More and more I see people posting Bookscan numbers for authors’ books. (example) Not their own sales numbers–this is for authors they don’t know at all.
Cool? Not cool? I’m a little uncomfortable posting those numbers, like saying “Bill? He earns $65,000 a year at his sales job. Down a bit from previous years, but…”
It’s one thing if the author does it himself, but complete strangers? As much as I’d like to know my own Bookscan numbers, I wouldn’t like them posted online for everyone to read. (Note: I don’t actually want to know my Bookscan numbers.)
It’s 18 minutes long, but like a lot of TED Talks, it’s interesting as all hell. The speaker turned his experience working in hospice care to study how common human conditions spread through social networks. Not only does he talk about emotions like happiness and anger (and how those feelings seem to have a life beyond the individual expression of them) but obesity as well.
One thing I wish he’d addressed (and I’m almost tempted to write him a letter to ask him about it) was whether there was a biological component to the spread of traits through social networks. Some recent studies showed that obesity has bacterial/viral components to it, and his work suggests that there’s a way to study the way it spreads from person to person.
And what if there are certain bacterial “cocktails” that promote happiness or dissatisfaction? Those might spread by human contact, too, couldn’t they?
In any event, I’m going to use his description of human social networks in The Buried King. It’s perfect for a scene where non-humans discuss the irritating incomprehensibility of human beings.
After several rather cluttered days, I’m taking this morning for The Buried King. First, a long walk to work out some plotty knotty goodness. Then, coffee and my laptop. We’ll see if I’m finally ready to tackle chapter one.