Bibliotheca - Book News

Jonathan Franzen rants against e-books

Alan — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 14:34:55 +0000

The award-winning author of The Corrections and Freedom, Jonathan Franzen, has told audiences at a prestigious annual book festival inSouth Americathat he finds the current craze for e-books and technology inexplicable and believes it to be a terrible indication of modern society’s need for instant gratification.

Speaking at the Hay Festival inCartagena,ColombiaFranzen dismissed popular devices like Amazon’s Kindle as no match for a real book and insisted that the pixels on a screen will never be able to replace the printed word when it comes to sparking the imagination and creating memorable images.

Franzen, who severs all ties with the internet when working on a book, joked that his paperback books will continue to work even if you spill water on them and that they will not be obsolete in ten years time having been replaced by a new model. Laughing, he told assembled members of the media at the literary event that it was no wonder capitalists hated the simple paperback book as there was no need to ever replace it and one version could easily last a lifetime.

He added that passionate readers have always enjoyed the fact that they can go back to books they read ten or twenty years ago, knowing that it is the exact same copy they held in their hands when they were younger.

Pointing out that novels don’t need to be updated in the same way that computer programmes are, Franzen said he hoped that the printed word would still be as important in 50 years time as it is today, but fears that people like him are now in a minority. He added that he was at least relieved that he would not be alive in 50 years to see what a world without the printed page looks like.

The American author became a literary sensation in 2001 when his debut novel, The Corrections, sold over three million copies, earning him a place on the cover of Time magazine and celebrity fans including Barack Obama. The 52-year-old Franzen followed up that success with the critically-acclaimed Freedom, which lead one fellow author to coin the phrase “ Franzenfreude”, referring to the pain taken by other writers in the many glowing reviews of Jonathan Franzen.

Obama’s love for Franzen’s writings is reciprocated, with the writer praising the President’s leadership and recalling his astonishment, when he was asked for an advance copy of Freedom to be sent to the White House, that the leader of the free world had time to read a novel at all.

As well as speaking to a paying audience at the Hay Festival, Franzen also held the first press conference of his career, speaking about the global financial crisis and his concerns that modern society has become dependent on bankers to make all the important decisions.

UsingEuropeas an example, he described the continent as one where the politicians have ceased to matter and the only important public figures are those who control the economy and develop new technologies. Franzen also spoke about his attitude towards religion and spirituality, themes which have been absent from both of his novels. The writer admitted that he didn’t believe in a physical God and was far more concerned with science, adding that for him writing was a kind of religion.

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Tiger Woods responds to new book about him

Alan — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 14:50:26 +0000

Tiger Woods is one of the most famous and successful men in sport. In 2010, he earned more than $90 million (just under £58 million) from both sponsorship and winnings, making him the highest paid athlete in the world. This is despite the highly publicised scandal revealed at the end of 2009.

Tiger Woods’ personal trouble coincided with his temporary retirement from golf, and it was not until very recently that he has managed to win a tournament again. His victory in the Chevron World Challenge at the end of 2011 brought to an end the losing streak that had gone on for more than 100 weeks.

Although it is possible that his sporting form has taken a turn for the better, his personal life could be going the other way, as his former coach has recently published a book. “The Big Miss”, by Hank Haney, describes the six years that Woods and Haney worked together.

The timing of the book’s release is particularly unfavourable, coming out before the Masters, when Woods will be wanting to focus on his performance on the course. The six years together coincided with a run of utter excellence by Woods that any golfer would be envious of.

The book is described by Woods as being all about money, and he is said to think that Haney has been very unprofessional to hurt their friendship as well as their working relationship with this book.

Last year, Wood’s former caddie, Steve Williams, caused headlines with a comment perceived by many to be racist. This came after having been dismissed by Tiger in July 2011, and starting to caddy for Adam Scott, the Australian golfer. With Williams as his caddy, Woods won 13 majors in 12 years.

With all the off-course scandal, the release of a new book just before the start of the 2012 season is not something that Woods would ever have wished for. He heads to Abu Dhabi next week looking to back up last month’s victory with a good run in the European tour.

This will be Tiger’s 16^th professional season, and he will be hoping that he can win another major. He will not be playing in the Torrey Pines event, part of the PGA Tour, which he has won 7 times in the past, and was the scene of his last victorious major in the 2008 US Open.

In the past, when Woods has claimed the green jacket, he had already got a victory in the season, so if he wants to win this 15^th title then history dictates he will need to win an event en route.

It seems like an awful long time since we regularly saw Tiger Woods in his red shirt doing his traditional fist pump, and if he can keep the off-course trouble to a minimum then he could be making a habit of it once again. Having spent months away from it, Tiger will be desperately striving to regain his place on top of the World Rankings.

