3 Generations of (E-)Readers

Hi there. How are you feeling? I only ask because I just finished the BK Staff CPR Certification course, so I am officially qualified to save your life. Or, at least, more likely to give it a try. So, just give me a shout or a hand signal if need be.

Moving on: Happy Post-Mother's Day! I hope you all had a nice time with family and friends. I was lucky enough to take a trip down to Los Angeles, where I spent the holiday with my parents and my 99-year-old grandmother. Yes, 99, you did read that right...and she is a pistol. While I was home some interesting technological developments took place. After many months of frustration with an almost-defunct cellular phone, I finally entered the world of The Smart Phone.

Given my positive experience with the iPod Touch and its various apps, I made a smooth transition to my new iPhone. In addition to having a phone, camera, and amazing 3G capability, I was happy to learn that I could easily transfer all of my music and, most importantly, my growing collection of iBooks. An avid BART/bus reader, I first started e-reading on my iPod Touch, and found myself quickly adapting to the device. Having always been vocal about my love for the tactile sensation and smell of a 'real' book, it took me awhile to make the transition to e-reading, but eventually did so for reasons of access and practicality. Not only is a reading device lighter and more portable than a book (let alone many books), but I'm able to buy and begin reading books more immediately than I could if I relegated my shopping to 'real' bookstores. (Note: I still read plenty of print books and am an adamant supporter of local and independent booksellers -- these two methods of consumption are not mutually exclusive, as some would have you believe.) And, let me tell you, it didn't take long before e-reading and e-buying (is that a thing?) felt natural. And, with a bigger screen and constant internet access, it's even better on the iPhone than it was on the iPod.

So, one generation down. Next up, my mother, who not only received my hand-me-up iPod (oh, how the tables have turned!) -- and don't worry, I got her a real and new present, too -- but a new Nook Color, as well. While I think she may have been temporarily overwhelmed by the abundance of new technology (a feeling that, as Digital Community Builder, I have experienced often), I genuinely believe she'll soon be hooked. In an attempt to give her some usage tips and tricks, I played around with that Nook to familiarize myself, and let me tell you, that is quite a device. Not only is the color display incredible, but with the wireless connectivity and the built-in tools and apps, I think the new Nook presents some serious competition to both the iPad and the Kindle. By the time I stepped away from the table, my mom was already getting the hang of it, and I don't doubt that she'll be wielding it like a pro by my next visit. So, two generations down, one to go.

And that one might be "to go" forever. While all of this was going on, my grandmother sat in (relative) silence -- which, for her, is pretty rare. As we subscribed to magazines, filled out crossword puzzles, snapped and shared pictures, and even answered some text messages, Grandma looked on with eyes wide, like someone who had gone to sleep and woken up in an episode of The Jetsons. She was genuinely amazed at the ease with which I was able to intuit the devices and, I have to admit, I was too. Not in the sense that I was impressed with my own unique capabilities (because, at this point, unique they are not), but because one family so easily represented the stages of technological change. There we sat, three generations of book-lovers, all coming to terms with the future (or, rather, the present) of book publishing -- both the good and the bad.

Have you experienced anything like this? If so, I'd love for you to share it in the comments. And, as always, thanks for reading.

Designing Woman: A Woman's World That Works for All - Volume 3

Well hello, readers. Is it time for another blog post already? I suppose it is. That being the case, I'm pleased to report that I can inform of you of an exciting new development: I have a new apartment! Starting in May, I will be a proud resident of San Francisco's Mission District, and I could not be happier. After a tireless and months-long search, I have finally found a place to live, and I think that the space I have found justifies all the work put into the hunt. While I'm sure that you're pleased on my behalf, I wouldn't be surprised if you were a bit confused as to how this is relevant to publishing. But, have I ever strayed too far off topic? I think not!

For the last few months I've been focused on securing an apartment. Now that I have found one, I can move on to something more exciting: designing and decorating it! And, in beginning my conceptual research, I was reminded of a lady I quite admire: architect and designer, Zaha Hadid.

I first learned of Hadid in May of 2010, when she topped the list of 'Thinkers' in Time Magazine's 100 Most Influential People in the World' issue. In reading that article, and following-up on the internet, I was impressed with Hadid's vision and accomplishments. Born in 1950 in Baghdad, Hadid received a degree in mathematics from the American University in Beirut, after which she moved to study at the Architectural Association School of Architecture in London. In the 40+ years of Hadid's career, she has established her own practice, as well as held numerous faculty positions at prestigious institutions around the world. In 2004, Hadid became the first female recipient of the Pritzker Architecture Prize, an award which honors a living architect "whose work demonstrates a combination of...talent, vision, and commitment" and who "has produced consistent and significant contributions to humanity and the environment through the art of architecture."

What's that? Did you someone say "significant contributions to humanity?" A phrase like that automatically sets off of my BK mission-match alarm, and once that alarm rings there's no stopping me. Ladies and gentlemen, it looks like we have our third author in my imaginary BK series, 'A Woman's World That Works for All'!

While Zaha Hadid is already the author of a number of beautiful design and architecture books, she has yet to put words down on paper in an attempt to share what she has learned through her years of experience. In over 40 years of design -- in the fields of architecture, product design, interior decorating and furniture-making -- what sort of evolution has Hadid seen? More importantly (for the purposes of our series), what more evolution does she see in our future? What, to the passionate and unabashedly womanly Zaha Hadid, does a world that works for all really look like?

In Time, clothing designer Donna Karan had this to say about her friend and collaborator: "However you view her work, Zaha is a visionary. Her style is legendary and completely original. Zaha is a woman and an artist of her time -- and yet she is very much ahead of it too."

I rest my case.