Hong Kong

While attedning a conference in Hong Kong this week I shopped in a local book store in the Pacific Place Mall which is attached to my hotel.

What I was most interested in seeing in the book store story were book titles such as --

"Why the Dalai Lama Matters"

Yes I know - while Hong Kong is officially a part of Red China it has greater autonomy than the rest of China. Additionally its citizens clearly enjoy greater freedom of speech and less censorship. The very fact that this book sits on a book shelf for sale is clear evidence that the citizens of Hong Kong can easily buy books that do not agree with official Chinese policy regarding the Dalai Lama as it tightens its stranglehold on Tibet.

Freedom of speech is the "Art of Happiness",

Todd

California Dreaming

"I went into a church and I began to pray............."

Mamas and the Papas

Yes the "California Dream' " song is on my mind since the "BookExpo America" trade show is being held in Los Angeles, California this week. I am in Minnesota and unable to attend this show but hopefully will be attending as an author in the near future if my book idea gains some traction with publishers.

Interested book worms out there can see the show's details at -

http://www.bookexpoamerica.com/

I see that Thomas Friedman - author of "The World is Flat" - is a keynote speaker. Given how dynamic the world economy is I am thinking he is due for a sequel to his book. No doubt the publishers would agree so they can sell more books!!

Read on,

Todd

Poetry from Louisiana

One objective for my reading this year includes reading "more poetry" selections. As part of that goal I just completed a collection of poems by a contemporary Louisiana writer whose work included themes like Hurricane Katrina, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), and white trash neighbors.

For this posting I wanted to share my favorite line from this collection of poems --

".......the nightly opera of the neighbors fighting with each other begins.............."

The imagery in this line really caught my attention -- the civilized atmosphere of an opera juxtaposed against a scene of domestic violence supplied by the neighbors. Then again how many opera lovers are wife beaters? Perhaps there is an inter-connected, universal theme here the author is highlighting for us.

Miles of stanzas to read before I rest,

Todd

Children's Book Week

Sadly today marks the end of the annual "Children's Book Week" (CBW) which ran from May 12 through May 18. As noted in this historical overview from Amazon.com the CBW officially dates back to 1919 when it was first celebrated nationally --

http://www.amazon.com/gp/feature.html/ref=pe_17970_9222960_fe_txt_1/?docId=1000205901

However, as an old Boy Scout myself I especially like this bit of history for CBW from the same Amazon.com weblink --

"It all began with the idea that children's books can change lives. In 1913, Franklin K. Matthiews, the librarian of the Boy Scouts of America, began touring the country to promote higher standards in children's books."

Despite all the years I spent in the Boy Scouts along with active participation in its numerous activities I have no memory of learning about the role this Boy Scout leader played in promoting children's book nor did I even know until today (thanks for the email promoting CBW Amazon!!) that the Boy Scouts even had a "Librarian" position.

Clearly you can learn something new every day,

Todd

Minnesota's Book Store

In my world view the more book stores we have the better but when it comes to "Minnesota's Book Store" (MBS) I draw the line! Interested readers can see MBS's book inventory at this website:

http://www.comm.media.state.mn.us/bookstore/bookstore.asp

MBS is a "service" provided by the State of Minnesota's Department of Administration to sell books to the public which include titles such as the ever popular, ""OSHA 1926 Construction Industry Regulations " (not on the Oprah Book Club list that I have seen!) and "Birds of Minnesota - Field Guide" (actually a good book I purchased years ago but from the private sector not a government book store like MBS).

I just do not see a need for the State of Minnesota to have a "book store" especially since many of the titles I see listed on their website our widely available in the private sector book stores.

Historically governments have burned more books than they have sold to the public so let's get them out of the book business completely.

Todd

Children's Books

Booktrust, a charity organization based in the United Kingdom, recently completed a public opinion poll to determine the "best children's books of all time." And the winners were ---------

1.) "The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe" (LWW) by C.S. Lewis

2.) "The Very Hungry Caterpillar" (VHC) by Eric Carle

What struck me when I read these polling results is that indeed I have read both of these books but that I had read the LWW as a child and VHC as an adult when I read it to our daughter. While these two books are very different in terms of complexity they are indeed both great reads for children of all ages. The other observation that I would offer is that the author of LWW -- C.S. Lewis -- was a Christian writer which I find most interesting given the very secondary role religion plays in British society today. To have 4,000 parents in this Booktrust survey cite LWW as "the best" is a substantial result from a cultural standpoint.

