Book review: 'The Idea Factory' by Jon Gertner

A look at AT&T's Bell Labs documents what in its heyday was truly a marvelous innovation machine and focuses on a handful of compelling narratives.For generations of industry research executives, AT&T's Bell Telephone Laboratories served as an inspiration: a warren of youthful scientists and engineers assigned to go where their intellects took them, not especially concerned about serving the corporate bottom line, picking up cartloads of Nobel Prizes along the way. Bell Labs was the model for, among others, Xerox Corp.'s legendary Palo Alto Research Center, or PARC, which spun out the personal computer, Windows-style displays, Ethernet and many other advances that delivered their bounty more to society at large than to the parent company. Continue reading at 'Los Angeles Times'

[ Los Angeles Times | 2012-03-25 00:00:00 UTC ]
News tagged with: #nobel prizes #personal computer

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Magazine Publishers Look to Where Digital is Booming: The Book Business

After the initial flurry of excitement surrounding the release of their digital editions, magazine publishers are now beginning to focus on the strategies behind the products. In addition to complete digital editions, many are seeking other avenues to repackage and sell digital content. Continue reading at Folio Magazine

[ Folio Magazine | 2011-10-28 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #digital editions #magazine publishers #book business #initial flurry


Johnny Vegas book delayed until next year

Written By: Charlotte Williams Publication Date: Thu, 27/10/2011 - 08:30 HarperCollins has delayed publication of its autobiography of comedian Johnny Vegas, Becoming Johnny Vegas, due for release this autumn, until this time next year. The publisher said the decision was taken in order to... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-10-27 00:00:00 UTC ]
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E-books and Continuum buy drive sales at Bloomsbury

Written By: Charlotte Williams Publication Date: Thu, 27/10/2011 - 09:41 E-book sales and the acquisition of Continuum helped sales at Bloomsbury leap 16%, although relocation and restructuring costs led to pre-tax profit more than halving to £0.3m, in its latest set of financial accounts.... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-10-27 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #pre-tax profit #latest set


The Case of 'The Graveyard Book'

It is only exaggerating a little to say that many authors would kill to see the shiny gold Newbery medallion on the cover of one of their books. Which is why it is surprising that the latest edition of Neil Gaiman's The Graveyard Book not only forgoes the medal, but the claim as well: his 2009... Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2011-10-27 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #graveyard book #latest edition #neil gaiman


PA's Mollet to present on Hargreaves Review

Written By: Charlotte Williams Publication Date: Wed, 26/10/2011 - 09:04 Publishers Association chief executive Richard Mollet will be among the panel giving evidence to the Business, Innovation and Skills Select Committee next week on the Hargreaves Review of Intellectual Property. read more Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-10-26 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #hargreaves review #intellectual property


First enhanced ebook from Short Books

Written By: Benedicte Page Publication Date: Mon, 24/10/2011 - 08:10 Short Books has produced its first enhanced ebook for the digital version of Birdwatching with your Eyes Closed (3rd November), the new book from Simon Barnes, author of How to be a Bad Birdwatcher. The book explores the... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-10-24 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #book explores #enhanced ebook #short books #digital version #simon barnes


Virgin Books goes wild for David Essex

Written By: Lisa Campbell Publication Date: Mon, 24/10/2011 - 09:15 Virgin Books has acquired actor and 1970s heartthrob David Essex's autobiography. The as-yet-untitled book will be published in March 2012 and will chart Essex's career spanning four decades as a drummer, singer, theatre star,... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-10-24 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #as-yet-untitled book #virgin books #career spanning #world rights


Small Demons Makes Big Splash at Frankfurt Book Fair

In his closing remarks, Frankfurt Book Fair director Juergen Boos said that 2011 was a strong year for startups at the fair. Among those startups, perhaps none had a better reception than Small Demons, in Los Angeles. “We couldn’t have asked for a better first Frankfurt Book Fair,” Small Demons... Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2011-10-21 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Heaney lauded at Irish Book Awards

Written By: Charlotte Williams Publication Date: Thu, 20/10/2011 - 15:10 Poet Seamus Heaney is to receive a lifetime achievement award at this year's Bord Gais Energy Irish Book Awards, with the gongs including an Irish Bookshop of the Year Award for the first time. Also new this year, RTE... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-10-20 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #24th november #17th november


