The New Book Is In The House

Upgrade from free to receive a signed copy

One of the little rituals of publishing a book is the happy day when a large box or three arrives bearing the publisher’s logo. The author — handles atremble — cuts the tape, folds back the flaps, and beholds the fruit of long labours.

That day has come.

These copies are the author’s to do as he or she may wish, which often means they become gifts to family and friends. Personally, I include among those ranks the lovely people who not only subscribe to this newsletter but have taken out a paid subscription.

As most of you will have realized, I make almost all of what I write here available free to anyone who cares to read it. I do that because, frankly, I care more about people reading what I write than I do being paid for what I write. Which is appalling. It’s a bad business model. It displeases my boss/manager/wife. And it makes me wince whenever I come across Samuel Johnson’s famous declaration that “no man but a blockhead ever wrote but for money.”

Nonetheless, many among you have chosen to take out paid subscriptions. Perhaps you are keen to defend me against charges of blockheadedness. Or you desire the maintenance of tranquility in my household. Whatever the reason, you have done me a solid. Hence, my warm feelings for you.

In gratitude, I am going to give two copies of the new book — personally autographed with a (badly) hand-written statement of earnest affection — to existing paid subscribers.

And a third copy to someone who upgrades from free to a paid subscription in the next two weeks.

Selections will be random, although I haven’t worked out the mechanism just yet. My dog likes to lick things I point at so maybe I’ll put a list before him and winners will be whoever gets the most slobber. I don’t know. I’ll have to experiment.

In any event, this is your chance to beat the rest of the world to the punch and get a copy of the book which Daniel Kahneman, Nobel laureate and greatest living psychologist, called …

But WAIT! There’s more!!! Order now and get a set of ginsu knives absolutely…

No ginsu knives. But for my American subscribers, Barnes & Noble has an impressive sale on today through Friday: 25% off all books. How Big Things Get Done will be released in the United States February 7. So today through Friday you can pre-order the book at a steep discount.

(An aside: Barnes & Noble has experienced a wonderful turnaround thanks to a Brit who loves books and gives store employees autonomy to make choices and reflect their experience at the local level. As a lover of books and decentralized organizations — score another one for auftragstaktik — I approve.)

So thank you, paid subscribers. And thank you, free subscribers, for reading, and for considering upgrading to a paid subscription.