Invisibility in the Era of Surveillance
The Wikileaks dump yesterday raises a number of questions about privacy in the modern era of what some would call a surveillance state. Most specifically, The New Yorker examines 5 questions about the release. Coincidentally, at the same time, I’m working my way through Kevin Mitnick’s The Art of Invisibility: The World’s Most Famous Hacker…
continue readingBreaking Down the $65m Obama Book Deal
Whatever your politics might be, you gotta be impressed (or frightened) at the gargantuan book deal given to Barack and Michelle Obama. Vox deconstructs the deal and does some math. For example, according to the article, the #3 top seller of 2014 sold slightly more the than 500,000 copies. The Obamas will need to sell…
continue readingWho Wants to Have a Russian Book Club?
A legend floats around university English programs about two candidates vying for the same job. At a social event, someone introduces a game where you name a famous book that you’ve never read. If anyone else in the ground has read it, then they’re out. The point is to admit to having avoided the most…
continue readingA Rock Reunion Reminds Me of a Great Introduction
At the Guns ‘n Roses performance last night, I was reminded of Mick Wall’s stellar book W.A.R.: The Unauthorized Biography of William Axl Rose. In this 2008 release, the veteran British rock journalist delivers one of the best introductions to any book I have ever read. After returning home at 3am last night, I pulled…
continue readingTiki Tales in Book About Famous Supper Club
Kahiki Supper Club: A Polynesian Paradise in Columbus by David Myers, Elise Myers Walker, Jeff Chenault, & Doug Motz was released in 2014 and provides a unique look into the history of a tiki landmark in the Midwest of all places. For almost four decades, the Kahiki Supper Club distinctive architecture highlighted the east side…
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