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Perdition by James Jackson

Alan — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 10:05:43 +0000

Benedict is a 14-year-old orphan who witnesses the destruction of Tripoli in the late 13th century. He is the central character of the new novel by James Jackson and details the boy’s efforts to flee the darkness that has come over his city and his journey from boy to man.

The novel is called Perdition and is the second novel that has been created by James Jackson that is set in the Holy Land. This novel details how the Saracen forces move to fight Christian invaders of their land.

You might be forgiven for initially thinking that the book would be filled with many battle scenes and have a focus on adventure but it is actually a thoughtful recreation of the cultures and motives that were behind the Crusades, which were a dominant part of the Middle Ages.

The characters all have great depth and they help the reader to understand the complexities involved between the two sides that are at war with each other, especially when there is so much history behind each side of the conflict.

It was two centuries after the Crusaders captured Jerusalem that the Saracens chose to seek revenge for their actions. Those tasked with defending the city from the Saracens are well aware of the amount of bloodshed that has already happened in order to secure the city. This leads them to understand the importance of protecting the land and increases the lengths they will go to, and the sacrifices they will make in order to protect it in the future.

Benedict is just one of many characters in the book. It also features William of Beaujeu who is in charge of the Templar forces and is located in the Lion Fortress above the town of Acre. With him in the fortress is Roger de Flor, who is a reckless Italian adventurer but who is incredibly brave.

There are also the typical characters you would find around a castle from this era including a jester and the man who keeps the camels. It is not just friends who’ve gathered in this location though, and there are many enemies within the walls that William has to be aware of.

Benedict is also in the castle and he must learn who he can trust and who he cannot if he is to survive the chaos that is about to be unleashed in the area and on the castle itself. The defenders wait in the castle where that they might well die for their actions but with little choice after being abandoned by European authorities.

This new novel brings history to life in an incredible way. The action scenes as well described and the intelligent conspiracy brings a great deal of colour to an already very colourful period in history. For those wanting an exciting and gripping read than this the right book for you.

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Tinie Tempah 23, pens biography

Alan — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 06:23:41 +0000

Tinie Tempah is one of the most successful recording artists in the country and despite only being 23 years old he has released a book detailing his journey to his success. He himself has admitted that it might be too early to write a full autobiography, but this book just covers the last two years of his life and how he achieved his current position in the music industry.

Tempah comes from south London and has roots with Africa through his Nigerian family. In the book there are photographs of his childhood and they provide an insight to his early life. He also speaks in the book of how he was creative from a young age and used to like creating animated characters.

He tells of how many of his friends from school fell victim to the crimes of the street and he says that music was one of the things that allowed him to avoid this. Initially, it was his mother who encouraged him to work on his music with his cousin Dumi and eventually he became to the manager of Tempah.

During the early stages of his music career Tempah worked hard at his academics, while also holding down part-time jobs to pay for the videos that he was producing alongside his music. The book is full of various confessions about how he was insecure about his music in the beginning. He also speaks of how it has always been a dream of his to break into the music industry.

The main message of the book is clear, and that is that it is important to follow your dreams. He speaks of how he worked very hard to make his double platinum album successful and the various relationships that he had with other artists, both in Europe and America. The number of famous names that are attached to his music is quite astonishing, these include such names as Prince William and Jay-Z.

Tempah has won Brit and MOBO awards but the book is not just limited to talking about music and he speaks quite openly about how his life has changed since becoming famous. He particularly speaks about how the fame has changed him, as well as those who surround him, and his character and intellect is clear to any reader of the book.

Those who know his music will easily be able to identify the book as something he has written. His self-assured persona is something that has made him so well received by many of his fans, and this is something that can also be seen in his book. It provides an interesting insight into his fashion sense as well as what he does when he is not making music. Many will see this book as just one of many that he will publish about his successful career in the music industry.

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Arthur Owens Nazi MI5 spy

Alan — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 14:02:23 +0000

During the time span that led up to World War II, in 1938 to be exact, Arthur Owens a nationalist from Wales was recruited by Germany to spy on the UK during a business trip he took to Belgium. During this time period he was given Johnny O’Brien as his code name and it was his job to report back to the Nazi regime about how Britain was preparing their military for attack.

However, a new book claims that before he was discovered by the MI5 he had actually already agreed to act as a double agent for the agency. In fact, the book takes a close look at how Owens was able to undermine the espionage efforts of Germany and created a path for future double agents to follow.

He was referred to as one of the most vital members of the XX unit of the MI5 and given the code name Agent Snow from the British side of things. From his post as a spy for Germany he was able to deliver many German spies straight over the to the British, blowing their covers and helping to keep Britain safe, or at least the book, written by Madoc Roberts and Nigel West, claims he did.

After the German spies were discovered they were given the choice of betraying the Nazis or death by a firing squad, and as you might guess a good number choose to spill the beans and spent the rest of the war giving the Allies useful information, such as how to crack the German codes and the movements of the troops.