Read to your children or the government will do it for you,

Todd

Alaska

One positive aspect of my business travel is that I get to visit numerous cities. This week I find myself in Anchorage, Alaska in a hotel room with a view of the mountains and bay - truly a beautiful setting complete with snow (April 28) so Spring has not arrived yet.

While scanning the brochures at the Anchorage Chamber of Commerce office I noticed a brochure advertising this conference:

Alaska Writers Guild
"Speculative Fiction Writers Conference
Anchorage, Alaska
October 1 to 5, 2008
Coast International Inn
http://www.akwworkshop.alaskawriters.com/

Personally I don't know if I have EVER read a "speculative fiction" book but perhaps some science fiction books from my teenage years would qualify. I did not recognize even one name on the conference speakers list in the brochure which is a reminder that we can always read more than we do today!!

One item in the brochure that I thought was interesting was that "Manuscript Reviews" were being offered for $50.00 -- which is probably a useful tool for potential writers. Of course I would be paranoid that someone would still my book idea so clearly some legal safeguard would be needed.

Since Alaska is the "land of the midnight sun" just imagine how many books you can get read if you lived here permanently!!

Head north and read,

Todd

Bedtime Stories

Hyatt Hotel's Andaz hotel chain has been described as "cheeky, cutting edge" so this news comes as no surprise when we hear that the Andaz Liverpool Street hotel in London, United Kingdom has a new service for guests.

For an initial two week period the hotel will have the world's first "Read in Residence" by the name of Damian Barr. Mr. Barr's role is to read books or talk about literature with guests.

Not a great replacement for my parents reading to me and not a service I would use myself but I do like the promotion of enjoying literature while traveling.

Book a room at Andaz today :-)

Todd

Hawaii

My family and I recently traveled to a Honolulu, Hawaii for a "working vacation" since I had to give a speech and my wife is on maternity leave so now was the ideal time to go!! Due to this trip I have not posted here for several days but I did collected news items along the way that I plan to post on this week including this one --

Hawaii Book and Music Festival
Third Annual - "free event celebrating books, reading, storytelling, and music............."
May 17 and 18, 2008
Fasi Civic Center grounds

Full details can be found at -- www.hawaiibookandmusicfestival.org

Due to family time and working via blackberry I only read one of the two books I brought with me on our trip. The book was "Little Heathens" which is a memoir on Iowa farm life during the Great Depression of the 1930's. A far departure from our kayaking in the ocean and my surfing lessons I have to tell you. Truly the world economy has been in worse shape than it is today.

Hang loose and read more,

Todd

Minnesota Book Awards

Yet another year goes by that I have to miss the annual "Minnesota Book Awards" gala which is set for April 12 this year in St. Paul, Minnesota. This event is organized by Friends of the St. Paul Library (www.thefriends.org) with admission nearly the price of two hard cover books at only $40.00 :-)

As I reviewed the nominee list for these awards according to the following award categories:

Children's Literature
General non fiction
Genre fiction
Memoir and Creative non fiction
Minnesota
Novel and short story
Poetry
Young adult literature

I sadly noted that I have not read even ONE of the books nominated this year!!

Clearly we can always read more,

Todd

United Nations

If you hate the United Nations like I do let me recommend this work of "near fiction" that I just completed reading this past weekend:

"Foreign and Domestic"
by Michael Mannske

The central theme is that the President of the USA signed a Declaration of Dependence with the United Nations so the member states get to divide up parts of the USA with the French winning the mandate to control my State of Minnesota -- Mon Dieu!!

Let us hope we never see the UN's "smurf helmet" military troops stationed on USA soil. In fact I am reminded of my personal campaign to re-locate the UN from New York City to a new location such as -- Zimbabwe or Sudan - thus freeing up some prime real estate for developing in the Big Apple.

Time to order the moving vans,

Todd

Bacon cookies?

