Houston.BloggersPub

I just bought some books that you might be interested in. Anyone who grew up in the 80s and 90s was probably touched by MTV when it was more relevant to the youth. These days the kids “want their YouTube.” I Want My MTV: The Uncensored Story of the Music Video Revolution by Craig Marks and Rob Tannenbaum covers the glory days of the once music network.

I Want My MTV: The Uncensored Story of the Music Video Revolution

A few years ago I was five minutes too late to meet MTV founder (and later Viacom CEO) Tom Freston…now that would have been cool for me.

The next book covers something MTV was against…fat. Why We Get Fat: And What to Do About It by Gary Taubes attempts to understand weight, separate fact from fiction and help us get rid of it (hopefully). Is Houston still on that stupid list by the way?

Why We Get Fat: And What to Do About It

Taubes also wrote Good Calories, Bad Calories: Fats, Carbs, and the Controversial Science of Diet and Health. Although this one is more for the ‘weight nerds’ according to reviews.

Good Calories, Bad Calories: Fats, Carbs, and the Controversial Science of Diet and Health (Vintage)

Click through these links and I get a small percentage of the sale. Help a brother out!

RELATED
- Three books you might want to check out with me

> Mike McGuff Blog
> Become a fan
> Facebook profile
> Twitter
> Tumblr

The Grape is one prolific author. Here is another book by Randy Tatano:

It’s not uncommon for television reporters to act as if every story is the end of the world. But what would happen if journalists really did have to cover Judgment Day?

That’s the premise of Randy Tatano’s second novel “The End“, a thriller that shows what might just happen if a messenger from heaven arrived and gave reporters the biggest story of all time. It’s a perfect storm for the world of television news, a story that grabs the entire planet by the throat and won’t let go.

Tatano, known as “The Grape” for his sarcastic news industry blog “tvnewsgrapevine“, got the idea from one of his reporting gigs. “We had a News Director who would give us these nothing stories and act as if they should be the lead story on the network. We used to joke when we’d get an assignment like this, saying, ‘You’d think we’re heading out to cover the second coming.’ So I began to wonder what would happen if Judgment Day arrived and how television news would cover it.”

“The End” is currently available in an electronic version on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, the iTunes Bookstore, and other electronic distributors. You can also download the book to any computer using the free apps provided by booksellers. It is published under Tatano’s pen name, Nick Harlow.

Some of his previous publications include “Rom-Com“, a romantic comedy about the television news industry, a few Star Trek short stories published by Pocket Books, and a collection of sci-fi tales, all published under his own name.

RELATED
- Women reverse TV news stereotypes in new book
- KHOU 11’s Christine Haas writes ‘The Ranch: Secrets and Sins’

> Mike McGuff Blog
> Become a fan
> Facebook profile
> Twitter

You can call KHOU 11 anchor (former KVUE Austin anchor) Christine Haas an earlier riser, but now you can call her ‘author’ too. That’s right, the morning anchor has written a new book called The Ranch: Secrets and Sins.

Haas pulled the story from a world she knows well…journalism:

It all begins with Jack James’ uncanny ability to uncover the deepest of secrets, wrongdoing and deceit. He is the John Wayne of news reporting in this novel as he shows true grit in the pursuit of truth and justice. Jack is a successful journalist who fights off his demons of insecurity, and his problems get even bigger when he gets engaged to Alli Wilkshire, the daughter of a powerful Governor. While investigating one of the biggest sex scandals the Presidential race has ever seen, Jack learns the ugly truth about thewoman he is set to marry.

But all is not lost for Jack…. The biggest fork in his road of life becomes his greatest gift - paved with love and happiness. The question is: Will he survive long enough to uncover it?

Haas tells me she wrote The Ranch: Secrets and Sins because she was looking for a creative outlet.

“These days I am anchoring more newscasts than going out and writing/reporting stories and I really missed writing,” Haas told mikemcguff.com. “So, I thought I’d try my hand at fiction. It’s been so much fun and I have found it very rewarding!”

She says the inspiration came from a story she reported on the insurgence of eBooks and how people are becoming successful authors without the traditional publishing process.

“These authors are proving that with a recipe of creativity and determination you can find a very rewarding life and fulfilled career,” Haas told me. “I had so much fun writing ‘The Ranch,’ I’m already working on a second book. This process has been very exciting and I hope that people will have as much fun reading the books as I do writing them!”

In fact Haas had such a good time writing, she says a second book is already in the works.

