Very interesting article in the NY Times about book collections of some celebrity CEOs. A couple of interesting quotes:
“Until recently when Steven P. Jobs of Apple sold his collection, he reportedly had an “inexhaustible interest” in the books of William Blake — the mad visionary 18th-century mystic poet and artist.”
It’s not at all surprising that Jobs would be a Blake fan, but why would he “sell his collection.” I can understand selling Pixar to Disney, but a book collection? Did he sell it on eBay? This is something Fake Steve Jobs needs to explain.
Here’s another quote that raises a question:
“In his library, (Dee) Hock (founder of Visa), found the book that contained the thoughts of all (great philosophers and novelists distilled into one book): Omar Khayyam’s “Rubáiyát,” the Persian poem that warns of the dangers of greatness and the instability of fortune.
The question it raises is this. What will CEOs who read that article most likely buy and read: Blake or Khayyam?
He’s certainly old enough to go without me, but the 16-year-old allowed me to tag along on what has become a bi-annual tradition since he was in about the fourth grade: the midnight release of a Harry Potter book. As this is the final such release party — and something likely never to be replicated — I wanted to capture a bit of it on video. The 20-year-old is out of the country and I’m sure took part in something similar, but it was kind of sad for her not to be here. As you’ll see in the video, we did catch up with her (and our) best friend forever, who, along with my son, are perhaps the most over-the-top experts in Harry Potter trivia I know. Between the two of them, they’ve probably read or listened to each book dozens of times.
Speaking of my son, it is now about 3:00 p.m. CDT on Saturday and he has finished reading the book (the first of several times, no doubt). Without any spoilers, he says he can’t properly provide a review. He does say most of the back-stories are resolved and, well, I can’t say much more than that.
I’ve lost count at how much in NBA fines Mark Cuban has had to pay for things he’s written in his blog about the league. As an owner, he’s never been slow to publicly express what others probably feel, but won’t say.
So, when I saw a NY Times story about the possibility that an NBA referee gambled on games in which he officiated, and potentially made game-influencing calls, my first impulse was to see if Cuban had written anything about it. (Some of his fines have been associated with complaints about officiating.) And of course he has.
While I’m sure other team owners are all “issuing statements” that were drafted by the league office or their attorneys, Cuban’s statement seems to be written straight from the gut — unfiltered. In other words, classic Cuban.
And this time, his post is not going to get Cuban fined. Rather, if the league follows his advice, it could be a valuable asset he is providing them.
Quote:
“The NBA took a hit today. Behind that hit is a catalyst and opportunity for significant change that could make the NBA stronger than it ever has been. Its a chance to proactively put in place people, processes and transparency that will forever silence those who will question the NBA’s integrity. I have complete confidence that David Stern and Adam Silver will do just that and the NBA and our officiating will be all the stronger for it.”
I’m sure there are those who will parse his post differently, but as I read it, it’s both a supportive, endorsing vote of confidence in those with whom Cuban has had a run-in or two. Because he blogs, we’ve all been able to listen in.
