Wednesday, January 31, 2007

Monopoly on Campus

Years ago when I was a college student we actually had three competing book stores on campus including the university-0wned book store, one owned by a fraternity alum of mine, and a smaller one near the campus town area so overall we students probably received a good deal on text book prices. Today's $7.7 billion college text book industry is built on the fact that students spend an average of $807.00 (see "History" section in the website below) annually on textbooks more book store competition is always helpful so I am promoting this start up company I recently read about:

http://www.beatthebookstore.com/

This book store operation -- founded at Utah Valley State by Mike Winward and David Monk- uses a franchise model to expand onto campuses around the country. It is encouraging to see these entrepreneurs take on what are usually government-owned (at the state universities) book stores.

Go to class,

Todd

Tuesday, January 30, 2007

Book Burning

Last week the National Socialist Movement (NSM) , which is based in Minneapolis, Minnesota, announced on their website that they were going to host a book burning party on January 27th, which would include the "Talmud and other anti-white books". NSM's web-hate site can be found at:

http://www.nsm88.com/rally/book_burning.html

NSM is a threat to free expression -- "anti-white books" today but what do they plan to burn tomorrow? -- and book burning is a threat to society in general so let me call on the immortal words of Pastor Martin Niemoller for all of us to consider:

"First they came for the socialists, and I did not speak out because I was not a socialist. Then they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak out because I was not a trade unionist. Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out because I was not Jew. Then they came for me, and there was no one left to speak for me."


Off to read in bed now before my book on Gandhi's non-violence is burned,

Todd

Monday, January 29, 2007

Minnesota Book Awards



This weekend the finalists for the 19th annual Minnesota Book Awards (MBAs) were announced. The MBAs are sponsored by the Friends of the St. Paul Public Library, the St. Paul Public Library, and the Mayor of St. Paul's Office working in concert.


The 2007 ceremony is set for 8 pm on May 5th at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in St. Paul, Minnesota. At only $40.00 per person this is a great opportunity to support today's authors. For tickets please contact:




Historically I have missed this event in the past due to travel which is likely again this year so I want to do what I can to promote it to others.


Check out these awards :)


Todd

Friday, January 26, 2007

Kansas Center for the Book

While working in the state capitol in Topeka, Kansas I stopped by the State Library of Kansas which had a display table promoting the "Kansas Center for the Book", www.kcfb.info, (KCFB) which is affiliated with the Library of Congress' National Center for the Book program.

The KCFB's purpose is stated below:

"The goal of the Kansas Center for the Book is to foster more literary activity throughout the state and to increase the awareness of books and reading with a Kansas flare. Projects of the Center are planned and implemented to promote Kansas authors, Kansas books, Kansas publishers, publishing and booksellers, and reading throughout the state."

The current book being promoted by the KCFB's "Kansas Reads" program is, "The Learning Tree" by Gordon Parks, http://skyways.lib.ks.us/orgs/kcfb/learningtree.htm, which is focused on "How it feels to be black in the white man's world".

Overall the KCFB looks to be a very worthwhile project although I would prefer to have a private sector entity such as a foundation assume management of this program so it is no longer a government project. Finally, I would like to see the KCFB add one more category to their list of people who can become "Fellows" to include "bloggers" like myself but perhaps that is too self-serving.

Read to a child, Todd

Tuesday, January 23, 2007

Book Store Closing

After 40 years in the book store business, Ethna McKiernan, announced this week that she is closing "Irish Books and Media Inc." in Minneapolis, Minnesota -- http://www.irishbook.com/

Irish Books was founded by Ethna's father, Eoin McKiernan, as a spin off project of his Irish American Cultural Institute, in the early 1960's. Irish Books' January newsletter quoted Ms. McKiernan as saying this about the decision to close, "There are too many contributing factors, including pressures from corporate giants swallowing up smaller publishers or raising order minimums to 100 copies." (Source: Mary Ann Grossman of the Pioneer Press newspaper)

Perhaps Ms. McKiernan explored several options before she decided to close her store but one idea I would promote would be for my alma mater, the University of St. Thomas (UST), to reach an agreement with her to re-locate the book store in its St. Paul or Minneapolis campuses perhaps simply merging it into the current campus book stores. Such a move would be good for at least two reasons:

1.) Having Irish Books integrated into UST would supplement the university's Irish Studies academic program, and

2.) The book store could be set up as a separate entity run by UST's Opus School of Business to provide current UST students with a hands on business experience.

Personally I love small book shops so it is sad to see such an entity as Irish Books close its doors.