You can see more at Christine Haas‘ new website.

> Mike McGuff Blog
> Become a fan
> Facebook profile
> Twitter

Just used the $50 Amazon gift card that CBS Houston sent me to buy these three books. You might want to check them out too. Of course you probably can’t escape the Steve Jobs biography at this point.

Steve Jobs
By: Walter Isaacson

Welcome to Your Child’s Brain: How the Mind Grows from Conception to College
By: Sam Wang, Sandra Aamodt

It’s So Easy: and other lies
By: Duff McKagan

Click through these links and I get a small percentage of the sale. Help a brother out!

> Mike McGuff Blog
> Become a fan
> Facebook profile
> Twitter

You know him as The Grape, the man with a ton of TV news wisdom at his blog tvnewsgrapevine (I am always linking to his blog on this one). But the man behind the purple mask, Randy Tatano, is also an author.

Tatano, a former reporter and News Director who now works as a network field producer, has taken the old newsroom premise of “never letting the facts get in the way of a good story” and turned it into a novel.

His first book, Rom-Com hits Amazon.com this week in paperback while electronic versions are available via Kindle, Nook, iPhone, iPad and Android.

“In case you couldn’t guess, Rom-Com is a romantic comedy,” said Tatano. “Even if you’re a guy, it’s one you’ll enjoy, since it is about a television news network. The bottom line plot: four women take over a television network and turn things upside down, reversing the traditional co-anchor pairing of older-man-younger-woman by creating anchor teams with an older woman and a younger man.”

Cougars might be a fan of this too.

Tatano added that the book is written with the same brand of sarcasm and warped humor that permeates his blog, so the television industry takes more than a few shots along the way. It’s published under his pen name, N.J. Harlow.

Some of his previous publications include a few Star Trek short stories published by Pocket Books, and a collection of sci-fi tales, all published under his own name.

A second book, also set in the world of television news, is in production and scheduled for release in the coming months. So I’m guessing TV management types…watch out!

> Mike McGuff Blog
> Become a fan
> Facebook profile
> Twitter

I told you how I was reading I’m Feeling Lucky: The Confessions of Google Employee Number 59 by Douglas Edwards. Well I finished.

Now, I’ve read books about Google before years ago. While I learned something about the company, at the same time I wanted to gag because the kiss up factor was up to a googol if you know what I mean.

Edwards’ book however gives us a more realistic view of the company I have a feeling. After all, he was there in the early years, watched it grow and then was let go. That gives him credibility in my book. I think we are looking at a more accurate picture in this one (I have not read Steven Levy’s In The Plex: How Google Thinks, Works, and Shapes Our Lives so it could be more honest too for all I know).

In I’m Feeling Lucky: The Confessions of Google Employee Number 59 Edwards shows us how fast the company grew, details on the product launch of Gmail and Google news, internal struggles (his was with Marissa Mayer) as well as more details about all of the perks employees get. Plus, Edwards somehow wrote a book about a company from a marketing perspective and gave it the intensity of a thriller.  I’m serious, I was on the edge of my seat during his accounts of Google product launches.

Here are some things off the top of my head that I learned about the search engine giant from the book:
- The founders hate marketing
- The founders ran the place on the cheap (that’s how it survived the crash)
- Code names of Google products
- Where the mantra “Don’t be evil” really came from

I had to laugh at the 50 cent words Edwards through in. I know that Google is known as an intelligent company, so I guess he was trying to keep that sensibility going.

In full disclosure, a rep for the publisher sent me a copy of this book to review.

Check out Doug’s blog: http://xooglers.blogspot.com/
Check out some exclusive video from inside the Googleplex: http://www.youtube.com/user/Xooglers

> Mike McGuff Blog
> Become a fan
> Facebook profile
> Twitter

I used to actually review all the books I read. I’m not sure how many out there really care about what I read, but I did get through one you might like if you are into TV news. How to Watch TV News: Revised Edition by Neil Postman and Steve Powers was a book that came out a while ago and was recently updated. If you are interested in a TV news career…read this book. If you are new to the TV business…read this book. If you are just a media geek…read this book. After working in TV news since 1995, I found this book to be the most accurate depiction of how and why the business runs the way it does. Also, watch this movie.

Currently I am reading I’m Feeling Lucky: The Confessions of Google Employee Number 59 by Douglas Edwards. I will review this book when I finish. (In full disclosure, the publisher sent me a free copy to review on my blog).

