500-year-old book surfaces in Utah
SALT LAKE CITY — Book dealer Ken Sanders has seen a lot of nothing in his decades appraising “rare” finds pulled from attics and basements, storage sheds and closets. Sanders, who occasionally appraises items for PBS’s Antiques Roadshow, often employs the “fine art of letting people down gently.” But on a recent Saturday while volunteering […]
Kiss a frog? Bad idea for both you and the frog
In the world of make-believe, kissing a frog could turn him into a prince. In real life, touching them can kill the creatures and cause serious problems for humans too. April is National Frog Month, and while most people probably know that touching frogs and toads won’t give you warts, frogs can transmit diseases. They […]
Bookworm: Unhappy? Then try designing your dream job
You suppose you should be happy. At a time when unemployment flirts with double digits, you have a job — though it’s not the job you wanted, dreamed about having or even expected. It’s just a job. It pays the bills, and that’s about it. You often wonder if this is as good as it […]
Bookworm: Quick, remember the title of this helpful book
Maybe your mother was right. When she said you’d forget your head if it wasn’t attached, she might’ve been onto something. You completely missed an important meeting yesterday. You’ve left vital documents at home on the counter (lots of good they’ll do there), you filed something yesterday but can’t find it now and every morning […]
Bookworm: How to win daily battle to stay in business
These days, it’s a battle to stay in business. From your command post at headquarters, you see the daily skirmish as your employees go hand-to-hand with the competition. Sometimes they capture new clients, and other times, they’re just not strong enough to withstand other forces. Top brass would love to have your people win, but […]
Google opens e-book store in challenge to Amazon
SAN FRANCISCO — Google Inc. is making the leap from digital librarian to merchant in a challenge to Amazon.com Inc. and its Kindle electronic reader. The long-awaited Internet book store, which opened Monday in the U.S., draws upon a portion of the 15 million printed books that Google has scanned into its computers during the […]
‘Black Faces in White Places’ stands out from the biz book crowd
Imagine that you’re standing in a roomful of people. And you’re completely alone. Throughout your adult life, you’ve been in rooms just like that, solitary in a crowd of people you know. It’s a familiar feeling, one you’ve had before, and you’d leave but the doorway keeps moving when you try. If you’re an African […]
Saul Bellow letters show man behind novels
NEW YORK — Like the first line of a novel, the idea for a letter could occur to Saul Bellow at any time. The words might have come on a daily walk or during a drive to the grocery store. Perhaps he had just finished a bath, a bubble bath, or awakened in the night. […]
Kucher: Put some bounce in your business
In crazy times like these, you hear a lot of crazy explanations — a lot of folks grasping at threads of ideas to try to explain everything. The other day I heard a pundit describe our economy as muddling along in an “uncertain recovery.” Setting aside the absurdity of what a “certain recovery” would look […]