Life Inc: The Paperback
Thursday, May 27, 2010 at 7:52AM
Here's the cover for the paperback of Life Inc. Don't get too excited, it's not slated for release until January, so we'll all have to make do with hard covers until then.
The book is in its sixth printing, which means there's a nice, constant stream of interest in the ideas. I am planning some extremely strange media for when this edition comes out, so stay tuned for that. As for the title, we went with the original and a new subtitle. So the winners of the title contest and free books are the people who said to leave the title as it is! (I'll email you when there's a book to send.)
Believe it or not, the book I'm writing right now - Program or Be Programmed - will most likely be on the shelves before the Life Inc paperback. It's going extremely well, though it's the first time my writing process is being characterized by the way I can eliminate unnecessary ideas rather than the way a million related, parallel thoughts come into my head at any moment.
So it's going to be a short book, which is probably perfect for our attention-deficit net-distracted culture. I've just moved the whole thing over to the writing program I use for comics, an outliney word processor called Scrivener which promotes more modular thought processes.
Also, got a number of great people volunteering to get this site in better shape. There are about six years of missing articles, and the last year or so of missing talks. We will have that up before P or B P comes out.
Finally, I've started an Institute, looking at memetics and society. It seems to be a better path than teaching at universities - at least for now. There will be some opportunities for study and work next year, but I have to get my book done first.
Reader Comments (16)
Great to read about the popularity of the book and the upcoming paperback version. I enjoyed watching a short snippet of your Programmed or Be Programmed talk at SXSW, and will look forward to the longer version in print.
And I'll also look forward to learning more about the new Institute. Does it have a name yet?
Really looking forward to P or B P. Just curious: is it it's length that's making writing this one go faster than normal, or is it urgency?
And I thought you'd switched to linux, no? The mention of Scrivener is interesting, given the topic of the book and it's relation to platforms.
If you're doing any touring, I'd love to hear if you visit Vancouver (BC). I'd definitely come out for that, and get a bunch of people together as well!
Looking forward to PorBP—sounds like another milestone book for surveying the digital divide. I need to keep looking around to find out how close that line is to me, and how fast it's moving around!
Splendid. Program or Be Programmed feels like it might be the Rushkoff book I've always been waiting for. ^_^
Oh Good! I'm glad you kept the title as Life Inc.
Looking forward to P or BP.
Fine regards!
bc
The Institute does indeed sound intriguing! Any more details Doug please?
Cheers.
I actually have a talk in Vancouver in July for Meetings Professionals International. July 21. Not sure if you can get in for just my talk, but if you can't let me know and I'll see about getting you on some kind of guest list.
Yeah, honestly, it's likely the one I should have written first. I got the idea for it three years ago. But the corporatism meme really needed to be addressed, and Life Inc ended up coming out just when the whole banking crisis was taking shape. Still, it will be nice to finally have a book out explicitly on new media. In theory, it's my area of expertise - yet I have never written a book about it.
No Institute details, yet. It's something I've actually been doing for a quite a while. Just formalizing the educational and world-changing aspect.
Hi Doug. I don't mean to be pushy, but, when you said Program or Be Programmed before January; did you mean December, October or .... ? I'm just eager to read the next one. Best regards!
Hi Doug
Am a tad confused as I bought this in paper back in the UK last year! Its white and has a quote from Naomi Wolf in a red circle on the front.
I notice from the cover picture here that this edition has fresh content - any way for those of us who bought an early copy to get the new info?
No huge rush as I am still going through the notes of my version - so much to inspire and challenge this director of a social enterprise :)
Don't be too confused. The book was published in the US and UK by different publishers. The original UK version was called a Trade Paperback. That means the first version published in the UK did not have hard covers, but soft ones. It's not a "mass market paperback," though - which usually has thinner paper and a smaller format. The UK does this because it keeps the cost of the original edition cheaper. The US is still mostly afraid to do that.
Now, the mass-market paperback edition for the UK version will be out in June, but without the additional material.
In January, when the US paperback comes out, I'll figure out a way to get the additional material out there.
I love PB and J. Oh wait, maybe that is because I have already been programed to think of those acronyms and get hungry when someone says the word peanut butter around lunch time or uses letters that are close. And maybe it was Jimmy Carter who programmed me... I guess I will read P or BP and try to find out.
"Money spells LIES."
Hi Douglas,
After seeing the cover of your book i feel obliged to tell that you spelled money wrong! :)
I see many currency symbols. If you put four of them in the right order you spell LIES:
1) Pound
2) Yen
3) Euro
4) Dollar
£¥€$ = LIES
Just swap the yen with the dollar... sorry if it makes the dollar look bad :P
(I'm european btw)
So there it is: Plato - "Everything that deceives may be said to enchant." related to the money thingy.
link: http://1in0.deviantart.com/art/Money-spells-LIES-166193727
I hope you like the free idea.
Beautiful. I'll see what they can do.
Congrats - I knew the original title was a keeper! I look forward to receiving my copy in the mail :)