Personally I have to think cookies would be more popular as a little snack at your local book club meetings but later this year you might want to consider giving attendees bacon!!

I am pleased to promote a new book that my friend/former colleague, Heather Lauer, will have published later this year which is solely focused on "bacon". I don't have all the details yet regarding what this book will focus on in terms of its chapters but I do know it will be based on her personal blog which is found at:

www.baconunwrapped.com

Please don't get the pages greasy,

Todd

Buy Our Books AND Our Stores!

The USA's second largest book seller -- Borders Group Inc. , based in Ann Arbor, Michigan - announced today that it is exploring selling itself having just arranged for $42.5 million in financing from its largest shareholder (Pershing Square Capital) just to stay afloat.

It will be interesting to watch who might purchase Borders given the book industry's declining sales figures. Barnes and Noble should probably avoid buying the struggling Borders opting instead to sell books in new ways versus adding more retail space to its balance sheet. Personally I could see a private equity fund like Pershing take the company private like Chrysler Corporation is today.

Sadly I don't have the financial resources to buy Borders myself but I do have enough cash to buy the hugely discounted books I think Borders will be offering consumers to improve their cash flow.

Cheap books make for even better stories,

Todd

Last Will and Testament

Today I finally completed one of those "adult things" we should all do -- I typed up my Last Will and Testament dictating how my assets (assuming the government doesn't take the rest of what I have) will be distributed once I pass on to the great library in the sky. Question - do you think Heaven charges late fees for overdue books? :-)

One section of my will that I am proud of is a provision that donates my personal library and a cash amount to the public library in my boyhood home of Ida Grove, Iowa. You can see what is going on in the area (quiet but a good place to raise a family) via this website -- www.idacountycourier.com

My community library exposed me to a world of learning and clearly helped prepare me for the three college degrees I have completed since I left this small town which sits in the heart of the Maple River valley.

My donation is a small thank you to the community leaders who made certain my hometown had a high quality library. May future students benefit from this gift.

Read on MacDuff and damned be the man that first cry, "hold enough!",

Todd

Girls and Schools

Finally this week I completed reading the book, "Three Cups of Tea", by Greg Mortenson and David Relin (www.threecupsoftea.org) . This book is focused on Mortensen's story of how we came to create (with a Swiss-American benefactor's donation) the Central Asia Institute (CAI) (www.ikat.net).

The CAI was formed initially to build schools for schools in the poorest regions of Pakistan but their work has expanded into Afghanistan plus clean water projects and refugee relief programs. By an interesting twist of fate/family ties the CAI is based in Bozeman, Montana. If it is not obvious enough let me state it -- these schools have been built to educate "Muslim girls" which people like the Taliban of Afghanistan forbid.

Overall I found this book to be completely inspiring and motivational. Having read this story I could not help but focus on making myself financially independent so I can devote some early retirement years to doing work like Mr. Mortenson.

If book clubs are looking for books to read this year this one should be on their short list.

Todd

Bacon

Since the details aren't public yet I am not at liberty to say yet but a former colleague of mine has signed a book deal to write a book focused on of all things --

BACON

Yes that special meat from the hog perfect for any camping trip!!

I wanted to alert readers that this book will be published later this year so I look forward to promoting it on this blog once everything is official. Personally I plan to lobby the author to include a chapter on my favorite form of bacon - Canadian bacon -- but of course there is also turkey bacon!! So much to cover so it is understandable this bacon book will be published soon.

Happy dining,

Todd

Paradies Shops

Since I found myself in airports constantly I always have a book with me so I don't buy books along the way. But I was intrigued by this program from the Paradies Shops:

"Read and Return"

Buy it , read it, return it, receive a 50% refund!


The Paradies brochure I picked up listed at least 50 different locations in various USA airports thus offering plenty of opportunity to return the books you purchase. Should I lose a book or completely forget to bring one to read on a future trip I plan to utilize this re-purchase program.

Todd

Baby Boys

Having delayed parenthood for decades I am now the father of a handsome baby boy!!

