Atlas Revisited

Hello blog readers! I hope you’ve gotten your shopping done, but if you’re like me, there’s always something else left to get. Books can make for great gifts, and I’m writing today to tip you off to a new biography of Ayn Rand by Anne C. Heller. Whatever your opinion of Rand’s works, she remains an important figure to know. The New York Times Book Review called her a “defining libertarian voice in the American right.” In Heller’s biography, Rand comes through as a woman with her own contradictions, but also a woman with determination, charm, and “odd charisma.” Adam Kirsch wrote, “Heller is dealing with a human being, and one with more than her share of human failings....” Of course, if you’re not familiar with Rand or her philosophies, including those found in her works The Fountainhead and Atlas Shrugged, I can recommend our own Ayn Rand For Beginners. This introduction to Ayn Rand includes not only a biographical account, but major themes and characters from her two most important works, in addition to an exploration of the philosophies that have made her characters, and her, controversial even decades after her death. You can even pick up both and give them as a set!

Thanks again for stopping by, and in case we don’t see each other again soon, Happy Holidays to you and yours!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Hey there bloggers and blog readers. We here at For Beginners would like to wish you all a very happy Thanksgiving. All the best to you and your families on this day of thanks. Now go on, eat 'til you can't walk and then read a good book by the fire (or watch the Jets/Bengals game).

A For Beginners Story

I have a bookshelf in my house, on which I keep a tidy row of my relatively small collection of For Beginners books. It's right next to my slightly larger collection of Batman comic arcs and Star Wars bobble heads. Despite the fact that this small number of books is buried somewhere in the middle of my medium-sized bookshelf, filled with the surprisingly large number of books I have amassed over the course of my literary scholarship (I've still got two years to go, I think I'll need a bigger book shelf), every time I entertain guests, some one always manages to locate that small pocket of For Beginners goodness and says to me, "You read For Beginners too?"

I always get such gratification telling these people, "I don't just read the books, I work for For Beginners!" For a brief moment, I am above these people, all far more intelligent than me, who have read Foucault in their upper-level psych classes, Plato and Kierkegaard in advanced philosophy courses, and Chomsky and Ayn Rand just for the fun of it. But just last night, something unprecedented happened. Someone actually stole one of my For Beginners books!

Waking up this morning, I realized that my For Beginners were not as tidy as I usually keep them. All of the books were leaning toward a gap in my collection, right where I would normally find my copy of Global Warming!

I was shocked! Appalled! But, ultimately, honored. I am able to work for a company that puts out books people love so much, they would actually steal one from another person's home.

Do you have any For Beginners stories? I'd love to hear them. Leave me a comment.

Quantum Physics: Life Forever?

Have you ever stared at a clock, feeling as if time had stopped moving? Research in quantum physics suggests you may not be off the mark. What if time were created by life, instead of the other way around? If life creates time, isn’t life immortal? Dr. Robert Lanza, M.D. brings his unusual perspective as a scientist and a doctor to bear in his new book, Biocentrism: How Life and Consciousness are the Keys to Understanding the True Nature of the Universe. He teams up with astronomer Bob Berman to create a work treating new and old topics in quantum physics, including experiments that suggest even the past may not be fixed at all. Want to jump into the developments of this exciting new field, but not familiar with quantum physics? Get an edge with Relativity and Quantum Physics For Beginners, which explains modern theories like relativity without complex jargon. Our accessible reference gets you up to speed, so you too can follow the latest breakthroughs in this revolutionary science!

Poet Spotlight: Marianne Moore

Marianne Moore was born on November 15, 1887 in Kirkwood, Missouri, in the manse of a Presbyterian church where her maternal grandfather, John Riddle Warner, served as pastor. The daughter of an absent, inventor father, John Milton Moore, and his wife, Mary Warner, Moore grew up in her grandfather's home until she left for an education at Bryn Mawr College in Pennsylvania.

With the publication of her first work in 1915, Moore garnered attention from poets such as Wallace Stevens, William Carlos Williams, H.D., T.S. Eliot, and Ezra Pound. Her poetry falls under the modernist category, along with works by W.H. Auden, Emily Dickinson, William Butler Yeats, and Ezra Pound, and is known for its irony and wit. Moore's poetry earned her many prestigious awards, such as the Helen Haire Levinson Prize for Poetry, the Pulitzer Prize, the National Book Award, and the Bollingen Prize.

