting local news readers and local publishers, it might help fill the gap that the decline of print-based media has left behind.
(Image courtesy of whatnot on Flickr (
))