For these spies it was easy to tell whose side they were really on, but given how deep Owens was into the game neither side was ever all that confident about which side he really was loyal to. The public however was clear about how they felt about him because after his Dartmoor integration he was viewed as a traitor in the public eye and forced to live out the rest of his days in Canada living in hiding, and then later in Ireland.

Official files were released in the seventies about his role in the war but most people never really noticed and there was little documentation about what he had done to help the cause. However, the new book attempts to take a closer look at the exploits of Owens during World War II and to show how he actually helped the Allied victory come to be.

Titled Snow- The Double Life of a World War II Spy, the book takes a close look also at how his daughter went on to be a famous Hollywood actress by the name of Patricia Owens who never mentioned who her father was because she was afraid of those who still felt that he was a traitor.

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Bill Cosby has a new book out

Alan — Sat, 31 Dec 2011 05:37:06 +0000

The latest book from the multi-talented Bill Cosby’s is another social commentary but surprisingly it is a collection of humorous tales of varying lengths that are his own observations of his friends and family.

Ever insightful, Cosby writes about everything from religion to romance and introduces us to various characters from his life, such as Peanut Armhouse, who he grew up alongside in the Philadelphia housing project, his godzilla obsessed grandson and Bernadette, who was his first love.

The latter is particularly humorous and will have you laughing out loud at the tale of Cosby as a 15 year old and embroiled in a tale of catastrophe and cologne that can’t be soothed even by a Miles Davis LP. Another great tale is The Missing Pages, which effectively fills in the gaps on what was edited out of Genesis and how God really created the world.

Cosby even traces the DNA of Adam and Eve through to marriages in 2011, and with the accompanying hilarious illustrations courtesy of George Booth, this book is both charming and charismatic. Bill Cosby is now 74, and is loved throughout the world as a comedian, actor, musician, producer, activist and educator, and his first foray into humour since Cosbyology certainly doesn’t disappoint.

Nobody can tell a story like Cosby, there is so much life and vibrancy, from the way he pronounces names such as Peee-Nut, to the way in which he subtly exudes of the bygone era he comes from where things like voicemails weren’t even on the horizon. He reflects on the age of technology and notes that he grew up in the radio era and had no TV, but enjoyed trips to the movie theatres to watch westerns.

This is a quirky book that allows you to indulge in all the gifts that Cosby has bestowed on us during his career from his movies, TV shows, other books and comedy albums.

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Unreal Estate by Michael Gross

Alan — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 00:01:05 +0000

Unreal Estate is the latest book by Michael Gross and it details the story of some of the largest homes in Los Angeles and the various residents who have lived in these homes during the past 100 years. The book generally focuses on some of the most famous residents of the homes such as Marilyn Monroe and Tony Curtis.

The book focuses on an area in Los Angeles which is known locally as the Platinum Triangle, an area of land that includes some of the most exclusive regions including Beverly Hills, Bel-Air and Holmby Hills. The book provides a fascinating insight to the type of homes that were constructed and the extravagance that went into them. Even the most wealthy and readers will find that the amounts of opulence installed in these homes is beyond belief.

The book does not just focus on the physical aspect of the properties and it weaves an interesting history about the homes and their residents. There are stories of businessmen trading in the 20s and then stories of sexual liberation in the 70s. The book later goes on to tell about the extreme wealth that was generated during President Reagan’s years which remains a part of the properties today.

It’s not just wealth and opulence that has come through the area and Gross tells the story of the despair and bankruptcy that is also caome through the Triangle. It focuses on some of the most controversial points in the areas history, such as when the founder of Bel-Air, Alphonzo Bell refused to sell a house to a movie star saying, “I don’t want land in my part of Los Angeles to be sold to Jews or actors.”

An example of a story that is told in the book is that of Hilda Webber who was the wife of a millionaire businessman. She commissioned the construction of a house in the area which was so huge that even her husband, who was incredibly wealthy, was unable to afford its upkeep. Eventually Webber became depressed and started gambling and eventually committed suicide in Santa Barbara.

The rich and famous have a reputation for being unusual and self-destructive. He tells the story of a very unusual resident, Conrad Hilton, who had the plates in his house made of solid gold and made it a habit of belching loudly at every meal. More famous people started moving to the area to live glamorous lifestyles and these people are focused on a lot in the book. The unusual and outrageously extravagant decorations became even more extreme as more famous people arrived and one resident installed a fountain in the garden which they would sometimes fill with champagne.

The best thing about the book is the attention to detail the Gross puts into to every story. It is a wonderful combination of celebrity stories and architecture and gives us an idea of the history of some of the most prestigious addresses in America. What is quite noticeable, but understandable, is the fact Gross has leaves out the addresses of the homes.

