Everything changes, everything grows, everything evolves. We’ve seen it with technology, the internet, food, jobs, houses, social etiquette, clothes, etc. Just like everything else books and the book business have to evolve, despite any resisters. In the near future the publishing business will change from being mostly reliant on the sales of print books to being equally reliant on digital and print book sales. The evolution is inevitable and in some ways necessary. There is no reason to fight it, books haven’t always resembled the books we know today, and I’m sure many would say the past changes have been for the better. So even though many of us are resisting the e-book, there may come a time, if it’s not here already, when people believe an e-book is a superior alternative to the physical book.

Books started on wood, stone, or clay tablets. Could you imagine walking around with a chunk of clay to read in your down time? Definitely not. And at the time, books were mostly not used for this reason. They were generally kept as historical and daily records. Eventually, with the invention of paper, books evolved into something that is a bit more recognizable to today’s readers. Scrolls of paper were folded to create a butterfly effect. The production was still a slow process and books were not accessible to everyone. With the invention of the printing press, things became more streamlined and books were soon readily available to anyone who could read.

The publishing business started out as a mess for authors, mostly because it didn’t really start out as a business. There were no copyright rules, so people could copy a story and alter it as they wished, which, I suppose, is ideal for a reader who is unhappy with an ending, but not fair to the author’s intentions. Authors usually received some sort of fame for the stories they wrote, but their pockets remained bare as people copied the stories themselves. Those who wrote the stories down for others, scribes, made the money. Books, at this time, were beginning to be used more and more as entertainment. So there was significant value placed on being able to create a story, but authors lacked gate keepers to control the flow of production, demand, and revenue. If authors were going to continue writing, they would have to fight the exploitation their stories faced.

With advances in the printing press came the formation of book publishing as a business. There were many crossroads from the beginning of books to this point. And there have been more since then. Currently, books and the publishing business are at another crossroads. The e-reader has grown in popularity. I can’t help but note how the e-reader, an electronic tablet, pays homage to the way books started out on clay tablets. You couldn’t imagine walking around and reading from a clay tablet, but the e-reader resembles this in some ways. Instead of flipping through butterflied pages you simply read from the same slate. Granted the clay tablet had some space issues that the e-reader doesn’t have since it’s digital, but the resemblance is comparable.

What’s the point? Books evolve we know that. Advances in technology were made and, therefore, changes to books and book production. The same exact thing is happening right now. We are entering the digital era. Fighting tooth and nail to avoid it is not wise. There is no escape. Love it or hate it, it doesn’t matter, you, as a book publisher or author, have to embrace it (the reader still has a choice). The point though, is that all this talk about the impending doom of books and book publishing and how sooner or later the entire industry will seize to exist is nonsense. The format of books and the business of publishing have changed many many times before, but change doesn’t mean the end. As long as the businesses evolve with the format, there is nothing to worry about. Books and stories will always exist in some form or another. Readers, writers, and publishers will adjust as necessary to keep this amazing form of art and entertainment alive, but if they don’t, then extinction will become inevitable.

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Books-A-Million has chosen CoverCake to help them track book talk over a variety of social media networks. The effect social media has on sales has long been a mystery to publishers. Sure there could be a lot of people talking about a book or topic or author on twitter, facebook, etc. but that doesn’t mean anyone is buying it. CoverCake is offering a solution to that and Books-A-Million, one of the few big bookstore chains still standing, is taking full advantage.

This news doesn’t seem too surprising based on the New York Times article yesterday that said Barnes and Nobles was about to enter the fight for its life as well as the life of the brick and mortar bookstore, or based on the idea that it is only a matter of time before print media as we know it, and print media in general, become completely obsolete. Books-A-Million is hoping to thwart that notion, at least for a while, if not forever. Even with the help of CoverCake, it may not be possible, but who knows. Maybe it can be done. Maybe, despite Amazon’s best efforts, there will always be a place in this world for bookstores.

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With the invention of e-readers and therefore e-books, e-magazines, and e-newspapers, the trees are rejoicing, but are some of America’s most steadfast print/paper companies nearing their end? Barnes and Nobles, The United States Postal Service, Verso Paper, and Quad/Graphics are/were some of the largest companies in the US. Their influence, power, and success seemed endless, but times are changing and the more things change and become digital the more companies that thrive off of print media suffer.

In a recent post on Dead Tree Edition the current predicament of each company is explained. The prediction being that one of these four companies will go bankrupt in 2012, but which one will it be? If we’re talking about the extinction of print media we have to consider which form of print media is still absolutely relevant.