Moore spent her life encouraging younger poets to pursue their dreams. She worked with many poets during their younger years, including Elizabeth Bishop, Allen Ginsberg, John Ashbery, and James Merrill. Through her poetry, she became something of a superstar; making appearances in exclusive New York City social circles, boxing matches, baseball games, and other social events. She was a particular fan of Muhammad Ali and wrote the liner notes for his spoken word album, I Am The Greatest.

Moore died on February 5, 1972, at the age of 84, after a series of strokes.

Without further ado, here is Moore's poem, "To a Steam Roller," and be sure to check out Poetry For Beginners for more great lessons and examples of poetry through the ages.

The illustration
is nothing to you without the application.
You lack half wit. You crush all the particles down
into close conformity, and then walk back and forth on them.

Sparkling chips of rock
are crushed down to the level of the parent block.
Were not 'impersonal judgment in aesthetic
matters, a metaphysical impossibility,' you

might fairly achieve
it. As for butterflies, I can hardly conceive
of one's attending upon you, but to question
the congruence of the complement is vain, if it exists.

Today in History: 1980 -- Voyager I takes the first pictures of Saturn's rings

On November 12, 1980, Voyager I, a NASA space probe launched on September 5, 1977, made its closest approach to Saturn and captured the first up-close images of Saturn's rings. Voyager I was launched with the purpose of visiting Jupiter and Saturn and giving us a better look at the largest planets in our solar system (and their moons). Saturn's rings are not visible from Earth with the naked eye and were first seen through a telescope by Galileo Galilei, in 1610, almost 370 years before the Voyager I.

To this day, Voyager 1 continues to send information back to Earth and, 30 years after its closest approach to Saturn, the space probe is located a mere 10.712 billion miles, only .2% of a single lightyear, from the sun.

For more information on Saturn's majestic, particle-based rings, pick up a copy of Astronomy For Beginners.

A collage of images of Saturn and its satellites taken by Voyage I on November 12, 1980

The Walking Dead on AMC = AWESOME

Hey For Beginners fans. I'm going to go ahead here and take a wild guess that at least some of you like comic books (is that too presumptive?). Here's something incredibly exciting: Robert Kirkman's Eisner-award-winning monthly comic, The Walking Dead, has been adapted into an hour-long television program on the AMC network! With two episodes now on the air, I can pretty confidently declare that this show is, like its comic book counterpart, incredible. In terms of gore, the show is pushing the boundaries of what can be shown on basic cable: the zombies are grotesque, and when the producers want to get bloody, they show no bounds. But this is more than just a tale of zombie apocalypse. The undead take a back seat to social storylines, what Kirkman has been calling for years "Survival Drama." What will these people do to survive, and perhaps more importantly, what will they do to retain their humanity? Could this be the next LOST? Honestly, I believe it could be. Scarier than the first time Kate and Charlie ran through the jungle from the smoke monster, creepier than the first time Jack saw his father on the beach (again, I'm making assumptions that y'all are as nerdy as I am), and also jam-packed with compelling back story and character development.
When you're done watching The Walking Dead (Sunday nights at 10 on AMC), go read your favorite For Beginners titles: Democracy and Anarchism (what is the role of government and leadership?), Heidegger (what does it mean to BE? Is survival the only requirement for existence?), Kierkegaard, Existentialism, and Philosophy (Why do we make the choices that we do?), and take a look at Foucault (The illustration on the cover just kind of looks like a zombie). Who ever said television and comic books make us brain-dead zombies?

S. Pearl Sharp on NPR

S. Pearl Sharp, author of Black Women For Beginners, has written a moving essay for NPR's "Tell Me More," in response to the 1974 play "For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide When the Rainbow Is Enuf," and Tyler Perry's big screen adaptation, For Colored Girls, in theaters now. The essay is poetic, touching, and beautifully written. What else could anyone expect from an author like Pearl? Take a look at npr.com.

New Reviews for Zinn and Foucault

We just found two new reviews for a couple of For Beginners classics floating around on the Blogosphere. One written on Christmas Cactus about the historian for the common man: Zinn For Beginners. The other on Metro Time Pass about everyone's favorite French psychologist: Foucault For Beginners.


