Origami Unicorn

The Alphabet Of Illiteracy

Consider the Lack of Diversity in American Publishing

The Guardian begins with comments on the watermelon comment at the NBA and takes flight from there.

The incident opens a new window onto a never-adequately-addressed issue at the heart of the US publishing industry: are American publishers as insular, clubby, and tone deaf as it often appears? Why does a truly inclusive and diverse publishing program, and a genuine appreciation of it, still elude us?

And:

Inclusiveness need not be about filling quotas or celebrating worthy exceptions, but of returning to our core values, time-tested and forged by our strengths. Such publishing requires a certain fearlessness, rigorous instincts and political courage.

Gender Bubble

The New York Times discusses reading works by women writers and what it does to change someone's world view.

The data suggests that, yes, men could and should read more, and read women. But we need to reach the women who don’t read women, as well. That strange bubble around a man isn’t created only by him — it’s created by everyone who, in ways large and small, keeps it in place. #ReadWomen2014 is for everyone.

The Girl Who Hated Books

A New Amazon Ebook Every Five Minutes

Amazon is unwilling to release statistics on its business, but Claude Nougat made an estimate based on what is publicly available: there's a new ebook every five minutes. Also, it appears that ebook author fame can fade fast.

The Apple Case: Unhappy Judge

Reuters reports that the judge in the Apple price-fixing case is not satisfied with the terms.

If Apple loses its appeal, it would pay $400 million to consumers and $50 million to the states and plaintiffs' lawyers. In contrast, if Apple's appeal is successful but the 2nd Circuit returns the case to Cote for further proceedings or a new trial, the company would pay just $70 million, with $50 million for consumers. If the 2nd Circuit reversed Cote outright and ended the case, Apple would pay nothing.

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Amazon's Kindle Unlimited

It's official. For one monthly fee, you can access many, many books. Publishers Weekly looks at one Amazon has done and what it means for the competition.

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On Re-Reading Kid's Books

Is there more than meets the eye? The BBC looks at hidden messages in children's books.

It’s only as adults that we make the mistake of thinking that children’s literature, along with fairy tales, is essentially escapist. When we pick these books up decades later, we’re surprised to learn what we doubtless always sensed as kids, even if we lacked the vocabulary to articulate it: that these stories are about eternal human strengths and weaknesses, about how to exist in the world.

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The Joy of Reading It Again

There's one way to insure you like the book you're reading: re-reading old favorites. The BBC explores why this is so, and what the potential benefits are.