Todd

Thursday, January 18, 2007

Completely Wrong Observations

My friends at Regnery Publishing have just published what appears to be a very interesting book entitled, "The President, the Pope, and the Prime Minister: Three Who Changed the World" by John O'Sullivan. This book is focused on how the Soviet Union was essentially put out of business in the marketplace of ideas via the leadership of President Reagan, Lady Thatcher, and Il Papa John Paul II -- heroes that I plan to discuss with my godchildren/children as they grow up.

In the book review by Michael Knox Beran that I read he quotes two VERY mis-guided academics who had this to say about the Evil Empire/Soviet Union:

"That the Soviet system has made great material progress in recent years is evident both from the statistics and from the general urban scene" -- economist John Kenneth Galbraith said in 1984.

and

"....those in the USA who think the Soviet Union is on the verge of economic and social collapse are kidding themselves" -- historian Arthur Schlesinger Jr. said in 1982

I can barely type a response to these fuzzy-headed quotes from these academics who were either COMPLETELY IGNORANT or perhaps ever hopeful the workers' utopia was actually working.

Did these men ever travel to the Soviet Union?

I traveled to the Evil Empire in 1986 where I discovered that "boxer shorts" (underwear) were valued on the black market because the citizens could not buy such products in the stores. Amazing -- you would think the Soviets' five year plans would have included underwear at some point!!

On a lighter note let me close with a joke - "two Soviets are standing in line when the the one Soviet asked the other one, 'comrade, what are you standing in line for?' to which the other Soviet replies, ' I don't know but I am going to buy it when I get to the front of the line........." :)

Be happy the USSR is now a subject for historians not politicians,

Todd

Wednesday, January 17, 2007

Books Returned

Two stories of books being returned to libraries in Michigan and Iowa caught my attention over the last week:

Michigan -- Robert Nuranen of Hancock, Michigan returned a book, "The Prince of Egypt", to his local library that he checked out 47 years earlier with a late fee check of $171.32. Apparently he had checked the book out for a high school project but recently found the book in a box in his mother's attic. I admire Mr. Nuranen's honesty - especially the check he wrote - but was disappointed that he admitted he never finished reading the book even after 47 years. Clearly a slow reader :)

Iowa -- Erlene Pattee of Urbandale, Iowa wrote a thank you letter to the Des Moines Register newspaper praising an anonymous Good Samaritan who returned Ms. Pattee's book to the Johnston, Iowa library. Ms. Pattee had left a library book on a flight from Phoenix to Des Moines so she was pleasantly surprised to discover the book had been returned when she called the library to ask for an extension. An impressive display of civility which shows a love for books.

Avoid late fees,

Todd

Monday, January 15, 2007

The Shop Around the Corner

In the film, "You've Got Mail", Tom Hanks plays a "big chain book store owner" who drives Meg Ryan, owner of the "The Shop Around the Corner" , a neighborhood book store, out of business -- BUT they fall in love and live happily ever after of course. Sorry it I ruined the ending of this film for you but if that is your only problem then count your blessings since book shop owner, Mr. Thomas Loome, has a much more serious problem.

Due to a 45% property tax increase in one year a real life book store in Stillwater, Minnesota -- Loome Antiquarian Booksellers (www.loomebooks.com) has decided to close its doors due to its new annual property tax bill of $30,000. The store told me today that the planned closing date is January 2008 so let me call on my readers to stop by and/or order online to help drive some sales so we can save this book store -- a great statement can be made here by market forces (consumers) to overcome the government who is driving this store out of business via confiscatory property tax rates.

What I find amazing is that if there were plans to build a super Wal-Mart (a seller of books) , or perhaps a Barnes and Noble, in downtown Stillwater there would probably be protesters filling the city council chambers to oppose such "big box, urban sprawl development" BUT these same citizens seem to be silent when a small business is driven out of business via government tax policy. I plan to visit the store this week to not only purchase a book or two but also to investigate this situation.

From my perspective this is perhaps the worst form of book burning by government officials.

Keep reading,

Todd

Saturday, January 6, 2007

Professor Vidal

An interesting quote I read in "The Week" magazine (UK) recently:

"If you want to meet someone who really hates literature, just talk to an academic."

Gore Vidal in the Sunday Telegraph (UK)

Well, clearly Mr. Vidal will not be awarded with tenure anytime soon given his clear distate for academics!!

Pages from sages,

Todd

Tuesday, January 2, 2007

Books Read in 2006

Hello bibliophiles,

NOTE - the following post is cross-posted from my flagship blog: http://spacebeaglenotes.blogspot.com (SBN)

After I posted the list of books I read in 2005 on my SBN blog last year complete with my mini-reviews I was honored by the interest blog readers expressed in my list including one reader that purchased a book based on my description. So here is my list of “Books Read in 2006” (actually more books than I read in 2005 which is an annual personal objective – NOT a resolution).

