Doors of Perception Report - "In The Bubble" Special
By John Thackara, May 2005

BOOK PROMOTION ADVISORY
If you, or someone you know, would like to meet the author of this
newsletter - and maybe buy a signed copy of his new book - then read
on. If you don't, stop reading now, because that's all this month's
Doors of Perception Report is about.

WHY?
First, because my publisher's parent institution, MIT, saw the value
of its endowment decline by a billion dollars during the dotcom
crash. As a result they (my otherwise wonderful publisher) feel too
poor to spend a million bucks promoting a book. Second, didn't you
hear? The "new economy" has been superceded by the "self-service
economy". Normal editorial service in this newsletter will resume in
June.

"IN THE BUBBLE: DESIGNING IN A COMPLEX WORLD"
The book is about designing a world that is based less on stuff, and
more on people. It describes a transformation that is taking place
now -not in a remote science fiction future. An optimistic book, it
argues that we are regaining respect for what people can do, that
technology can't. Its ten chapters are entitled: Lightness. Speed.
Mobility. Place. Space. Conviviality. Learning. Literacy. Smartness.
Flow. There are are three bibliographies. And the Index contains five
entries for "Control" and 28 for "Context".
http://www.thackara.com/inthebubble/index.html

SHOUTS
The book has its own website. It contains a summary of the book;
three extracts; an interview with the author; a link to Fast Company
(where it's book of the month); plus a number of endorsements - or
"shouts" as they are called in the book trade - which were all
cravenly solicited. The best way to obtain an independent evaluation
is to buy your own copy. Publication dates: 28 April in the US, 27
May in UK/Europe.
http://www.thackara.com/inthebubble/index.html

TALKS, READINGS, SIGNINGS

NEW YORK Thursday 12 May.
6.30pm-8.30pm. Celebration drink to launch the In The Bubble US tour.
Hosted by Doug Sery (MITP) and Colin Robinson. At the new Brecht
Forum, 451 West Street, New York.
http://www.brechtforum.org/

NEW YORK Friday 13 May.
"Malfatto: Imperfect Design For A Better World?" Conference at
Tishman Auditorium, NYC . Material Connexion's founder, George M.
Beylerian, has also invited the architect/artist Gaetano Pesce; toy
maker and sculptor Kardash Onnig; trend announcer Li Edelkoort; Scott
Henderson, co-founder of Mint; James Ludwig, Director of Design for
Steelcase; and Scott Wilson,Global Creative Director for Nike Explore.
http://materialconnexion.com/malfatto.asp

NEW YORK Sunday 15 May
Design Downtown 10.30am - 11.30am. Brief, lively and interesting
presentations on "the business of design" accompanied by fresh
coffee and Krispy Kremes. Features Robert Kloos (Consulate General of
The Netherlands), Sina Djafari (partner in Edge, Modern and Public
Design), et moi. Event location: Drive-In Studios, 443 West 18th
Street. Seating is limited so please call +1 212 352 9968 to reserve
a place. Or contact: susan@...
http://www.designdowntown.com/ddt_seminars05.html

BOSTON Monday 16 May
5.30pm MIT. Building 34 Room 101 (sic). T: 617 253-5249 or email:
Colleen Lanick colleenl@...

STANFORD UNIVERSITY Tuesday 17 May
Reading and Signing 6:00 pm at Stanford University Bookstore, 519
Lasuen Mall, Stanford, California.
T: 650 329-1217

PALO ALTO Wednesday 18 May
12:00 noon IDEO "KnowHow" talk, introduced by Bill Moggridge. At
IDEO's meeting space: 831 High Street, Palo Alto. Contact: Scott
Underwood (scott@...), T: 650 289 3409.

SEATTLE Thursday 19 May
5:30pm Reading and Signing at Elliott Bay Book Company, 101 South
Main Street, Seattle, Washington.
T: 206 624-6600

SEATTLE, Friday 20 May
7:00pm Reading and Signing, University Bookstore, 4326 University
Way, Seattle, Washington. T: 206 634-3400

HELSINKI Wednesday 25 May
University of Art and Design Seminar: "What type of communities does
digital media shape - physical or virtual". Hämeentie 135 C,
FIN-00560 Helsinki http://www.uiah.fi/moa2005/seminars.php
6pm Book Signing, Arabianranta. Contact: Sari Väänänen
sari.vaananen@...

HELSINKI Thursday 26 May.
6pm Reading and Signing, Kiasma.
http://www.kiasma.fi/www/index.php?lang=en

HAY ON WYE Tuesday 31 May
Tuesday 10.00h. The Guardian Hay Festival . 25 Lion St, Hay-on-Wye,
HR3 5AD. T: +44 870 787 2848
http://www.hayfestival.com
Media contact: Sophie Rochester Sophie@...

LONDON Wednesday 1 June.
16.00h (tea) for 16.30 (talk): "Designing In A Complex World". Hosted
by Robin Murray, RED Unit, the Design Council, Bow Street, London. To
reserve a seat, please email Jude Codner:
JudeC@... 0207 420 5216
www.designcouncil.org.uk/blog/red

GLASGOW Thursday 2 June.
The Lighthouse (with Urban Learning Space). Contact:
stuart@...
http://www.thelighthouse.co.uk/

BREDA, NL. Wednesday 15 June
A national debate between cultural leaders, investors and policy
makers. With Hedy van Van der Laan (culture minister), Rene
Hoogendoorn (investor, ING) and John Thackara (author). 9.00 to 18.00
"somewhere in the industrial area behind the station". Contact:
mrp.warendorff@...

BERGEN, NORWAY. Wednesday 5 October
Bergen National Academy of Arts. Conference: Hybrid Art & Design Practice.
Contact: Professor Jeremy Welsh jjw@... / jeremyjwelsh@...

LONDON Friday 14 October
Global Design Critical Debate. At the V&A. Rem Koolhaas and John
Thackara. Chaired by Joe Kerr. 2.00pm - 5.00pm. Book now on +44 870
906 3883 or www.vam.ac.uk/

CAN'T COME TO ONE OF THESE EVENTS, BUT WANT TO HELP THE BOOK?
1. Ask your company, college, or local library to buy a copy:
http://mitpress.mit.edu/0262201577
2. Mention it in your blog:
http://www.thackara.com/inthebubble/index.html
3. Tell two friends about it:
http://www.thackara.com/inthebubble/index.html
4. Suggest to one journalist that she consider reviewing it:
http://www.thackara.com/inthebubble/index.html
5. Write a review of it at Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/
6. Humbly submit a story about it to Slashdot:
http://it.slashdot.org/submit.pl

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