So I am in search of recommendations from readers for great books to read to baby boys. He is a new born so "The Dangerous Books for Boys" is too advanced for him of course so suggestions are welcome. One college buddy of mine suggested the following books for me to read so I will pursue thinking these might be good books to hand down to our son:

Dobson's "Bringing Up Boys"

and

Robert Lewis' "Raising a Modern Day Knight"


Thanks for your suggestions,

Todd

Leave Us Alone

This weekend I just finished reading a manuscript copy of Grover Norquist's new book -- "Leave Us Alone" -- which is to be published in late March 2008 I am told. Mr. Norquist is president of Americans For Tax Reform, www.atr.org, based in Washington DC.

The book's title speaks for itself -- we want the government to leave our guns, our money, our families, and our basic freedoms alone (my wording) -- but you have to wonder how many public schools are going to stock this book in their student libraries don't you?

For me the best part of the book was the explanation of the need for a flat tax as the means to end the current class warfare that politicians create to pit different economic classes/taxpayers against each other. If we were all paying the same income tax rate THEN we would have some transparency in terms of government spending.

Buy a copy of this book then give your copy to a friend to help spread the word if you can,

Todd

Minnesota's Famous Sons and Daughters

Yesterday I saw my old basketball buddy - Danny Flynn - at the gym so I talked with me about his last book, "Famous Minnesotans - Past and Present" , which I have read. No - I was not listed!!

Danny told me that he is nearly done working on "Volume II" of his book -- no I am not in this one either -- so I wanted to do a post about it to help promote his work.

Always good to see writers continuing their work.

Todd

Literate Cities

I have to admit I am a sucker for the various "rankings" that come out like this one from Central Connecticut State University:

"America's Most Literate Cities - 2007"

1. Minneapolis, Minnesota
2. Seattle, Washington
3. St. Paul, Minnesota
4. Denver, Colorado
5. Washington DC
6. St. Louis, Missouri
7. San Francisco, California
8. Atlanta, Georgia
9. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
10. Boston, Massachusetts

Looked at geographically the one region of the USA not represented in this "top ten" list is the "Southwest" with cities like Los Angeles, San Diego, Phoenix, Austin, Dallas, etc. clearly missing.

As a resident of Minnesota I am proud to see our Twin cities both ranked in this top ten list. To celebrate I plan to quit work early to read a book :-)

Todd

Reading to Children

The recently released report, "Reading Across the Nation" (USA), noted that just "under half of the parents surveyed said they or other family members read every day to their children, from newborns to five year olds..........."

In terms of percentage of families that read to their children the state rankings included:

HIGHEST - Vermont at 67%

LOWEST - Mississippi at 38%

Source: McClatchy Newspapers

For limited government activists like me these statistics represent the primary problem we have in the USA -- parents who do not take action on their own for the benefit of their children thus "inspiring" politicians to offer "assistance and solutions..."

I just have to pose this primary question -- if the families in Mississippi want to ignore their children's' education/development why should a resident of Minnesota like me have to pay for some "Head Start reading is fundamental" program that simply takes money out of my pocket that I could better spend on my own children?

Todd

Boys

According to a recent USA Today editorial I read there is a "gender gap" in terms of reading performance whereby girls perform much better -- 55% better in one Cook County, Illinois elementary school that was evaluated.

So the U.S. Librarian of Congress, James Billington, has named author Jon Sieszka a "Reading Ambassador" for a campaign designed to get more boys to read. Mr. Sieszka's campaign can be found at this website:

www.guysread.com

I applaud citizens like Mr. Sieszka who use their talent for a civic need like this one since an illiterate population only becomes more dependent on government programs. But perhaps more importantly is the other "gender gap" -- namely the fact that men in the USA still earn more than women do for doing the same job. Today's boys need to empower themselves by reading more so they are better providers for their future families since men are still the primary wage earners in the USA today although this could change soon as girls outperform boys in reading.

Personally I would love to see the Boy Scouts of America join this reading campaign by creating a "Reading" merit badge.