Both of these blog reviews wrote magnanimous appraisals of our books. Of Zinn For Beginners, Christmas Cactus wrote, "This book is easy to read, it's an eye opener, and it's a first-class piece of writing." Of Foucault For Beginners, Metro Time Pass wrote, "Fillingham has managed to simplify it without losing its inherent depth."


Read each of the blog reviews at Christmas Cactus and Metro Time Pass.

A Few More Comic Con Pics

S. Pearl Sharp to Screen her Documentary at The Watts Towers Common Ground Innitiative

S. Pearl Sharp, author of Black Women For Beginners will be screening her documentary, Fertile Ground: Stories from the Watts Towers Arts Center, at the Watts Towers Common Ground Initiative at the Instituto Italiano di Cultura in Los Angeles on Monday, October 18.


The documentary is the first visual documentation of the Watts Towers Arts Center, a creative hub in Los Angeles' Watts community which has nurtured young and established artists in all mediums. The film reveals the Towers' history through stories recounted by the people who have been closest to it. The screening will be followed by a Q&A with S. Pearl Sharp (writer and director of the film) and executive producer, Rosie Lee Hooks.


That will be taking place at 6:00 pm on Monday, October 18. It's sure to be very interesting so if you're in the area, be sure to support the For Beginners author, S. Pearl Sharp.


Check out the event website for more info: www.wattstowerscommonground.org

If you like this blog then you might also like...

Hey there Beginners fans,


I just wanted to take a small portion of the blog today to talk about me for a second. If y'all have been wondering why there haven't been as many posts up on the blog as there were, say, two months ago, it's because I have been at school in the gorgeous town of Binghamton, NY doing some really cool things like writing for the news paper and making movies. In fact, I just finished uploading my latest video onto YouTube, you should check it out. And if you like my blogging, then you should check out my newspaper articles too. You can find those here (there will be more in the coming weeks).

This video gets chopped off here, it looks better if you watch it on YouTube.


Well, thanks for listening to me gloat.

Best regards,
Everyone's Favorite Intern
Anthony

Thanks For Coming to COMIC CON!

We would like to thank all of our fans who came out and visited our booth at The New York Comic Con last weekend. We appreciate your support.

Here's some pics!

Not really sure what they are, but the like Ayn Rand!

STAN LEE!!!

The For Beginners team at the For Beginners booth

UNICEF For Beginners In Full PDF Form at UNICEF.com

UNICEF For Beginners, one of the older For Beginners titles (Dating all the way back 1996) is being used in full .pdf form online at UNICEF.com.

UNICEF For Beginners is the official graphic history book of the United Nations Children's Fund, the UN agency that works for children around the world. All proceeds help children in developing countries.

Be sure to check out the book in full at http://www.unicef.org/about/history/index_55628.html.

Comic Con! Comic Con! Comic Con!!!

Once again we will be setting up our booth amongst some of the industry giants at the annual New York City Comic Con. So dress up as your favorite For Beginners character (I'm going as Friedrich Nietzsche) and visit us at booth 2405 on Friday, Saturday, or Sunday. For show hours go to http://www.newyorkcomiccon.com/en/NYCC/Overview/. And be sure to join our facebook event.

Our New Slogan

Our birthday celebration is finally over and after three long years of absence, we finally have a tag-line: Know More. Read Less.


That's the winner folks, of the many entries to our Third Birthday Tagline Contest, that shimmering jewel of inspiration from Ginny Hull Hartline was our favorite and will now be used on anything and everything published by For Beginners. And, as we promised, Ginny will soon be receiving the grand prize of a full catalogue of For Beginners books. That's right, all thirty eight title from Anarchism to Zinn. Congrats Ginny and thanks so much for participating in our contest. We love our new slogan!

