We’re very excited to be publishing IDEA MAN, the long-awaited memoir by Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen. 60 Minutes aired this segment about the book last night:
(Video from CBS News)
For another perspective, check out interviews with Paul from The New York Times and Wired.com
There were lots of great blog posts this week from Portfolio authors, here are a few to check out…
Jonathan Fields on dropping the F bomb
Pam Slim has two reasons your sales are stalled
Jeff Bussgang on board meetings vs. bored meetings
Erik Calonius on Miami visionaries
John Warrillow discusses the ceiling of control
Rick Smith on why you need to suck it up!
IDEA MAN is the highly anticipated memoir from Paul Allen, co-founder of Microsoft (to be published on April 19). The book is excerpted in the May issue of Vanity Fair, which just hit newsstands.
Here’s where you can read the full excerpt
Last week, we published TEN STEPS AHEAD: What Separates Successful Business Visionaries from the Rest of Us in which veteran journalist Erik Calonius explores the phenomenal achievement of entrepreneurial visionaries. He explains how legendary thinkers like Steve Jobs and Richard Branson have an uncanny ability to not just see, but to shape, where the world is heading.
Fortune.com just posted a great excerpt from the book about how these leaders make their ideas come to life.
For more stories like this, you can check out Erik Calonius’ new blog or follow him on Twitter.
If you were lucky enough to attend South by Southwest Interactive last week, you might have seen authors Jonathan Fields and Chris Guillebeau speak on a panel about overcoming fear.
Thankfully, for those of us who weren’t able to make the conference, the folks at Ogilvy Notes posted several live graphic illustrations from the weekend. This one is courtesy of Stephanie von Dressler:
We’re very excited to be publishing Hank Gilman’s first book next week. In You Can’t Fire Everyone: And Other Lessons from an Accidental Manager, Gilman offers some unconventional advice on what it means to be a good boss. Kirkus recently gave the book a great early review:
A breezy, enjoyable debut that recalls the trials, tribulations and successes of a veteran editor, with advice for others seeking the same career. Lifelong newsman Gilman looks back on his career, much of it spent as an editor at the Wall Street Journal, Newsweek and Fortune, and shares tips for managing the creative types that fill newsrooms and other lessons learned in the executive suite. The author is a good storyteller, and his guide to successful management is punctuated with enough personal anecdotes so that the book reads as part memoir, part instruction manual. Readers receive a window into the backrooms of some of the world’s most renowned news organizations. At Newsweek, they used to ask, “How would you feel about it if that appeared on Page Six?” cautioning “Imagine what your decisions would look like to others”—words to live by for anyone in this age of careless e-mails, Facebook entries and Twitter. Gilman breaks his chapters into small, digestible bites that keep the narrative moving and dishes up a smorgasbord of useful advice in a conversational style peppered with self-deprecating humor. Although the author’s experience is in the media field, his tips can be applied to most industries. Useful tool for managers at all levels, and solid insights for everyone else.
For more information or an advance review copy, email PortfolioPublicity@us.penguingroup.com