Here are some other titles I read and recommend. Obviously a lot are rock music books, so keep in mind, you probably should be a fan of the band to read them. The Vince Neil book was the worst of the group, Sammy Hagar’s was the best of the bunch. If you click on any of the titles, you will be taken to Amazon.com where you can buy them. As an affiliate member, I get a small percentage of the sale. Thanks in advance.

Bossypants by Tina Fey

Red: My Uncensored Life in Rock by Sammy Hagar

Eddie Trunk’s Essential Hard Rock and Heavy Metal by Eddie Trunk

Tattoos & Tequila: To Hell and Back with One of Rock’s Most Notorious Frontmen by Vince Neil

Mustaine: A Heavy Metal Memoir by Dave Mustaine

The Rolling Stone Interviews

Still in the queue:

Life by Keith Richards

> Mike McGuff Blog
> Become a fan
> Facebook profile
> Twitter

Houston Dining on the Cheap author, Zagat contributor and past mikemcguff.com blog contributor, Mike Riccetti, has a new book out that should make Houstonians hungry for more.

It’s called Houston Dining 2011 - A Guide for Visitors (and Most Locals, Too) and I think it caters to both groups well. I was born in Houston and learned stuff from reading it.

Riccetti breaks it down by location, type of food and then he goes and gets creative on us:

- Local restaurants profiled on Guy Fieri’s show and The Next Iron Chef
- Places that serve a nice variety of scotches to celebrate the close of that big deal, or just get a customer drunk on expensive stuff
- Restaurant rows - areas like the Rice Village and lower Westheimer where there is a concentration of restaurants

This is an e-book and is a Kindle release but Riccetti says it can also be read on iPad, iPhone, iPod touch, PC, Mac, Blackberry, and Android-based devices.

Houston Dining 2011 - A Guide for Visitors (and Most Locals, Too) ($9.99)

> Mike McGuff Blog
> Become a fan

Regular readers will recognize “Abby’s Book Corner” posts. Abigail “Abby” Kearney was my goddaughter who passed away from meningitis in 2008. Her parents have been working to build a library in her honor in Dallas.

They have been holding book drives for hospitals in Dallas and San Antonio. Now I am heading a Houston book drive benefiting the Children’s Memorial Hermann Hospital in the Texas Medical Center.

WHAT WE NEED
New Children’s Book in English or Spanish — For age ranges from infant to young adult. We are also collecting coloring books, crayons, and DVDs.

WHERE TO DROP OFF BOOKS IN HOUSTON
Houston drop off location - Amy’s Ice Cream - We found a great spot located close to the center of Houston. Amy’s Ice Cream has a drop off box right near the door.

Stop by, drop off a bunch of books and enjoy some of the best ice cream in town! SEE THE POSTER

3816 Farnham Street
Houston, TX 77098-4002
(Near Highway 59 between Shepherd and Greenbriar - Houston)
(713) 526-2697
Click here for a map

DONATE ONLINE
Amazon.com — No time to buy a book? No problem. Search Abby’s Book Corner Wish List on Amazon.com to select a children’s book from the registry. You just browse the list of books, purchase and the donation is sent to the right place automatically. Houston wish list: CLICK TO DONATE

Check back for news on which big media outfit in Houston is helping out Abby’s Book Corner!

http://www.abbysbookcorner.com/houston.php

> Mike McGuff Blog

Regular readers will recognize “Abby’s Book Corner” posts. Abigail “Abby” Kearney was my goddaughter who passed away from meningitis in 2008. Her parents have been working to build a library in her honor.

They have been holding book drives for hospitals in Dallas and San Antonio. Now I am going to head one for Houston benefiting the Children’s Memorial Hermann Hospital. This will be a combination of an online and real world book drive.

I wanted to place the drop off locations in a Houston chain that has locations all over our area. My first thought was one of my favorites…Freebirds. I contacted the restaurant’s California corporate parent email address and have not heard anything back in several weeks. Scratch that off the list.

Does anyone have any ideas of another chain that fits my needs? The business that gets the drop off boxes will get some publicity out of this thing!

http://www.abbysbookcorner.com/

RELATED
- VIDEO: CBS 11 KTVT has great story on Abby’s Book Corner
- VIDEO: Abby’s Book Corner a success
- Update on Abby’s Book Drive
- A Dallas baby’s death inspires giving — one book at a time
- Abby’s book drive, how you can help

> Mike McGuff Blog