Malcolm Gladwell Book Generator

I don't know the background to this site, but it 'generates' some hilarious book titles.

Click on the 'Generate New Best Seller' option here to laugh.

Vooks

The idea for vooks (book+video+computer+social media) has been stirring away for a while, and the company has recently started releasing a few versions. So far, sadly, I haven't been overwhelmed by the offerings, although the potential is there for some level of breakthrough.

You can see some excerpts from vooks here.

The company defines a vook as:

A vook is a new innovation in reading that blends a well-written book, high-quality video and the power of the Internet into a single, complete story.

You can read your book, watch videos that enhance the story and connect with authors and your friends through social media all on one screen, without switching between platforms.

Vooks are available in two formats: As a web-based application you can read on your computer and a mobile application for reading on the go. With the web-based application you don't have to download programs or install software. Just open your favorite browser and start reading and watching in an exciting new way. You can also download and install the mobile applications through the Apple iTunes store and sync them with your Apple mobile device.

Another e-magazine concept video

Not as sexy as this one (here) but not too shabby.

http://www.bonnier.com/en/blog/1367/archive/200912

Google Books

As a researcher I absolutely adore the power and ease of Google Books (if you haven't looked through it yet do so!)
As a writer, I can see there are many concerns with copyright and how writers' time, effort, thoughts, inspiration and dreams are to be supported in a world where money (and the acquisition of it) remains so important.
For all Google's efforts aimed at protecting authors' words; once a work is digitised it becomes so much harder to protect copyright.
Of course, the issue isn't so much protecting copyright, but protecting a business model that 'kinda' supports the ecosystem of words -- writers, publishers, editors, newspapers, libraries and everything else that goes along with it.
The other day, I got into a conversation with a librarian clearly distraught at the future of libraries. For him, the next big threat was the development of colour printers that could spit out copies of entire books in seconds. (I am not entirely sure, we will be going down this path anytime soon anyway. Printing requires paper and ink. Ecologically, there is a lot of incentive not to pursue this in a whole scale manner. As a niche though, of course, it will happen.)
And that is the point, of course. Do we embrace the potential of all this change and destruction creatively, or fight tooth and nail for what works now (or what worked once).

"iTunes News" and 'readers'

Finally read David Carr's article this morning and while it wasn't saying anything new, it was a nice take on the problem. Interestingly, he referred to the Cook's Illustrated operation. I spent some time earlier this month analysing their operation myself.
There is a pay for content model out there. This constant discrediting of the notion is not really helping anyone. Frankly, I would happily pay, say $30 a year, for access to my favoured news source online. It may not be a number in the hundreds of dollars, but it is also worth considering that the online audience pool is substantially larger than the pool available to a regional or even national newspaper.
How those kinds of sums break down for a smaller operation are a part of the 'new' media equations.
As I read his piece though, another interesting parallel cropped up. I would really like a 'reader', a computer-like screen that I can use to read away from the computer; say, lying down, sitting, at the gym, in transit, etc.
There are products available. Amazon's Kindle is getting a lot of good reviews, so I had looked into it. Amazon has tried to make it too proprietary in my view. There is little interaction between the Kindle and a computer and if you want to send something in between the two, say a PDF or word file, you actually have to pay Amazon for the privilege. Even worse, the operation is carried out via email. This can and should be done far more easily, simply by syncing the reader and the PC.
Besides, I like being able to actually use bits and pieces from articles or books I have read. Or I might want to transfer notes I have made after reading something to my computer. Or check important email, if I need to. Not being able to do these things with the Kindle is the reason I won't be getting one for my own personal use.
So, I looked into Sony's new reader. The latest version is almost there, but there are still a few limitations. And again yesterday, I saw an article out the Consumer Electronic Show now underway in the US about another new Sony product, which may well have potential. The price is too high, I suspect. And the keyboard is obviously an issue (they are getting around the key spacing issue (as in the keys are packed too closely together to be able to type comfortably) by deliberately targeting a certain type of woman [really], the kind of woman who maintains long fingernails (all the better for pecking with....). But, it is a very nice looking machine. One I am keen to test drive.
That inspired another quick internet search, which led to another interesting Sony release (made last year), which is along similar lines. A smaller pocket type book sized reader / computer. This is not quite there either. The specs are still a bit too minimal.
Mini computers are a possible alternative. I think they are a short term option in the marketplace, despite their current growing popularity. Technological developments are likely to outpace them sooner rather than later. Sure, their small size is addressing a problem, I just don't think they are a solution that is likely to stick.
They will be seen as too clunky and too heavy in the very near future, I predict.
I guess we are still really waiting for rollable e-paper/keyboards that can be rolled or folded when not in use. A few months ago, I did see an article on some research in Japan that suggested scientists were definitely getting closer to this possibility. Although, it is still some years away.
In the meantime, though, where does this all lead in terms of creating a new paying model for news delivery, a la "iTunes News".
A lot of places, to put it briefly.
I have some ideas I am mulling over, but I may need to copyright them!