Today in History: 1787 -- The United States Constitution is Signed

In May, 1787, eleven years after the signing of the Declaration of Independence and four years after the end of the American Revolutionary War, a Convention was called to amend the Articles of Confederation, the document that had been the basis for American law and government since America's independence from Britain. After much discussion and debate, by mid-June, the Convention decided that to amend the articles would not be enough. At this time, the goal became to write an entirely new constitution that would establish a new government for the country. The Constitutional Convention was formed. By September 17, the Constitution had been written and signed by the members of the Convention. Although the Convention proposed that only nine out of thirteen states were needed to ratify the Constitution, Benjamin Franklin gave a speech on the day of the signing urging unanimity, saying: "Much of the strength & efficiency of any Government in procuring and securing happiness to the people, depends, on opinion, on the general opinion of the goodness of the Government, as well as of the wisdom and integrity of its Governors. I hope therefore that for our own sakes as a part of the people, and for the sake of posterity, we shall act heartily and unanimously in recommending this Constitution."

Indeed, three years later the constitution was ratified by all thirteen states and a new government was established in the United States that still stands today.

Read more about this great document in Democracy For Beginners.

New FDR Reviews

What's with all these new reviews? First we get a new review for one of our first books, then a blogger posts his praise for Ayn Rand For Beginners, and now to round out this two weeks of praise, we've just been informed that our latest title, FDR and The New Deal, has received two positive reviews from people in very high places.

The first is from one of our personal favorite publishing magazines, Publishers Weekly. The review calls the book "smart" and "dramatic" and even goes so far as to call the entire For Beginners series "impressive!" Read the full review here (you'll have to scroll down a bit to find it).

The second is from the journal of all things comics, Comics Journal, writing with great enthusiasm about the new book. Read the full review here.

Check out the newest For Beginners title that is earning nothing but critical acclaim. FDR and the New Deal For Beginners is on sale now. And don't stop reviewing, we love hearing good things about ourselves.

Thanks To All Our Fans

We would like to thank all of those who suffered through the rain this past weekend to show us their support at the Brooklyn Book Festival. We always love to see old fans and new beginners reading our books. We appreciate your presence with us at the fair and we hope you're all learning something new from the For Beginners series.

Blogger Reviews Ayn Rand For Beginners

Not totally convinced yet that you want to read Ayn Rand For Beginners? Then you should read the Thinking Christian's review on our biographical title about the Russian-American novelist, playwright, and philosopher. The review makes a very convincing argument.

Read the whole review here and be sure to begin your discovery of the great thinker with Ayn Rand For Beginners.

Last Day of For Beginners Birthday Contest

I can't believe our birthday is coming to a close. I just don't feel like we've celebrated enough. If you haven't already, don't forget to submit a few taglines for our Big Birthday Contest. The contributor with the best tagline will get it published on all forthcoming For Beginners products and will win an entire catalogue of our 38 titles!

It's a big prize for a small amount of work, don't let it pass you by.

Post your ideas as a comment here, on twitter with the #forbeginners hashtag, or on our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/forbeginners

New Website and Brooklyn Book Festival

First: Our new website is LIVE!!! We've put in a ton of work to make it pretty and efficient. If you ever had any problems with our last site, this one should have it all smoothed out. Check it out athttp://www.forbeginnersbooks.com

Second: We have a booth at the Brooklyn Book Festival which takes place tomorow, so if you're in the neighborhood, make sure you come by Booth 93 to get in on all the For Beginners fun. And while your there you can see tons of famous writers, like Salman Rushdie and Paul Krugman, IN PERSON! It's a free festival from 10:00 am to 6:00 pm TOMORROW at Brooklyn Borough Hall. It's sure to be a ton of fun, check out the website here.

Today in History – 1974: President Gerald Ford pardons Richard Nixon

September 8th, 1974

Newly appointed President Gerald Ford used his executive authority to issue an unconditional pardon to a recently resigned Richard Nixon. Ford claimed the edict was in the best interests of the country but the pardon was met with criticism. The general public didn’t approve of Ford negating the punishment for Nixon’s crimes during his presidential tenure.

Ford’s loss in the ensuing 1976 election is often attributed to his unpopular pardon of Nixon which may have angered voters.

To learn more about the long and storied history of the executive branch and the core concepts of democracy, be sure to check out Democracy for Beginners.

Reminder: One Week Left in the Tagline Contest!

There is only a week remaining for entries in the Tagline Contest. We have already seen some great entries but there is plenty of time for new and creative ideas. Remember, the winner can look forward to seeing their idea on all sorts of For Beginners® merchandise as well as receiving a collection of all 38 titles from the For Beginners® catalog.

Continue to post your ideas via our twitter and facebook pages. A list of some of the earlier entries can be found here.

