Book Club
The Cellist of Sarajevo By Steven Galloway
Wednesday, September 19, 2012 8:43 AM
The novel is Inspired by the actions of a real cellist during the siege of Sarajevo. After witnessing the death of twenty-two of his friends and neighbors in a mortar attack, the cellist sits at the site of the attack and he plays Albinoni’s Adagio in G Minor for twenty-two days—once for each of the dead. The story is told through the eyes of three individuals—one man braving the streets under threat of snipers to collect water for his family; one man who makes his way through the city in search of a meal and instead runs into an old friend who reminds him of the city before the war; and a young woman recruited for her expert marksmanship—now a sniper herself—who is charged with protecting the cellist.
To hear part 1 of the interview with Steven Galloway click here
To hear part 2 of the interview with Steven Galloway click here
Dead End in Norvelt
Monday, September 10, 2012 10:21 AM
It’s no surprise that Jack Gantos was the 2010 ALAN award winner for his outstanding contributions to the field of adolescent literature. His first Joey Pigza book, Joey Pigza Swallowed the Key, was a finalist for the National Book Award. The next, Joey Pigza Loses Control, was chosen as a Newbery Honor book. And Hole in My Life, Jack’s memoir for young adults, was chosen as both a Printz Honor book and a Sibert Honor book.
Now Gantos is publishing his first new middle grade project that isn’t part of a series in ten years. DEAD END IN NORVELT is a sharp-edged, semi-autobiographical story about a boy named, not-so-coincidentally, Jack Gantos.
Melding the entirely true and the wildly fictional, Gantos brings to life his own western-Pennsylvania hometown with the story of an incredible two months for a boy named Jack Gantos, whose plans for vacation adventure are suddenly ruined when he is grounded by his parents for what feels like forever. But escape comes where Jack least expects it, once he begins helping an elderly neighbor with a highly unusual chore—a chore involving the newly dead, as well as molten wax, twisted promises, Girl Scout cookies, underage driving, lessons from history, typewriting, and countless bloody noses.
About the Author
Creator of Rotten Ralph, Jack Gantos is also the author of Hole in My Life, a Michael L. Printz Honor Book, Joey Pigza Swallowed the Key, a National Book Award Finalist, and Joey Pigza Loses Control, a Newbery Honor book. He lives with his family in Boston, Massachusetts.
Insanely Simple: The Obsession That Drives Apple's Success
Thursday, July 12, 2012 9:06 AM
Many people consider Apple the most powerful brand in the world – an accolade that’s hard to dispute when their product line includes iPod, iPhone, iPad, iMac and MacBook Air. Companies all over the world try to emulate Apple’s creative genius and superb marketing. But what is the real secret to Apple’s success? According to Ken Segall, the man who put the “i” in iMac and served as a member of Steve Jobs’ creative inner circle for more than a decade, the answer is: simplicity. In his book, INSANELY SIMPLE: The Obsession That Drives Apple’s Success, Segall reveals what sets Apple apart from other technology companies and makes them stand out in a complicated world: a deep, almost religious belief in the power of simplicity, which has been the company’s driving force since its founding. In the book, Segall shows how Apple—through its charismatic and driven leader Steve Jobs—built its brand around the concept of simplicity, distilled into ten elements that are all evident in the way that Apple works and can be employed by others to excel.
The 10 Elements of Simplicity including:
- Think Brutal… No need to be mean, just brutally honest—and avoid the partial truths while you’re at it.
- Think Small… Swear allegiance to the concept of small groups of smart people.
- Think Minimal… Be mindful of the fact that every time you attempt to communicate more than one idea, you’re splintering the attention of those you’re talking to—whether they are customers or colleagues.
- Think Motion… The right timing is as important as the right people.
- Think Iconic… Never forget the power of an image to galvanize your audience.
- Think Phrasal… Words can be amazingly powerful, but too many words are simply confusing.
- Think Casual… Do what Steve Jobs did: shun the trappings of big business.
- Think Human… Have the boldness to look beyond numbers and spreadsheets, and allow your heart to have a say in the matter.
- Think Skeptic…. Expect the first reaction of others to be negative.
- Think War… Extreme times call for extreme measures. Like
Ken Segall worked closely with Steve Jobs for over 12 years, serving as his ad agency creative director for both NeXT and Apple. He who was privy to a side of Steve Jobs most people have only read about. Ken and his team were responsible for Apple’s legendary Think different campaign, which was an integral part of Apple’s transformation following Steve Jobs’s return. Segall has also led the agency creative efforts for Dell, Intel and IBM, interacting with the executive teams of those companies. He blogs regularly at www.kensegall.com/blog and has also created a popular Apple satire blog at www.scoopertino.com.
To hear part 1 of the interview with Kevin Segall click here
To hear part 2 of the interview with Kevin Segall click here