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Russell Hoban, Riddley Walker author has died

Alan — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 07:01:26 +0000

Russell Hoban, the cult author known for Riddley Walker, died this week aged 86 in London. Although Hoban was born in Pennsylvania in the United States, he resided in London for the past thirty years and made a name for himself in a children’s series about a badger named Frances. He is also well known for his novel The Mouse and His Child.

However, his most famous book was Riddley Walker which is the apocalyptic tale set in Kent two thousand years after a nuclear holocaust passed. The book was released in 1980 and since then has become a part of The Western Canon survey of literature.

Hoban first joined the US Army at age 18 and found himself posted in Italy during WWII where he earned a Bronze Star for his bravery. Later he came back to America and published his first child’s title as an illustrator. From illustration he moved on to writing, producing more than twenty children and adult books including the novel Turtle Diary, which was filmed along with a screen play by Harold Pinter and he even wrote a libretto for an opera.

In 2002 Hoban told his fans that he is simply addicted to writing and that the only way that he would stop writing is if he was physically unable to write anymore because art is what kept him alive. He went on to explain that he gets his rhythm from the energy of writing and had no plans of missing any chances to write over the next few years.

Hoban’s publisher Bill Swainson remarked that his passing is very sad and complimented the fine imagination of the writer that was well seen in almost every book he wrote, as his light touch was fun to read without one word wasted.

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Royal Society on childrens books for Christmas

Alan — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 06:51:05 +0000

If you are struggling to find the perfect Christmas gifts for the young people in your life. Let the Royal Society with the assistance of 1000 kids across the UK, help you to make your decisions. While we seem to live in an electronic age there is still something special about books. Forget your e-readers, there is nothing quite like relaxing and turning the pages while you are engrossed in a great story.

There is that unique new book smell too that cannot be replicated on a screen, and reading proper, written font as opposed to digital characters just can’t be beaten. There is also a priceless satisfaction as the thickness of pages in your right hand diminishes and you know you are nearing the gripping climax. All the technology in the world cannot replace the sheer pleasure of reading a proper book.

Books are superb books, especially for children. They have the brains of sponges and learn so much through the pleasure of books, and all children should have their own personal library, but knowing where to start when buying books for children can be a minefield. Books that communicate science to youngsters are ever popular, and are a good play to start.

While science may seem a strange subject for a children’s, but many, including the Royal Society, thankfully think differently. They asked 1000 young people who attended 100 schools right across the UK to help them choose, from the shortlist of 6, their Young Peoples Book Award for 2011. The 100 schools involved formed panels and discussed the books, which are targetted at the under 14 age group.

The video review from Northlands Primary School was chosen as the winning review by the Royal Society and the winner of the 2011 Young Peoples Book Prize is ‘How The World Works’ by Christiane Dorion and Beverley Young.

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Forex Trading Guidebooks: from Beginner to Professional

admin — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 09:59:21 +0000

Trading on the forex (foreign exchange) market is something that has grown in popularity recently. The rise of social media and online platforms has allowed new forms of trading to occur, often known as social or copy trading. These platforms enable even inexperienced traders to achieve success through the exchange of data – something which is also available through forex affiliate programs.

These programs are designed to give traders an easier way to handle their business operations, making forex trading far easier and more convenient. The programs are typically available via online platforms and are therefore universally accessible.

Information can be shared or communicated with other traders and the program will ensure that analysis is undertaken to track a trader’s performance. A forex affiliate program will offer users a range of different functions and can therefore be hugely beneficial if managed correctly.

Of course, for new traders, this may not be as easy as it seems. It is for this reason that a number of books on forex exist, providing useful information on how forex traders can perform well and helping to equip them for the use of forex affiliate programs.

A great example of this kind of book is Forex Trading: Trade on the Forex Market for Maximum Profits. This new release offers useful guidance and education information about everything relating to the forex market.

The book is designed to educate potential traders about the market they are thinking of working within. This helps them to establish whether it is a viable career choice for them, allowing them to reach the decision before investing any money into the industry.

The book covers a range of topics, such as what forex trading is in general and what currencies are the best to trade. It also considers how traders should choose a system or platform as well as what the trading hours are and what choices are available.

Alongside this, there is also information on what different terms mean and what certain aspects, such as forex spreads, actually equate to. This helps to provide traders with the basic knowledge they need and is therefore a great way to become prepared for a career in forex trading.

Even tips on how to choose a forex broker and an explanation of how the market actually works is provided, whilst questions over the risks involved with this form of trade are also considered.

This title can therefore be seen as the definitive guidebook to forex trading and affiliate programs, providing a strong, sufficient basic knowledge from which a successful forex career can be built. The title is available both as a physical book but also as an e-book, making it prevalent across numerous platforms.

This helps to demonstrate how important the book is to those interested in this form of trading and the information gained about forex can be applied to forex affiliate programs, helping newcomers and experts to make the best decisions for their forex business.

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