Medieval cooking

Truly in the musings department: this article (here) really caught my attention. A group of academics is planning to digitise a medieval cookbook and upload the contents for anyone to study. The cookbook is written in Middle English, and totally incomprehensible to me, but I love the idea.
Cooking (as long as it is in my own kitchen, set up specifically to match my rhythms!) is something I thoroughly enjoy, so playing around with "brand new" recipes of this calibre could be a whole lot of fun.
But, I can't read the damn thing, check out the recipe for curry to see what I mean. (You can download a full image from the cookbook here.)

Handbook for Newcomers, Migrants and Immigrants to Japan – A Review

I first visited Japan thirty years ago and have since lived, studied and worked in the country; as well as reported on it extensively, so I can say with absolute certainty that gems like the Handbook for Newcomers, Migrants and Immigrants to Japan by Arudou Debito and Higuchi Akira (Akashi Shoten: 2008) are way too rare.

BI (Before the Internet) I, and anyone with more than a passing interest in Japan, would have to scour bookstores and libraries looking for clues as to how to navigate our way through life in Japan. New publications would elicit [internal] squeals of glee – even if closer examination would, all too often, lead one to suspect the author may have only travelled from Narita Airport to Roppongi [the area of Tokyo where foreigners tend to congregate] -- and gone no further. At least, perhaps, I would silently hope, some glimmer of useful, new fact would find its way through the dross to help inform the daily challenges of life in Japan. And, on those rare occasions, a real jewel revealed itself, the joy was genuine.

Post internet, of course, research into life in Japan is so much easier. But, it is not all that straightforward. The language challenge remains. And while many of the more basic details (how to get a tourist or working holiday visa, how to find a hotel etc.) are fairly well documented; the deeper details are not. The nitty gritty of a life lived in Japan is barely revealed.

So, it was with my [mental] fingers tightly crossed that I first opened Arudou and Higuchi’s book. I have interacted with Arudou off and on over the years as his editor and as someone who paid passing attention to his activities as a Japan-based activist for foreigners’ rights. Arudou had taken the challenging path of adopting Japanese nationality (he was an American citizen) and creating a life for himself in Hokkaido, itself a frontier-esque northern island in Japan. Knowing Arudou knew his subject had raised my hopes. But, he and his writing partner pulled it off?

Indeed they had. The two of them (Higuchi is a Hokkaido-based lawyer) had summarised the nuts and bolts of life for people whose Japan stay is extended. Whether it is maintaining a funeral plot in Japan, buying a car, joining a union or tips on divorcing a troublesome partner -- life’s essential tips and tricks are covered.

Their approach is straightforward. The brass tacks of a life lived anywhere have some pretty common themes -- and they adopt these as the core chapter topics.

· Arriving and establishing a home
· Stabilizing employment and lifestyles
· Starting a business
· What to do if…(life, work, court, family)
· Retirement and planning for the future
· Giving something back

The book is written in English and Japanese, the Japanese text is on the obverse and English on the verso. The English used is not grammatically complicated (a deliberate move by the authors to allow for easier access to readers whose English is a second language) but not so simplistic as to annoy your average English speaker. The Japanese text adopts a similar approach.

Should you be curious, the first three chapters were written by Higuchi and the others by Arudou.

There is a Japanese-ness to the layout and structure, even to the tone, of the Handbook. Their approach is sparse, grey; a touch bureaucratic. Each topic is broached directly, then broken down into its core elements; explained and ticked off; as the authors rapidly move on to the next huge life issue. This helps to create an easy to read and accessible volume; despite the breadth and depth of their goal.

