Berrett-Koehler Publishers - A community dedicated to creating a world that works for all

V 9:3  Jan 8, 2015
Happy birthday, David Bowie!
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Ah, love...





BK Communiqu�

 
Spotlight

Why Read It? We're bombarded by messages telling us that more, bigger, and better things are the keys to happiness -- but after we pile up the stuff and pile on the hours, we end up exhausted and broke on a planet full of trash.

 Sarah van Gelder and her colleagues at YES magazine have been exploring the meaning of real happiness for eighteen years. In this much-needed volume, they marshal fascinating research, in-depth essays, and compelling personal stories that lead to a life-altering conclusion: what makes us truly happy are the depth of our relationships, the quality of our communities, the contribution we make through the work we do, and the renewal we receive from a thriving natural world.

With contributions by writers like Annie Leonard, Matthieu Ricard, and Vandana Shiva, this book features some of the most insightful and eloquent thinkers on the eternally fascinating subject of the meaning of happiness.
 
Read a free excerpt here and buy the book for 30% off  here. ______________________________________ 
For academic desk copies, please contact Mike Crowley.

For media review copies, please contact Katie Sheehan.
Publishing News
Happiness Is Already Here

In this issue of the Communiqu�, we explore how the real source of happiness comes from service to others and the work we do to preserve our relationships and our environment.

But why look for happiness in a time of such turmoil? Isn't the world just getting worse? Actually, no, and here are Five Excellent Global Reasons for Happiness.
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Other News    

+ According to one magazine, here are the top thirty best book covers of 2014.

+ E-books will disrupt your sleep, according to some researchers.

+And in an absolutely surprising turn of events, authors are yet again upset at Amazon.

+ Here's an interesting argument for book soundtracks.

+ Margaret Atwood recently revealed her current reading list.

+ Abe Books reveals the fifty most expensive used books it sold in 2014.

+ Mark Zuckerberg has started a book club, and Amazon sold out of the first pick in a matter of hours.

+ Jeff Bezos sits down for a really rough interview and still insists Amazon's doing great.

+ J. K. Rowling has revealed that she deeply regrets killing off one of her Harry Potter characters.

+ Amazon will carry your book no matter how salacious or controversial the subject matter, but a work that has too many hyphens? That's going too far!
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Freebies 

+ Free Excerpt from a New York Times Bestseller: As You Wish, by Cary Elvwes, Joe Layden, and Rob Reiner. Read an excerpt here.

+ Free Tools: Search all Craigslists globally at one time here.

+ Free Resources: New versions of your software buggy or problematic? Download older versions of almost any app here.
Your Own $#@! Year in Review
Facebook's Year in Review app caused quite a ruckus because the algorithms used to pull up the most popular events for each user in 2014 also dredged up pictures and memories and photos of people they'd lost and other unfortunate events.

In a completely uncharacteristic turn, our Chief Editorial Flunky manifested what he calls "an uncontrolled and thankfully rare fit of positivity" which prompted him to write a very short piece encouraging us all to "Do Your Own %$#! Year in Review," and he also shared his, warts and all.
Which BK Book Is This?
This Italian edition of our book is titled Manuale pratico della Nonviolenza and uses cover imagery that shows what appears to be Noah's Ark. 

At first it's confusing as to what Noah's Ark would have to do with our book, until you realize that living in such cramped quarters, the animals would need to know how not to get on each other's nerves or start fighting.
Once you figure this in, it makes sense to have this image as the cover of this BK book.
Marginally Unethical Life Hacks
Some things are ethical; some things are not. And then there are those things that help you get ahead that are technically not unethical but, well --

We Recommend

You, Unstuck combats a destructive philosophy that we all sometimes fall into at one degree or another: I can't change. I am the victim of my circumstances and confined by my personal limitations. 

 

In this book, Seth Adam Smith will show you how to overcome this philosophy of fear by providing examples of people who have overcome tremendous odds because they believed they could-including the author, who suffers from chronic depression. We may not be able to control what happens to us, but we can always control how we react. 

Confessions of an Editorial Assistant
Editorial Assistant Anna Leinberger sees things here at BK -- sometimes these things are beautiful, sometimes they're ugly, and sometimes they're just plain silly. But now she's telling all.

For this issue, Anna talks about Books, Unstuck
Free E-Book (for 48 Hours)
For forty-eight hours, we are giving away e-copies of No More Regrets, by Marc Muchnick, here

This offer is available exclusively for BK Communiqu� subscribers. But act fast! After midnight on January 9, 2015, you're going to have to plunk down $14.95 like everyone else.  Go now.
Check This Out
Yes! magazine is more than just a publication, it's an online destination for all the latest news, and articles on peace, economics, justice, and happiness.

In the Happiness section, you'll learn everything from how to pickle almost anything to how a chicken can become a cat. What more do you need?
End Notes



   


Last time, I issued this challenge. The first correct answer came from Roger Williams. The answer to the challenge can be found here.

Your next challenge can be found here

Email me with any comments or rants. And on a completely unrelated note, here's a man who decided that the best thing to do when placed in police custody is to sing "Bohemian Rhapsody."

Oh, and here is your biweekly dose of random.

                       Jeevan 


P.S. -- this isn't real, is it?
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