May 2007 be a great chapter in your book of life,Todd

“Rashomon” by Fay and Michael Kanin -- A relatively short book from Japan that my old book club read coupled with watching the film the night we reviewed this book. The story is a bit slow but it does provide a lesson on “perspective/perception” since the three primary characters each described the story in completely different ways. From my perspective this is not a book worth reading nor would I recommend it to friends given the better choices that follow.

“The Lion’s Game” by Nelson De Mille -- One of the few fiction books I read this year (goal for 2007 is to read more fiction) thanks to my wife who bought it for me. The main character is a completely ruthless, cold-blooded killer but I also noticed the very selfish qualities he possessed which for me summarized the terrorist mind-set. I really enjoyed the story telling and look forward to reading more De Mille in 2007.

“The Things They Carried” by Tim O’Brien – O’Brien is a Minnesota native who served in the Vietnam war (“conflict” – depending on how you were taught) so this book is essentially a collection of “fact-fiction” stories (my own term) based on O’Brien’s experiences there which seemed to symbolize the confusion that was the Vietnam experience for many Americans. The format of the book is rather dis-jointed but worth reading for insights on America’s folly in Vietnam.

“Why Europe will run the 21st Century” by Mark Leonard – this book is focused on explaining how the European Union (EU) uses its “soft power” via diplomacy, foreign aid, and historical colonial ties in contrast to the USA’s “hard power” via military force to guide world events. Having studied/worked in Europe for nearly 4 years of my life I can safely say that the EU will NOT run the 21st Century. Sure, the EU will have influence but they have major problems the book does not address such as major employment problems that exist including one friend of mine – a very intelligent young professional type that the EU needs as a future leader - who was educated at one of the best universities in the United Kingdom who told me that “my country is a complete wreck, I would move to the USA if I had the opportunity………..”

“The Iranians: Persia, Islam, and the Soul of a Nation” by Sandra Mackey – A great overview of the history and culture of Iran which will really help any reader better understand the current nuclear weapons program conflict Iran has with the United Nations.

“Overthrow” by Stephen Kinzer – An excellent historical review of American foreign policy complete with military and economic coups ranging from Hawaii, Iran (see number 5 above), and most of Latin America. I was reminded of the old maxim regarding the USA’s relationships with foreign dictators -- “…….sure he is a bastard but he is our bastard.”

“Water for Sale” by Fredrik Segerfeldt - I know Fredrik from his work at the Swedish free market (no, this is not a typo!!!) think tank, www.timbro.se , TIMBRO. I happened to be in Washington DC when Fredrik was on a panel discussion discussing this book. He advocates for the use of property rights and the sale of water to better allocate this essential resource -- I agree and hope you read this book.

“Greatness – Reagan, Churchill, and the Making of Extraordinary Leaders” by Steven F. Hayward – An interesting read but I definitely prefer single subject biographies versus a book format like this one that seeks to draw parallels in the personal histories and styles of these two world leaders.

“One Billion Customers” by James McGregor – I heard Mr. McGregor speak at a lunch event in Minneapolis where each attendee was given a copy of his book which focuses on his years of experience in China coupled with insights on how to do business with the Chinese. McGregor confirms that China is indeed the most exciting economy in the world today – perhaps it is time for the US federal government to take a cue from China by adopting some free market capitalism so Americans can enjoy 10% annual economic growth rates!!!

“Mere Christianity” by CS Lewis” – Without a doubt Mr. Lewis is a great writer but this book’s format is rather disjointed since it is based on a collection talk radio episodes from a program he hosted during World War II where his comments to callers seemed to be overly focused on sex and sports analogies. I much prefer his Narnia books which I read in junior high school -- http://books.narnia.com – which I hope to share with all my godchildren one day.

“Reclaiming Africa” by various authors but edited by James Shikwati - I know James from his think tank work in Kenya so I gladly purchased a copy of this book at James’ book signing event at a conference. Overall I am not a fan of these types of books where several authors write long essays that are edited together as separate chapters within an overall book. But the real value here is that the authors are AFRICANS writing about Africa from their local perspective – they are not United Nations bureaucrats or Greenpeace do-gooders writing from their “white man’s burden” perspective regarding what the continent of Africa needs to improve quality of life.