A typical example of this approach would be their coverage of Japan’s salary system.

Now let’s talk about how people get paid in Japan. As the Labor Standard Law only requires payment of salary (kyuuryou 給料, rendered as kyuuyo 給与 on documents) at least once a month, most companies pay once a month (usually on the 25th); few companies pay fortnightly.

The next paragraph breaks down the contents of a typical pay check, the next discusses the biannual bonus system. After that they examine deductions and taxes and then look at the different insurances covering workers in Japan.

The authors make no commitment to provide an exhaustive fount of information on any one topic. Their goal was to create a concise and affordable reference book to help people find information efficiently. And they do so. Where possible, they provide information on additional sources (including websites). The section on the salary system concludes with links to four useful English language resources.

One key difference between this book and nearly everything else out there is that the authors assume their readers are looking to make a permanent life in Japan.

Most guides to living in Japan, rightly or wrongly, tend to focus on life as a foreigner, as someone who only plans to be living in that country for a set period of time (even if it is ten years).
Arudou and Higuchi write for an audience that views its move to Japan as permanent (even if it is for ten years).

This is a big theme in terms of Japan’s relations with its foreign residents. Personally, I would argue Japan is one of the few developed countries that does not try particularly hard to assimilate foreigners into its society. There are others who would agree.

Arudou has been particular active in this arena; seeking to bring Japan’s attention to some of the more exclusionary practices he has come across. [See Arudou Debito, Japanese Only--The Otaru Onsen Refusals and Racial Discrimination in Japan, Akashi Shoten: 2006.]

The authors’ approach confronts some time-honoured “Japan’s myths” as well. In the coverage on ‘Going to Court’ they write:

Japan is thought of as a “non-litigious” society, where going to court is viewed as “un-Japanese”. We do not agree. In 1998 alone, according to the Prime Minister’s Office, there were 5,454,942 court cases in all levels of Japan’s justice system. … People in Japan do sue. We recommend that readers view the Japanese judiciary system as just one more alternative for conflict resolution. The Japanese courts exist for a reason. Use them.

The authors are also realistic.

…taking things to court is risky. There is no trial by jury in Japan … so one or three judges will decide your case over several years. If you can wait and have patience and money … then go to court.

Intentionally or otherwise, these excerpts sum up life in Japan all too well. Yes, living in Japan is just like living in most other places (pretty much) --- but there is a twist. This Handbook is an excellent guide to set you on the way to learning all those twists (and a few turns).

In brief, Arudou and Higuchi have put together an essential handbook covering the key topics and questions anyone living in Japan (or intending to) needs to address.

Reading at leisure, I wish

I read alot online. It is a habit I started some years ago, after getting my first 'modemed' up mac and then a compuserve account. It is a habit (vital) that eats into hours each day, pretty much eradicating any spare moments left for book reading or burying myself in a newspaper. And that is fine, the mediums have moved on and I got to enjoy the transition from early on in the piece.
But, more recently, I have been taking stock; evaluating just how hard it is to scratch out time to read away from the screen.
I recently got my hands on two books I am desperately keen to read, desperately keen to get lost in. So how much have I read so far? To say I have knocked off a chapter in each would be an exaggeration. Granted, I am flat out, burning the candle at multiple ends (it's a uniquely shaped candle). But, so what is new. I always have too much going on. I am not happy otherwise.
But, not only do I want to read each book on a personal level; they are both books I must read for my work. And there they sit, prominently propped by my bedroom door; seen every morning and every night -- in passing. Their presence noted; my continuing regret assessed; their pages unturned.
One day, one day soon, I will be able to tackle them a little more; gradually eating away at page after page. I hope.
But, in the mail last night, another 'must read' and a 'must view' and another 'must do'.
Today, I am still knocking off all the 'musts' in my inbox and tasks tray, let alone those other items that don't get catalogued electronically.
A former work colleague used to call it 'riding the bicycle'. Once you get on, you never get off, the wheel keeps on turning. And that was a time when the new fangled computer on his desk was rarely turned on.

New books to review

I now have two new books on my desk to review, something I am actively looking forward to. Arudou Debito's "Handbook for Newcomers, Migrants and Immigrants to Japan" (which can be purchased at Arudou Debito's website or at Amazon Japan as well as a potentially controversial look at the media and reporting (more on that later).