Today in History – 1986: Desmond Tutu elected first black Archbishop of the Anglican Church of Cape Town

September 7th, 1986 
Desmond Tutu, the globally established opponent of the Apartheid and recipient of the 1984 Nobel Peace Prize, added further renown to his already impressive philanthropic and religious contributions to South Africa by becoming the first black Archbishop of the Anglican Church in Cape Town.

Tutu, who had received the inaugural Albert Schweitzer Prize for Humanitarianism early in the year, remained in the position until 1996. He continues to speak to date on the critical theological and social issues afflicting both South Africa and the world.

To learn more about Desmond Tutu and other figures critical to African history, pick up our African History for Beginners.

Today in History: 1901 -- Anarchist Leon Czolgosz shoots President William McKinley

Leon Czolgosz, born on May 5, 1873 in Alpena Michigan, was a recluse throughout his life, disillusioned by what he saw as a cat and mouse relationship between the upper and lower class in the American Capitalist society, and was heavily influenced by socialist and anarchist thinkers such as Emma Goldman and Alexander Berkman. On August 31, 1901, Czolgosz moved to Buffalo, NY where he rented a room near the Pan-American Expo. He went to the expo on September 6th concealing a gun in his pocket and shot the president twice at point blank range. President McKiney died seven days later.

Czolgosz's last words before being executed were "I killed the president because he was an enemy to the good people - the working people."

Czolgoz was never an active participant of any anarchist group and many anarchists found his aggresive and violent behavior to be detrimental to the movement, however, after his execution, Emma Goldman publicized her approval of his actions.

Learn more about Anarchism in our book, Anarchism For Beginners.

A New Review For An Old Book

Proof that our For Beginners series is still relevant: 

Not but a month ago, the Chapman University's Community of Readers blog said that our Postmodernism For Beginners, a title first published 12 years ago by Writers and Readers, is... RECOMMENDED!!! 

Another positive review under our belts. Read it here.

A is For Anansi

Black Holocaust For Beginners author, S.E. Anderson, wants everybody to know that the New York University's A is For Anansi: Literature for Children of African Descent is coming up on the 8th and 9th of October. The presentation is presented by the Institute of African American Affairs at New York University and will be held at the Kimmel Center, 60 Washington Square South, Room 914.


A Is For Anansi will cover the history, criticism and theory of contemporary books for and about children of African descent, as told by its most influential critics, scholars, teachers and producers. The need for more in-depth analysis and for more information, critical evaluation, and publications on this topic still remain. The conference will look at these and consider other questions and issues as well.


There there will be a long line up of presenters ranging from teachers to publishers to writers, speaking on the importance of reading. It's sure to be a great event.


Find more info about A is or Anansi here

One Of Our Authors Won A HARVEY!!!

This past weekend, all of us here at For Beginners were super psyched when we got the news that FDR and the New Deal For Beginners author, Paul Buhle, was nominated for two Harvey Awards (Unfortunately it wasn't our book that put him on the ballot, but we can dream can't we?)

The bio-comic, Art of Harvey Kurtzman: The Mad Genius of Comics, a collaboration between Buhle and underground cartoonist, Denis Kitchen, was nominated for both Special Award For Excellence in Presentation and Best Biographical, Historical or Journalistic Presentation.

Imagine how excited we all were when we found out he one it for Best Biographical, Historical or Journalistic Presentation!

For those of you who don't know, the Harvey Awards are one of the comic book industry's oldest and most respected awards. The awards are named for writer/cartoonist, Harvey Kurtzman, the founding editor of MAD magazine and many other acclaimed comics, and are awarded each year to the most outstanding comics, writers, and illustrators in more than 20 categories.

For anyone who has ever read Paul's work, and especially for those who have met and worked with him, his talent is immediately obvious. We are so lucky to have worked with Paul and want to congradulate him on this great honor

The results of the 2010 Harvey Awards can be found here and you can take a look at a list of Paul's books at Amazon.com.

Summer's end is approaching

Today is the last day we’re able to enjoy the bountiful fruits of the labor of our incredible summer intern Anthony Fiore. He has spent his time with us writing for our blog, both For Beginners and Benay Enterprises, as well as working daily on our soon to be unveiled new For Beginners website.




