Those in the NYC area are invited to help me launch my new book “The Wikipedia Revolution: How a bunch of nobodies created the world’s greatest encyclopedia” (Hyperion) on March 19, 2009, at 6pm.
I’ll be talking about the background of the book, and I’ll be interviewed by Jonathan Dube, VP of ABCnews.com and president of the Online News Association. Books will be available for sale and signing afterwards. (For Wikipedia veterans, I might have an extra gift for you.) Hope to see you there!
- Location: Columbia University’s Graduate School of Journalism, New York City, NY
- Time: 6pm to 9pm
- For details and Facebook event: http://www.wikipediarevolution.com/Blog+News.html
REVIEWS AND PRAISE
“Fantastic page-turning history. By far the best Wikipedia book.” -Chris Anderson, editor-in-chief Wired Magazine, author of The Long Tail
“It’s a terrific book.. Andrew tells the story historically, providing tons of context and background.” -David Weinberger, author of Everything is Miscellaneous and The Cluetrain Manifesto
“Other books have surfaced… but Lih’s authoritative approach covers much more.” -Publisher’s Weekly
“An easy, nontech, intriguing read about a Web “miracle” that today rivals the Encyclopaedia Britannica.” -Booklist Starred Review
The comments about Encyclopaedia Britannica and Wikipedia are interesting.
Britannica never thought that an open source product like Wikipedia would seriously challenge the credibility of its brand. They were wrong and Encyclopaedia Britannica’s staff seriously misread the global market. They are now very concerned about the widespread use of a free Wikipedia vs their paid subscription model From a corporate and financial perspective, Encyclopaedia Britannica is in serious trouble.
It will be interesting to see if Encyclopaedia Britannica survives, but recent indications do not look good. It is the combination of a) the success of Wikipedia and b) improved search engines that has put financial pressure on Encyclopedia Britannica over recent years. Many libraries, schools & individuals are questioning the need to pay for sets of expensive books, or to subscribe to Encyclopaedia Britannica Online, when the content is free on the internet, and often much more comprehensive.