Hey, Big Spenders… (Status Report on Presimetrics)

Many congratulations, Mike.

Be prepared for a little disappointment, when you realize that the facts and data won’t actually change anyone’s mind. 

In particular, it won’t change the minds that you want to change – the bitter religion and gun clingers who vote for extremist politicians against their own economic interests.  Those people have not committed to extremist and failed economic policies for logical factual reasons, so logic and facts won’t change their minds.

Learning this (yes, the hard way) was a big disappointment to me.  I don’t know what to do about this situation, but I’m pretty sure that the death of responsible journalism is a big part of the picture.  It’s inexplicable why Fox News would get Helen Thomas’s seat in the White House Press Room.

wkj,

I suspect it will go out before that.  The publisher’s plans were thrown into a bit of a disarray when Parade decided to feature the book and they had to scramble to print it.  I understand the first run has been printed and should ship to bookstores soon.  (Somehow an inexplicable error crept into my bio blurb on the jacket of the book – apparently the statistical software I worked on in my past life acquired the word “essential.”  Very odd, since that word did not appear in any previous version of the jacket.  Kind of irritating as it makes me sound rather pompous.)

pvdl,

Thanks.  And yes, I know it won’t change people’s minds, but I’m an optimist, and I have a plan that I’ve discussed with the publicity department.  In a few months we’re going to start going after the ed market; the book is structured in such a way that it should be useful as a textbook (we hope) for a contemporary American history or poli sci class.  Possibly some econ or sociology courses might be able to use it as well.

kharris,

Hopefully.  My publisher doesn’t have much experience with e-books, but about a month ago it was in their plan.  Not sure about timing.