Godfray asks BL to "review" Amazon link

Written By: Benedicte Page Publication Date: Wed, 19/10/2011 - 15:01 Tim Godfray, chief executive of The Booksellers Association, has asked British Library c.e.o. Dame Lynne Brindley to review the Library’s relationship with Amazon “as a matter of urgency”, following the furore over links to... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-10-19 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #booksellers association #british library #week announced


Winman wins Edinburgh Festival book prize

Written By: Katie Allen Publication Date: Wed, 19/10/2011 - 14:45 Sarah Winman’s debut When God Was a Rabbit (Headline Review) has won the 2011 Edinburgh International Book Festival’s Newton First Book Award. The award encourages attendees of the festival to vote for their favourite of the 47... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-10-19 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #book award


Alma Books to expand after profitable year

Written By: Charlotte Williams Publication Date: Thu, 20/10/2011 - 08:45 Alma Books is planning to hire more staff and expand its non-fiction and YA lists, after reversing a loss made in its 2009 financial year. read more Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-10-19 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Saltyard acquires Prashad restaurant books

Written By: Charlotte Williams Publication Date: Tue, 18/10/2011 - 07:00 Saltyard Books has bought two books about Prashad, the Indian restaurant run by the Patel family in Bradford which narrowly missed out on Gordon Ramsey's Britain's Best Restaurant award. Saltyard Books publisher Elizabeth... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-10-18 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #annabel merullo


Open Road launches Iconic E-Books

Written By: Charlotte Williams Publication Date: Tue, 18/10/2011 - 15:19 Digital publisher Open Road is launching a new imprint, Iconic E-books, with Erica Jong's Fear of Flying and Alice Walker's The Color Purple to be among its first titles. The Iconic E-Books titles will be those that have... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-10-18 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #erica jong #alice walker #color purple #literary fiction


Lauren Myracle Withdraws ‘Shine’ From National Book Awards

Lauren Myracle, the author of “Shine,” withdrew from the shortlist for the National Book Awards on Monday, soon after she was mistakenly named a finalist by the National Book Foundation. Continue reading at The New York Times

[ The New York Times | 2011-10-18 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Miller and Birch lead Booker sales for book chains

Written By: Lisa Campbell Publication Date: Tue, 18/10/2011 - 09:00 AD Miller's Snowdrops and Carol Birch's Jamrach's Menagerie are the bestselling books in the Man Booker shortlist on the high street, ahead of the prize's announcement this evening. read more Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-10-18 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #book chains #carol birch #bestselling books #high street


Camden campaigners to try for library judicial review

Written By: Benedicte Page Publication Date: Mon, 17/10/2011 - 10:14 Camden library campaigners have become the latest group to apply for judicial review over library closures. The Camden Public Library User Group has instructed solicitors Bindmans to lodge an application for judicial review,... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-10-17 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #latest group #judicial review #library closures #law firm


Hollinghurst makes Galaxy Book Awards shortlist

Written By: Charlotte Williams Publication Date: Mon, 17/10/2011 - 08:25 Alan Hollinghurst, whose novel The Stranger's Child was a surprise omission from the Man Booker shortlist this year, has been shortlisted for an award at the Galaxy National Book Awards 2011, with works by Ian Rankin and... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-10-17 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #year category #ian rankin #keith richards #carol birch #anthony horowitz #andrea levy #uk author


Science book deals at Frankfurt

Written By: Benedicte Page Publication Date: Fri, 14/10/2011 - 11:25 Popular science writer Simon Singh has accepted a six-figure world English language rights pre-empt made at Frankfurt for his next book, The Mathematics of The Simpsons. The deal, Singh's first since winning the legal case... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-10-14 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #patrick walsh #legal case #uk publisher #george gibson


21 Finalists for 2011 National Book Awards

The announcement of the nominees for the 2011 National Book Awards had an extra dose of drama this year as the National Book Foundation added a sixth selection to the Young People’s Literature category after the original broadcast over Oregon Public Broadcasting’s program Think Out Loud had only... Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2011-10-14 00:00:00 UTC ]
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