Personally, of the four companies, Barnes and Nobles is the most relevant to me. I don’t have an e-reader and I have no intention of investing in one, so a store like Barnes and Nobles still holds significant value to me. But my opinion and outlook on physical books is most likely the minority. Most people enjoy the efficiency, light-weight, and purchasing opportunities that e-readers and e-books offer. So while it stands to reason that physical books may never become extinct (pretty please?!), the necessity of a big bookstore chain like Barnes and Nobles may diminish.

So what do you think? Which one of these companies will file for bankruptcy in 2012? Or do you think none of them will? Is there hope for these companies to adjust and remain standing? Or will we see a gradual decline of print media, until everything is digital and the trees throw a party?

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The last minute scramble to get holiday gifts is one many of us are all too familiar with. But just because you’re scrounging up gifts at the last minute doesn’t mean you can’t find a great gift at a good price. Judy Griffin, author of Flowers that Heal: Aromas, Herbs, Essences and Other Secrets of the Fairies (now available as an e-Book, Nook Book, and Google book), is having a holiday sale on her website.

Judy Griffin is internationally renowned as an herbalist, author, lecturer, and aroma therapist. She has appeared on local and national radio and television shows, lectured at universities, and developed courses on herbal health, aromatic, and organic gardening. On her website she features products that she has organically grown and produced. The product specials range from an individual consult with Judy Griffin, Cold and Flu remedies, shampoos, stress reducers, shoulder relaxers, and wrinkle and cream softeners.

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In a recent opinion piece on the NY Times website, authors and other prominent figures in the literary world get a chance to respond to Amazon’s recent app. For those who don’t know, the new app allows people to go into book stores and scan a product’s bar code, giving amazon a chance to prove that the item is priced lower on their website and shouldn’t be bought from the retailer. Simultaneously, it gives Amazon some pretty incredible competitive research. Anyone who did this last Saturday received $5 off up to three items, other than books, that are sold in bookstores.

While publishers, authors, literary agents, and other bookstores can’t deny Amazon’s presence in the literary world, they can and do feel a bit stunned by Amazon’s actions. More and more it’s become clear that Amazon’s agenda is to oust all other book sellers in the process of becoming the biggest and baddest. But what Amazon appears to be doing most, is cutting any human element out of bookselling.

It used to be that you went to a bookstore and a sales associate helped you locate a book or could make a recommendation based on other books you’ve read. Now Amazon does all that for you and you don’t even need to have a conversation. Just type in a few words and search. The shopping experience may be faster, easier, and cheaper, but it’s certainly not the same.

Authors remember when they first started and the audiences at their book tour readings were solely those who worked at the bookstore. Amazon, though able to sell books like hotcakes, could never provide the kind of support and community that many bookstores have over the years. After all, a computer can do a lot of things, but it can never fully replace an actual human being.

Amazon’s presence may change the landscape of book publishing and selling forever, but many could and would argue that it hasn’t changed for good. For more interesting insight on this hot button issue read the NY Times opinion piece.

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Co-author of Power of Yin, Celebrating Female Consciousness, Barbara Marx Hubbard, is now hosting a weekly radio talk show on Hay House radio called Conscious Evolution. Barbara is one of the most prestigious evolutionary leaders and her new radio show aims to help listeners unleash the power of their awareness. Conscious Evolution is an enlightening hour long show in which Barbara shares her insight on the power of consciousness in addition to that of our collective world consciousness. The talks are meant to help listeners through this overwhelmingly transitional period in the world and the next stage of human evolution. Her various discussions on this topic will be held with many of the top experts in the field of consciousness.

Barbara’s debut show “Paving the Way to a Positive Future” was a discussion on the philosophy of conscious evolution and how to be open to a positive future for humanity and the planet. Her special guest, Neale Donald Walsch discussed his book, The Storm before the Calm. Her second show featured the authors of The Golden Motorcycle Gang: A Tale of Transformation Jack Canfield and Bill Gladstone. The novel is an autobiography and adventure story that acts as a resource guide for anyone who has felt the pull of great change. The third and latest show was an exploration of “vocational arousal” with Barnet Bain. A list of upcoming shows, as well as an archive with the option to listen to past shows, can be found here.

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September is upon us, bringing with it back to school time, brilliant colors, and colder weather. Fall is a transitional season when people tend to leave the lazy, careless days of summer behind and buckle down into a more serious outlook. And from that serious outlook comes our new book of the month: Wall Street and the Financial Crisis: Anatomy of a Financial Collapse written by The U.S. Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations.

The economic crisis in this country is no secret. There are constant reminders of the unemployment rate, houses are foreclosing faster than ever, and businesses are laying off, cutting back, and shutting down. Financial trouble is all around us, but how many actually know what started it all?

