Even if 'bossy' could be banned, there are far better ways to boost girls' self-esteem | Hadley Freeman

Facebook's Sheryl Sandberg and Beyoncé want to ban the word 'bossy' as disparaging to women. It's a good start, but there's so much more to be done. Here are my top tipsThat growing numbers of girls suffer from issues of self-esteem during adolescence – ones that can be carried over into adulthood – is not up for debate. What is debatable is what should be done about this. Sheryl Sandberg, the chief operating officer of Facebook and author of the bestselling feminist-ish book Lean In, has come up with her own typically high-powered and certainly well-intentioned solution: to ban the word "bossy". "When a little boy asserts himself, he's called a 'leader'. Yet when a little girl does the same, she risks being branded 'bossy'," she writes.It will come as a massive surprise to no one to learn that I was called bossy quite a lot as a kid, and still am (although I wouldn't have to be bossy if people would just bloody well do as I say). Yet it's never bothered me, mainly because I grew up idolising Miss Piggy and Lucy van Pelt from Peanuts, and never saw bossiness as anything other than a wholly commendable quality. But for those unacquainted with the mighty pig, Sandberg has made a video featuring herself, Condoleezza Rice, Beyoncé and others, arguing that the word "bossy" should be "banned" (in the self-censoring sense, one suspects, as opposed to the, you know, legal one) because it's a way of telling confident girls to shut up.Insults are often gendered – in adulthood at... Continue reading at 'The Guardian'

[ The Guardian | 2014-03-11 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Harman: UK can 'pay its way in the world' through literature

People who create content need to be protected, Harriet Harman told The Publishers Association... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2014-05-08 00:00:00 UTC ]
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ALA Summit Under Way at Library of Congress

ALA executive director Keith Fiels told PW the event was designed to help "get in front of things that might affect libraries in the long term.” Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-05-02 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Books ban condemned by Prison Reform Trust

Charity The Prison Reform Trust has said new prison regulations, which ban books, as well as... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2014-04-30 00:00:00 UTC ]
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'Geek Girl' joins seven-strong Branford Boase shortlist

The organisers of the Branford Boase award today (1st May) announced this year’s shortlist... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2014-04-30 00:00:00 UTC ]
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BEA 2014: BEA Every Way

America’s premier book event, BookExpo America, continues to evolve, and is in every way reflective of the evolving industry it serves. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-04-25 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Hungry Girl’s First Diet Book Hits Big

Lisa Lillien, better known as “Hungry Girl” to her fans, has eight bestselling cookbooks under her belt, and her first diet book, 'The Hungry Girl Diet: Big Portions. Big Results. Drop 10 Pounds in 4 Weeks,' has hit the ground running. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-04-21 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Egmont mines its way to second number one

Egmont has notched up just its second UK Official Top 50 number one with its Minecraft franchise... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2014-04-15 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Prison books ban could be illegal, says PEN

Freedom of speech charity English PEN has warned that the government could be acting illegally by... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2014-03-31 00:00:00 UTC ]
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8 Ways Oyster Books Can Rule the Ebook Subscription Market

In the six months since its debut, the $14 million Oyster ebook subscription platform has yet to take off. What's lacking? What could be improved? We advise. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2014-03-25 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Prisons minister defends book 'ban'

Justice ministers have responded to criticism over a ban on prisoners being sent books, by... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2014-03-24 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Campaign to stamp out 'books for boys,' 'books for girls' gains traction

A campaign titled Let Books Be Books has received the support of authors, a newspaper, and bookseller Waterstones, and the related petition has garnered more than 4,000 signatures. Continue reading at The Christian Science Monitor

[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2014-03-21 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Project Black Sky: Superheroes, The Dark Horse Way

In a comics marketplace crowded with works by The Big Two, is there room for another superhero universe, let alone another superhero publisher? Dark Horse publisher Mike Richardson thinks so. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-03-18 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Saudi book fair bans 'blasphemous' Mahmoud Darwish works after protest

Removal of books by revered Palestinian poet from Riyadh publishing event is condemned by PEN as censorshipThe removal of works by the esteemed Palestinian poet Mahmoud Darwish from a major book fair in Saudi Arabia for reportedly containing "blasphemous passages" has drawn widespread... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2014-03-14 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Pastor's church responds after he allegedly buys his way onto NYT bestseller list

'Outside counsel advised our marketing team to use Result Source,' Mars Hill Church said of Pastor Mark Driscoll's decision to pay a marketing company to ensure his book was a bestseller. 'While not uncommon or illegal, this unwise strategy is not one we had used before or since, and not one we... Continue reading at The Christian Science Monitor

[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2014-03-13 00:00:00 UTC ]
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5 Ways To Lock In Your Customers Using Online Communities

How positioning your business model around your most engaged customers will reap beaucoup returns.As a long-time comic book artist, fan, and professional, I have experienced firsthand how comics collectors travelled long distances to meet up with others who shared these passions. In the 1990s,... Continue reading at Fast Company

[ Fast Company | 2014-03-11 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Pastor reportedly buys his way onto New York Times bestseller list

Mark Driscoll reportedly paid the firm ResultSource Inc. hundreds of thousands of dollars to secure a place on the NYT bestseller list for his book. It's only the latest story of companies who will work to ensure a book makes it onto a bestseller list. Continue reading at The Christian Science Monitor

[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2014-03-08 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Gibbs Smith Keeps Doing It His Way

When Gibbs Smith relocated his eponymous publishing company from California to the family farm in Layton, Utah, in 1973 he converted an old barn into offices. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-03-07 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Parents push to end gender division of boys' and girls' books

Let Books Be Books campaign wins instant repsonse from publisher Usborne, in time for International Women's DayA campaign to break down gender divides in children's publishing has met with instant success, after one of the publishers under fire announced they will stop producing titles labelled... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2014-03-07 00:00:00 UTC ]
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'Hungry Girl Diet' Tops Amazon a Month Before Pub

The upswing in preorders followed a promotional email sent by St. Martin's to the Hungry Girl subscriber list of 1.2 million. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-03-03 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Court Date Set to Decide Ban On 'Diary of Malcolm X'

A court date of March 6 has been set to decide whether X Legacy LLC, a corporation representing the heirs of Malcolm X, can extend a temporary restraining order banning Third World Press from publishing "The Diary Malcolm X." Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-02-26 00:00:00 UTC ]
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