Thanks Mr. Sieszka,

Todd

Books Read During 2007

Books Read During 2007

Since I started blogging I have written an end of the calendar year posting which summarizes all the books I have read throughout the year. Not only has this proved to be a great way to reflect on what I have learned/forgot over the last 12 months but it has also proven to be a popular posting with my readers -- assuming I still have some readers after yet another year of excessive use of emoticons :-) It is with great pleasure that I present my "Books Read During 2007" list for your enjoyment and intellectual guidance - assuming you want to see the world as I do ;-)

"Not Quite the Diplomat" by Chris Patten. An interesting memoir from this British/European Union career diplomat who is now the elected Chancellor of Oxford University. While the book contains some valuable insights on European thinking it does not fail to also be "pompous" in his advice for the USA.

"Gandhi - A Memoir" by William L. Shirer of the Chicago Tribune. Mr. Shirer was a journalist in India so he had interviewed Gandhi extensively. Personally this book provided me with great insights on Gandhi especially when I learned he was more of a "self-sufficiency is good" person than the socialist I always viewed him as historically. I have a greater appreciation for his work.

"Applebee's America" by Sosnik, Dowd, and Fournier. A counter argument to Robert Putnam's "Bowling Alone" to show that Americans really do want a "sense of community." Given their recent challenges I suggest the Roman Catholic Church should read the chapter on "Religion/Megachurches".

"The Last Cowboy" by Jane Kramer. Published in 1977 this book is based on Henry Blanton, a hired hand on a ranch in the Panhandle of Texas who is so sexist that he fails to realize that his wife could supply the capital he needs to get a small ranch started simply by getting a job to supplement their income.

"Freakonomics" by Steve Levitt and Stephen Dubner. A very interesting thesis on how the "economics of society" (my phrase) are shaped by key decisions/historic events. The authors argue that the USA's "Head Start" program is a failure because it simply puts poor kids and bad teachers together thus perpetuating poverty.

"The Road More Traveled" by Ted Balaker and Sam Staley of the Reason Foundation (http://www.reason.org/). If you are a commuter who is often trapped in traffic you should read this book. The free market has MANY solutions to traffic congestion.

"Monet" by Barnes and Noble Publishing. A beautiful collection if his paintings coupled with historical/personal background regarding the inspiration for his work. A short read but educational.

"Juicing the Orange" by Pat Fallon and Fred Seen of Fallon Worldwide. This book is focused on the advertising industry and creativity. While this book provided great insights regarding how ad campaigns are created it is by far the worst book I read this year in terms of editing since there were typos and other errors on a vast majority of the pages. Really a bad reflection on Fallon's quality I believe.

"The President, the Pope, and the Prime Minister" by John O'Sullivan. This book explains how the Cold War was won by the "holy trinity" (my phrase) of President Ronald Reagan, Pope John Paul II (JP II) , and Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher. This book really made me think about the pope selection process since I Polish Cardinal (JP II) was named Pope just as the Soviet Union tried to tighten its grip on Poland. A great read!

"Continental Drifter" by Dave Cameron. This Canadian author produces this memoir after traveling by bus/motor coach from the Yukon Territory in Canada to Key West, Florida in the USA. Cameron meets an interesting cast of characters along the way and the reader benefits by being able to enjoy his adventures while sitting at home.

"Reading the Right Books - A Guide for the Intelligent Conservative" by Lee Edwards. If you are an avid reader you can't beat reading a "book about books" like this one although I think Mr. Edwards would have improved the book by including suggestions from "ideological opponents" such as Karl Marx. Reading both sides of an argument makes you a stronger debater of course.

"Dossier on Hillary Clinton" by Amanda Carpenter. One half of this book is appendices and supporting documents so not a lot to read. Yes this is a classic "red meat" for conservatives but this book did not appeal to me although the section on the Clintons' fundraising provided some new insights for me.

"The Wit and Wisdom of Benjamin Franklin" by James C. Humes. I never tire of reading about the "First American" so I hope my readers will take the time to read about B. Franklin who created the "junto" meeting which has been so important to my political work.

"Power, Faith, and Fantasy - America in the Middle East - 1776 to the Present" by Michael B. Oren. This tome is over 600 pages long so I joked with friends that I want to count it as two books! This is an essential document to read if anyone wants a better understanding of our current foreign policy challenges.

"Why States? The Challenge of Federalism" by Eugene W. Hickok. Lovers of states rights/10th Amendment powers will appreciate this book. It re-inspired me to phase out the US Department of Education.