It is always a joy to have summer interns, to be able to share your ideas and thoughts with them and in turn, be invigorated and excited by their ways of thinking and fresh ideas. This summer has been no different and we have been gifted again by a young, vital, intelligent, and creative college student who certainly has a great future ahead of him, hopefully in writing.



All of us here wish him the best of luck this year at Binghamton and look forward to seeing him again next summer. Dawn

Isn't Freedom of Speech Great?

In this country we can bash somebody without any justifiable reason or reasonable justification (Other than that we were "raised right" in Arizona).

That's ok though, because we can also publish the cold, hard facts (I think those are a little more substantial than unwarranted attacks and scare tactics for political gain.) Read Barack Obama For Beginners: An Essential Guide and Don't, don't, don't believe the hype!

Tagline Entries And Summer Contests!!!

We want to know what you think.

It's day two of our HUGE Birthday contest and we've already received a few taglines (If you don't know what we're talking about, get caught up here or here). So we decided that we'd put them up on our blog and let y'all give us a little feedback. Let us know what you think; which ones are good and which ones are gooder. And make sure you participate yourself: there's a whole stack of 38 For Beginners books in it for you.

So here are the contestants so far:

1. For Beginners: Start Here
2. Knowledge is the key that no locked door can resist
3. Open mind begins with an open book
4. Knowledge begins with an open book
5. To Begin is the road to an adventure
6. To Begin is a step closer to accomplishment

Also, be sure to check out our Twitter. We'll be throwing around a few contests from now until our Big Birthday Blow Out ends on September 15!!!

Today In HIstory -- 1921: FDR Contracts Polio

On August 10, 1921, a 39 year old FDR fell mysteriously ill while vacationing at Campobello Island, New Brunswick. Roosevelt was not diagnosed with poliomyelitis for another two weeks as symptoms including fever, protracted symmetric ascending paralysis of the upper and lower extremities, facial paralysis, bladder and bowel dysfunction, numbness, and dysesthesia gradually worsened.


Learn more about our 32nd president in our new book, FDR And The New Deal For Beginners, out now.

For Beginners Third Birthday Tagline Contest!!!

Wow! Three years old already. It seems like just yesterday we were releasing our first batch of books. Where did all that time go? And since when have we had thirty-eight titles?!

This is a big birthday for us and we have a very specific wish: 1. Tagline for the For Beginners graphic non-fiction series (it’s hard to imagine we’ve gone this long without one). Tell you what, we’re willing to let go of an entire catalogue of all thirty-eight of our titles. From African History to Chomsky to Existentialism to Plato to Zen and Zinn. Each one fully illustrated and presented in an entertaining and informative style for those who want to know more about great thinkers and complex subjects minus the boring, dry facts. Plus the winner’s catch phrase will appear on every new title forthwith along with t-shirts, the website, and other swag.

We really, really want this for our birthday this year. Even more than a gift card or the latest electronic device. But if you really want to get us an e-book reader, we won’t complain. So go on, post your ideas on our Facebook wall or at the Facebook event page, as a comment on our Blog, email it to us at info@forbeginnersbooks.com, or on Twitter with the hashtag #ForBeginners. There’s no limit to the number of tagline’s you submit or the number of websites you submit them to, just please, send us your ideas. Judging criteria are inventiveness, creativity, and – where appropriate – humor. You know what we want, you know where to find us, and we know you really want those books for that empty shelf in your den. Happy Birthday For Beginners!!!

UPDATE: Winners of FDR And The New Deal For Beginners Giveaway Drawn

We officially have two lucky winners for our FDR and The New Deal For Beginners Facebook Giveaway. But we can't give away any names until we have recieved confirmations from both of them.

Upset you didn't win? Don't give up yet, our Birthday is coming up and I think I smell a CONTEST!!!

The New New Deal: "Why Don't We Just Do It?"

So our new book is out. FDR and the New Deal For Beginners is hitting the indie bookshelves world wide, it's got a trailer on YouTube, and 100% positive reviews so far (We've only recieved one review, so what? It's still early). So yeah, this book is a pretty big deal...

But why? What's so great about a dead president? A sixty-five years dead president?

Well, why don't you just take a look at the front page of yesterday's Sunday Money in the New York Times? If you do, this is what you'll see: What Would Roosevelt Do?