After a two year investigation by the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigation the report Wall Street and the Financial Crisis: Anatomy of a Financial Collapse details where the blame should be and why. This report, re-released by Cosimo, with a new foreword from the publisher, takes an in-depth look at Wall Street’s blame in the financial collapse. Outlining four very clear causes of the downturn: high risk mortgage loans, regulation failures, inaccurate AAA credit ratings, and investment bank abuses.

With the gloriously tranquil days of summer behind us, we can no longer ignore the harsh reality of our Country’s financial situation. It’s necessary for us to take a look at the causes. Where are the flaws that allowed this to happen? Can we prevent further damage? And where do we go from here? Wall Street and the Financial Crisis: Anatomy of a Financial Collapse, can help lead us to the answers.

THE U.S. SENATE PERMANENT SUBCOMMITTEE ON INVESTIGATIONS (PSI) is a bi-partisan team of senators that deals with Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, and is currently headed by Senator Carl Levin (D-MI) and Senator Tom Coburn (R-OK). Formerly known as the Committee on Government Operations, PSI is the oldest subcommittee of the Senate Homeland Security Committee.

Read Wall Street and the Financial Crisis: Anatomy of a Financial Collapse for more about Wall Street’s role in our country’s Financial Crisis and an in-depth look at the flaws that allowed this to happen.

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Everyone remembers where they were on September 11, 2001. Ask anyone and they can, with startling details, recall the exact moment they learned that the Twin Towers and the Pentagon had been hit by passenger jets. The haunting images of the Towers on fire against a clear, crisp September sky are burned into the memories of people all over the world. Nearly 3,000 lives were lost that day and it will always be remembered as the day no American will ever forget.

As the tenth anniversary of this traumatic event approaches, many are reflecting on what happened before, during, and after the attacks. How did we miss the signs? What was going through the heads of all those people on the planes, in the towers, waiting for calls from loved ones? What happens next? It’s scary, when you boil right down to it, and sad. There are some interesting reports, all released by the government, that shed some light on the events and the questions many have asked.

The 9/11 Commission Report: Final Report of the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States, gives a minute by minute transcript of that haunting day, including airport surveillance, phone conversations and other unheard details. It discusses everything that went wrong on that day, as well as the things that went right, with clues on how to avoid future similar attacks. An informative read and bestseller, this report offers answers to the many questions surrounding that day.

Three more reports Individuals Guide for Understanding and Surviving Terrorism , Terrorist Financing: On Deterring Terrorist Operations in the U.S., and A Military Guide to Terrorism in the Twenty-First Century offer insight into the military and financial aspects of terrorism. Being informed about more than just the attacks can help in the prevention of and protection from further attacks.

No matter how you choose to reflect upon the upcoming anniversary one thing is certain: the 9/11 attacks were shocking and terrible events that left much to be learned.

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At 80 years old, Budd Hopkins, a sculptor, painter, and UFO investigator died from complications of cancer. Though his art transformed over the years, his passion for it never ceased. His art is hanging in many museums including the Museum of Modern Art and the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, the Corcoran Gallery of Art in Washington and the British Museum.

Budd Hopkins is widely thought of as the father of the Alien-Abduction Movement because he was the first to being collecting and recording the stories these people had to tell. His interest came from the siting of something flat, silver, and airborne, which he deemed unfathomable as belonging to this world. Many famous UFO writers credit him with their interest in this field. In addition to the books he published on UFOs, Hopkins also wrote the Introduction to the Cosimo Book Left at East Gate: A First-Hand Account of the Rendlesham Forest UFO Incident, Its Cover-up, and Investigation.

Read his obituary from the New York Times.

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Sometimes simpler is better. When things are simple, uncomplicated, easy to figure out, your brain can remain relaxed and at ease. There is nothing wrong with a challenge that forces your brain into overdrive, but when shopping for a book series, that’s not usually the goal.

Shopping for book series, when they’re not already compiled, can be disastrously complicated. Imagine, for instance, that you’re searching the web to find a series, but you can only find books three and seven of a ten-volume set. Or maybe, you actually find the whole series, but all the books are from different publishers, with different covers, different sizes, and different editions. It can be stupendously frustrating. But it doesn’t have to be.

Cosimo Books is currently offering a special on book series. We’ve made it simple to find dozens of popular classic series at discounted prices with FREE SHIPPING! Just go to Cosimo Books Collections and Series, and you’ll see the work is already done. The series have been compiled, with uniform covers, for your shopping ease. You can find everything from Arabian Nights, Curiosities of Natural History, The Ante-Nicene Fathers, and The Works of Thomas Jefferson. So, save the arduous thinking for something that actually merits it and keep your book shopping simple.

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