“Left to Tell” by Immaculee Ilibagiza – I was fortunate enough to hear this woman from war torn Rwanda speak at a conference hosted by the American Legislative Exchange Council ( www.alec.org ). This book explained how she and several other women survived the genocide between Hutus and Tutsis in Rwanda by hiding in a bathroom for 3 months. Read a story like this and you can’t help but hate the United Nations and former colonial masters (France in this case) who stood by while the genocide progressed – government is bad enough but if governments must exist that must at least maintain law and order since it is the primary function of government.

“Last of the Mohicans” by James Fenimore Cooper – I read this book as a child but re-read it this year since I received a copy as a gift. The book itself provides a great commentary regarding personal character, courage, and friendship but sadly is a rather slow read compared to our modern day story tellers such as Nelson De Mille.

“Step-Parent’s Survival Guide by Hilary Bond – Since the author of this book is British I understood the cultural/societal references since I lived in London for two years so non-British readers might not understand some of the references. Historically I have not read such self-help books but did gain some worthy advice from this book since I am new to being a step father.

“Shadow Divers” by Robert Kurson – If you love scuba diving like I do you will love this book which is focused on New Jersey divers who are trying to identify a German U-boat wreck. A great story that I mailed to a fraternity brother/dive buddy once I finished it.

“Free Soil, Free Labor, Free Men” by Eric Foner- A history of the Republican Party of the USA prior to the Civil War. Having read this book I have no idea why any black/African American would vote for a Democratic Party candidate. Personally, I would love to see the “Free Soil Party” revived as a modern day party focused on “tax slavery” given our confiscatory income tax rates.

“The Kite Runner” by Khaled Hosseini- Another one of the few fiction books I read in 2006. This is a great tale focused on Taliban-controlled Afghanistan but beyond this geography the focus is on how power corrupts people making it a great tribute to Lord Acton’s sage observation (“power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely”).

“The Eagle and the Raven” by James Michener – Yet another fiction book for 2006 which I happened to purchase after a canoe trip in Ely, Minnesota from a local book shop where the owner told me that the North American Free Trade Agreement was bad for America. I did not stay to educate her especially since I swear I saw her talking to her cats. This story focuses on the battles between General Sam Houston of Texas and General Santa Ana of Mexico. Overall, a fun and quick read.

“The Sea Wolf” by Jack London – Coincidentally I was reading this book as I traveled to a convention held in San Francisco last summer. The coincidence of course is that London set his story in San Francisco so I made certain to visit the earthquake/fire storm museum in San Francisco which included a display of London’s work. As for the book itself if you want to curl up on the couch to do some deep thinking on the nature of a man’s soul and place in this world this is the book to read since the character, Captain Wolf Larson, will force you to think.

“America: The Last Best Hope - Volume I” by Bill Bennett – After years of hearing Mr. Bennett preach about the need for personal responsibility only to have it disclosed that he had/has a gambling addiction I wrote him off as a social policy commentator. But then my wife purchased this book for me which I will say with surprise – “this is the best book I read in 2006” -- I am waiting with great anticipation for Volume II scheduled for publication in 2007. Perhaps another gift for me?

“Dirty Work” by Nigel Cox- While on our honeymoon in New Zealand I purchased this book from The Little Ferret book shop in the Cuba Street pedestrian mall area of Wellington which is a great area to spend some time if you get the chance. Apparently this book (it is fiction) is based on the economic reforms New Zealand implemented which shook up some workers as competition increased. I wanted to read a book by a native New Zealander so I could get their perspective on the world but the “hotel for the down and out” model that Mr. Cox used as the setting for the book is a universal theme since this sub-culture of people seems to exist in most countries I have visited.

“Three Weeks with my Brother” by Nicolas Sparks and Micah Sparks – this is part travel memoir , part human nature observation, and part family history written as a result of a world tour that the Sparks brothers made together. Since I have one brother myself this book really resonated with me on a personal level and the travel involved made me want to dust off my well-worn passport. Sadly this is the first Nicholas Sparks book I have read but I hope to read more of his work. At one point Sparks notes that he “continued reading 100 books per year” which really made me think about my own personal reading. Overall – this is the second best book I read in 2006.

“Golden Memories” by Ray Chistensen with Stew Thornley – Due to my in-laws I have a personally signed copy of this book which tracks Mr. Christensen’s radio personality career which was dominated by Minnesota sports (professional and university) broadcasting. However, the book also covered his experience in the arts community and radio theatre which I found very interesting since I really identified with the author on this aspect. I am the kind of guy who could attend a Minnesota Vikings football game on a Sunday afternoon followed by a black tie reception to see the Minnesota Orchestra -- good living!

QUESTION - Let me close by asking readers to share any recommended books with me and also to ask all of you (I have at least 4 readers out there I know) – how many books do you read each year??