It's all about the failings of the recent government stimulus plans, how the GDP is only one way of looking at economic recovery, and the importance of job creation to pull our country out of this recession.

Roosevelt did a pretty good job pulling America out of the Great Depression and he did so by creating jobs for everyone. Not necessarily long lasting or favorable jobs, but labor intensive-jobs to get people back on their feet until the economy was in better shape. This is something that our current government has not quite caught onto yet. Creating temporary, labor-intensive, government jobs would cost fractions of the current stimulus plans and have imencely positive impact on society that would not otherwise occur in a failing market economy.

Read the article, read our book. As the article states so nicely, "Why don't we just do it?"

Today in History: 1995 -- Comet Hale-Bopp is Discovered

On this day, July 23, in 1995, astronomers Alan Hale and Thomas Bopp discovered Comet Hale-Bopp. The comet became visible to the naked eye one year after its discovery, increasing in brightness through late 1996 and into 1997. It is arguably the most widely observed comet of the twentieth century and one of the brightest seen in decades. It was visible to the naked eye for 18 months and came to be known as the Great Comet of 1997.

Read more about comets in Astronomy For Beginners, our graphic non-fiction title that answers many mysteries of the universe in terms that are readable and fun.

First Review of FDR and the New Deal!

FDR and the New Deal For Beginners is out and receiving positive reviews. The first review has been published on the People's World website. Reviewer John Pietaro says of the book:

"Agitated by radical visions of generations past and the urgent needs of right now, FDR and the New Deal For Beginners speaks to us in a gripping prose that is at once familiar and startlingly relevant, right here, right now."

Read the full review here.

FDR and the New Deal For Beginners is on sale now at RandomHouse.com in both trade paper back and e-book.

But if you want a copy for free, try winning one in our Facebook giveaway. Just friend us (ForBeginners Series) on Facebook and RSVP to the event GIVEAWAY: FDR And The New Deal For Beginners - Now Available

For Beginners Vault: 2007 S.E. Anderson Interview

What is the Black Holocaust? S.E. Anderson describes it as the most under-reported major event in world history. Starting near the beginning of the African Slave Trade (c. 1500) and continuing on through the civil war (1865), the Black Holocaust is a travesty that killed millions of African human beings and a near fatal event for Africa. Watch this interview with S.E. Anderson, the undisputed authority on the Black Holocaust, civil rights activist, and author of Black Holocaust For Beginners, to learn more and check out Black Holocaust For Beginners.

Part I



Part II

Reinventing The Book Club

Books and Bars is at the top of bookselling innovation. The forum-style, stand up comedy laced book club was formed in 2004 as a way to revitalize an independent bookstore that had gone under. Moderator/comedian Jeff Kamin leads the discussions which are held in a small auditorium behind a bowling alley that is usually filled to the legal limit within fifteen minutes of the doors opening. The discussions often include Q&As with the authors who attend via online video chat, comedy routines, and forum style discussion.

The Books and Bars book club has become immensely popular and successful in the Twin Cities metropolitan area, receiving virtually no aid from large, commercial sponsors (Books and Bars was sponsored by the Onion until recently, now its sole sponsors are three local, independently owned businesses: Surly Brewing Co. which provides drinks to the club meetings, Bryant-Lake Bowl which provides the venue, and Mager & Quinn Booksellers, the largest independent bookseller in the Twin Cities).

Utilizing fairly new and innovative marketing, advertising, and sales techniques such as the "#Booksandbars Tweetup" on Twitter, a blog that outlines past discussions, and the self sufficient partnership between Books and Bars and Mager & Quinn booksellers that brings in large revenues for both, Books and Bars is an inspiration to independent business everywhere. Read the article from the Examiner about Books and Bars and check out Books and Bars' website and blog.

Farewell Harvey Pekar

Yesterday we had to say farewell to a truly incredible man. Harvey Pekar was found dead by his wife, Joyce Brabner, at around 1:00 am in their home.

Pekar was the creator of the critically acclaimed "American Splendor" comic book series, an autobiographical series that chronicled the comical monotony of every-day life, as well as several other graphic novels and one-shot comics. American Splendor began in 1976 out of the collaboration between Pekar and his friend Robert Crumb, the first of many to illustrate Pekar's stories. From there, the series gained increasing recognition and fame, eventually being picked up by Dark Horse and DC Comics, and was compiled into vastly popular trade paperbacks.

