January 13, 2014

Amazon vending machines are the future of retail in precisely the same way that Dippin Dots are the future of ice cream. News hit various tech blogs late last week… Read more »

Amazon

After removing its books from Amazon, children’s publisher reports record profits — Kait Howard
Amazon picks up The Last Tycoon adaptation, casts Kelsey Grammer in lead — Liam O'Brien
Book spotted in San Bernardino shooting suspects' home inspires Amazon review battle — Liam O'Brien
Amazon shows New Jersey a thing or two about traffic — Liam O'Brien

Elsevier issues academics thousands of takedown notices, doesn’t want any friends anyway

Sal Robinson

With all the delicacy and tact of Rob Ford at a press conference, the academic publisher Elsevier has stepped up their attempts to control the circulation of journal articles, sending… Read more »

Researchers create a computer model to determine a book’s “success”

Claire Kelley

A team of computer scientists at Stony Brook University have attempted to build statistical models to predict whether or not a book will be “successful.” They define success as the… Read more »

Los Angeles Public Library offering a high school diploma program

Nick Davies

The Los Angeles Public Library is launching what they believe to be the first program from a public library to offer accredited high school diplomas, Julie Watson reports for the… Read more »

Writing drunk: Olivia Laing finds links between writing and drinking

We’ve all heard Hemingway’s “Write drunk; edit sober,” and Baudelaire’s “One should always be drunk.” We’ve imagined our favorite writers at typewriters with highballs or with rings of wine on… Read more »

Melville House Books

Amazon installs vending machines in airports, malls, other loci of sorrow and unease

Dustin Kurtz