"Truck" by Michael Perry. This Wisconsin writer restores an International Harvester truck while providing insights on small town/rural life from his "educated hillbilly" (my phrase) perspective.

"Tailgating, Sacks, and Salary Caps" by Mark Yost. I love football and after reading this book I have a much better understanding of the National Football League's business model.

"Hard America, Soft America" by Michael Barone. For me this book focused on "freedom versus welfare" and made me wish I could have several people in my world read it so I plan to buy several copies as gifts.

"Women and Money" by Suze Orman. While I bought this book for my wife I read it for my own knowledge. Despite the title this book knows no gender. If there is a woman in your life be sure to buy them a copy especially for Mother's Day.

"The Saga of the Pony Express" by Joseph J. DiCerto. An interesting book that focused on the romance, history, technological change, and Civil War implications of the famous Pony Express message service. Today's alpha males could still learn from these Pony Express riders -- amazing stories of fearless living.

"An American Slave" by Frederick Douglass. The self-taught slave's autobiography. This was not only an impressive man to read about but is a must read for understanding the dark chapters in the USA's history.

"The Secret Societies Handbook" by Michael Bradley. Honestly I was expecting more from this book which was filled with conspiracy theories but was short on historical/academic research.

"The Bottom Billion" by Paul Collier. Focused on foreign aid programs for the world's poorest countries coupled with recommendations for changes. Sadly, Collier is still an advocate of even more government intervention including military invasion versus greater respect for property rights and free trade.

"Shared Vision" edited by Tom Mason. This collection of essays is focused on the tenure of US Senator Norm Coleman (Minnesota) when he served as Mayor of St. Paul, Minnesota. The "corporation-city partnering" discussed in this book was the most interesting section.

"Infidel" by Ayan Hirsi Ali. The story of this Muslim woman's exodus not only from Somalia to the Netherlands to the USA but also from being a devout Muslim to an atheist. The great thing is that she finds a love for personal freedom along the way but loses her faith in God -- clearly missing what the USA's Founding Fathers believed. We are endowed by our Creator with the right to "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness" so I hope Ms. Ali renews her faith.

"My Freshman Year" by Rebekah Nathan. Nathan is the pen name for a professor of anthropology at the University of Northern Arizona who goes undercover as a freshman student. While I do think she could have discovered deeper insights regarding student life I do think her experiment was important for college administrators across the country since they are so isolated from daily student life.

"Dave Barry's History of the Millennium (so far)" by Dave Barry. A good reminder that I need to read more humor in 2008. Funny stuff especially about politicians.

"Selected Poems of Carl Sandburg" by Carl Sandburg. Also a good reminder that I need to read more poetry in 2008. Some great working class/anti-government poetry here from the City with Broad Shoulders.

"The Book of the Founding Fathers" by Vincent Wilson, Jr. A pretty basic book with one page biographies and photographs of the USA's Founding Fathers but it still provided insights on these "dead white men" who created the opportunities we enjoy (take some granted) today. We owe them a huge debt of gratitude.

"Into the Twilight Endlessly Grousing" by Patrick F. McManus. A great collection of outdoor/hunting humor especially his short story, "The Fly Rod", which makes me laugh as I type this posting. Again - read more humor in 2008 Todd!!

"The Strenuous Life" by Theodore Roosevelt. This book was created from a 1905 speech given by President Roosevelt regarding the challenges and opportunities the USA faced at the time. A good read for the modern reader since nearly 103 years later the USA faces the same choices regarding isolationism versus neo-imperialism. I vote for free trade not invasions every time!!

"The Black Swan" by Nassim Nicolas Taleb. The author is a former financial trader who made his fortune by understanding "randomness" such as events like the September 11th terrorist attacks in the USA which are called "Black Swans" because no one believes such a bird exists until they see one. I enjoyed Taleb's explanation of the economies of "Extremistan versus Modiocristan" but honestly I am still trying to figure out this book. If nothing else it convinced me we all need to read more books.

With that I close out the year 2007 with great anticipation for the opportunities that 2008 will offer all of us.

Happy New Year and happy reading,

Todd