Pekar once said of his series, "The humor of everyday life is way funnier than what the comedians do on TV. It's the stuff that happens right in front of your face when there's no routine and everything is unexpected. That's what I want to write about."

We are so honored to have been given the opportunity to work with Mr. Pekar, he was an amazing writer and innovator, an inspiration to all of us here at For Beginners, and a truly magnanimous human being. RIP Harvey Pekar.

Read the obituary that was published in the Plain Dealer, Pekar's home town newspaper, here.

The Contest Winner Is Official! Congratulations Julia Zay!!!

We have just received confirmation from our randomly selected winner for our FDR and The New Deal For Beginners Giveaway! Her name is Julia Zay, she's from Olympia, WA, and she's about to receive a free, advance copy of our brand new title, FDR And The New Deal For Beginners. Let's give Julia a round of applause and make sure to check out FDR and The New Deal For Beginners at Random House or Facebook.

Poetry: Front & Center

In a world where it seems like there’s one bit of bad news after another, it’s truly wonderful to know that poetry is still valued by the government & citizens of our nation. This week a new US Poet Laureate was named, W. S. Merwin, 82, of Hawaii. NPR has an interview with him and The New York Times covered his appointment on its’ front page. Nice to see Poetry front & center for a change.

If you listen to the NPR interview you will hear him read his poem, “Separation,” but I just can’t wait to share it, so here it is!

Separation

Your absence has gone through me
like thread through a needle.
Everything I do is stitched with its color.

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=128245738
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/01/books/01poet.html

Will FDR Era Economic Policy Save The World?

Are national governments around the world on their way towards making the same catastrophic mistakes that were made in the 1930s or are they making sufficient bounds towards financial recovery? This New York Times article seems to think that "it’s impossible to know which prediction will turn out to be right. You can find good evidence to support either one."

Some of the world's major economies are going to repeat economic policy from the 30s. By cutting spending and raising taxes, they are going to attempt closing up budget deficits that have been plaguing GDPs around the world since the start of the recession in 2007, and in some cases, even earlier. FDR did this in 1936, resulting in what some believe to be a prolongation of the Great Depression. But things have changed since FDR's presidency. The question is, have they changed enough?

Read the article and take a look at our forthcoming book, FDR And The New Deal For Beginners -- a unique and creative look at FDR's presidency, the issues he faced (many quite similar to the issues today), and how he dealt with them -- and decide for yourself.

Contest Winner Has Been Drawn!!!

Today at 10:48:32, Random.org's integer generator spat out the number 38. What does that mean exactly? It means we have a WINNER for the FDR and The New Deal For Beginners Giveaway!!! We can't say who lucky number 38 is just yet, but stay tuned and we'll post his/her name right here when we get a confirmation.

The First Submissions For The 'Where Do YOU "Begin?"' Photo Competition

The First Pictures are in! Enjoy some of these great shots of people (and other things) reading our books and go submit your own!

...And a few more

CONTESTS! CONTESTS! CONTESTS!

I don't know what it is but we over here at For Beginners just feel like giving away some free books. It must just be a generous time of year. We currently have two contests running on Facebook.

The First is to win an advance copy of FDR And The New Deal For Beginners. Just friend us on Facebook and RSVP to the event and you could win a copy. But hurry, the contest ends TONIGHT at 9:00!

The other is the "Where Do You 'Begin?'" photo contest. Again, friend us and RSVP to the event then show us pictures of you reading our books. The winner will win a copy of any For Beginners title they want!

And word has it there's a contest lurking in the near future. You heard it here first. Stay posted for more.

The links to both contests are under the "Our Links" menu on the right.

New Indie Bookselling Model: Publish Own Handselling Favorites

New Indie Bookselling Model: Publish Own Handselling Favorites

FDR and The New Deal FB Has A New Trailer

Click here to see it in full 360 and 480p on YouTube

First Post

Ladies and Gentlemen, the For Beginners Blog is officially go. We're not proud of the way it looks or the content, but hey, it's a whole lot better than our attempt on wordpress. From here on out, we at For Beginners will be releasing all the information YOU want to know right here on this site. Expect BIG changes in the very near future.