A new book looks at the surprising and inspiring ways people of all stripes can affect social change.

With his new book Actions Speak Loudest, Bob McKinnon has brought together some disparate names to explain how change is fueled by action—not just talk. From Newt Gingrich to Donovan McNabb, Jeffrey Sachs to Jimmy Carter, the book illustrates the many ways in which changemakers leave their mark. McKinnon also heads up Yellowbrickroad, a communications and marketing company…

I would love to see a community library like this in Los Angeles!

“What began as an assemblage of 1,000 empty beer cartons pulled together by residents in East Germany has now evolved into an incredible open air public library. Designed by Karo Architekten in collaboration with local residents, the grassroots project revitalizes a post-industrial district in Magdeburg, Germany by creating a cultural center and pop-up library where books are free to take and leave 24…

There’s a post on Kottke today with the headline “I don’t read books anymore” that has me thinking. As recently as two years ago, I was reading between 15 and 20 books a year, most of them novels—and that was in addition to my magazine and blog roll. This year, I haven’t finished reading a single novel. I made it about 400 pages into Infinite Jest, and was absolutely loving it, but I put it…

http://www.vimeo.com/5228616

John Carrera’s “Pictorial Webster’s: Inspiration to Completion” is a truly marvelous short, one that I could watch over and over and over.

Via We Love You So.

At its most basic level, the map is a utilitarian device that clearly explains a given geography. At its most adventurous, the map embodies our innately human desire to know what is over the next hill, and the hill after that one, and it tells the stories of how we relate to each other. In that spirit, cartographers both amateur and professional have been embellishing the form over the years, creating all varieties of interesting, artistic,…

Sounds like Sam Savage’s book, The Flaw of Averages, is worth a read. First of all, the title is awesome, and second, it contains this quotable quote: “Plans based on average assumptions are wrong on average.”

Original article: Why You Should Worry About Climate Change Even If You Don’t Think It Is Going To Happen « Legal Planet: Environmental Law and Policy

They helped bring hip-hop to the mainstream, revitalized the career of Aerosmith and now, Run-DMC could be headed to Broadway.

Original article: Run-DMC Musical Is Planned – ArtsBeat Blog – NYTimes.com

In his new book, Glimmer, journalist Warren Berger tries to explain to the uninitiated what designers have been saying for years: that good design really can change the world.

Design can change the world, you’ve no doubt heard. In certain circles, this is not news—it’s a given, central to the best problem-solving and world-changing ideas around. But how exactly does the thinking of a legendary designer like Bruce Mau accomplish that? And how do you explain…

Richards Powers wrote his new novel by dictation. Does that affect the quality?

Richard Powers’ new novel, Generosity, was published this week. I am a huge fan of Powers, and I loved the novel. But not all had the same reaction. James Wood wrote a lengthy article critiquing Powers and his latest novel in this week’s New Yorker. Wood argues that Powers’s novels lack convincing plots and characters. Fair enough—we are entitled to disagree. But in the…

Tina Brown’s new imprint will focus on fast books. Can they stack up?

Speed writing seems to be the flavor of the week. First we were graced with the news that Sarah Palin’s memoir, Going Rogue, is to be published in November, a short four months after she began working on it. Readers seem unconcerned that the quick turnaround may dilute the quality of the book—it is already the number one selling book on amazon.com. Then came the…

I would love to see a community library like this in Los Angeles!

“What began as an assemblage of 1,000 empty beer cartons pulled together by residents in East Germany has now evolved into an incredible open air public library. Designed by Karo Architekten in collaboration with local residents, the grassroots project revitalizes a post-industrial district in Magdeburg, Germany by creating a cultural center and pop-up library where books are free to take and leave 24…

There’s a post on Kottke today with the headline “I don’t read books anymore” that has me thinking. As recently as two years ago, I was reading between 15 and 20 books a year, most of them novels—and that was in addition to my magazine and blog roll. This year, I haven’t finished reading a single novel. I made it about 400 pages into Infinite Jest, and was absolutely loving it, but I put it…

http://www.vimeo.com/5228616

John Carrera’s “Pictorial Webster’s: Inspiration to Completion” is a truly marvelous short, one that I could watch over and over and over.

Via We Love You So.

Sounds like Sam Savage’s book, The Flaw of Averages, is worth a read. First of all, the title is awesome, and second, it contains this quotable quote: “Plans based on average assumptions are wrong on average.”

Original article: Why You Should Worry About Climate Change Even If You Don’t Think It Is Going To Happen « Legal Planet: Environmental Law and Policy

They helped bring hip-hop to the mainstream, revitalized the career of Aerosmith and now, Run-DMC could be headed to Broadway.

Original article: Run-DMC Musical Is Planned – ArtsBeat Blog – NYTimes.com

Richards Powers wrote his new novel by dictation. Does that affect the quality?

Richard Powers’ new novel, Generosity, was published this week. I am a huge fan of Powers, and I loved the novel. But not all had the same reaction. James Wood wrote a lengthy article critiquing Powers and his latest novel in this week’s New Yorker. Wood argues that Powers’s novels lack convincing plots and characters. Fair enough—we are entitled to disagree. But in the…

Tina Brown’s new imprint will focus on fast books. Can they stack up?

Speed writing seems to be the flavor of the week. First we were graced with the news that Sarah Palin’s memoir, Going Rogue, is to be published in November, a short four months after she began working on it. Readers seem unconcerned that the quick turnaround may dilute the quality of the book—it is already the number one selling book on amazon.com. Then came the…

When it comes to books, we Americans have author loyalty (I can’t wait to read the new Lorrie Moore novel), and bookstore loyalty (I will only shop at local independent bookstores, like Visible Voice or Mac’s Backs). Both forms of faithfulness offer perks, often intertwined. You can, for instance, hear your favorite author read at your local bookstore, buy a copy and have him sign it (and if you are really lucky, join him in a…

Last year, The Northshire Bookstore, in Vermont, became the first independent bookstore to get a first-generation Espresso on-demand book printing machine. The Espresso allows the store to access books online and print library-quality paperbacks for customers on site in minutes. This lets the store compete with online retailers on selection and surpass them in speediness of delivery, all while saving on transportation costs. And Northshire has seen an unexpected interest from local amateur authors who…

After quite a long while of hearing about and even owning a copy of Bill McDonough’s and Michael Braungart’s Cradle to Cradle, I finally got around to reading it this past weekend.

The book is a clear and simple and yet quite profound manifesto for changing how we think about our relation to the world—and in particular the way we create and consume; in fact, those words may not even apply any longer.  I highly encourage…

A new book looks at the surprising and inspiring ways people of all stripes can affect social change.

With his new book Actions Speak Loudest, Bob McKinnon has brought together some disparate names to explain how change is fueled by action—not just talk. From Newt Gingrich to Donovan McNabb, Jeffrey Sachs to Jimmy Carter, the book illustrates the many ways in which changemakers leave their mark. McKinnon also heads up Yellowbrickroad, a communications and marketing company…

At its most basic level, the map is a utilitarian device that clearly explains a given geography. At its most adventurous, the map embodies our innately human desire to know what is over the next hill, and the hill after that one, and it tells the stories of how we relate to each other. In that spirit, cartographers both amateur and professional have been embellishing the form over the years, creating all varieties of interesting, artistic,…

In his new book, Glimmer, journalist Warren Berger tries to explain to the uninitiated what designers have been saying for years: that good design really can change the world.

Design can change the world, you’ve no doubt heard. In certain circles, this is not news—it’s a given, central to the best problem-solving and world-changing ideas around. But how exactly does the thinking of a legendary designer like Bruce Mau accomplish that? And how do you explain…