As a former CIA employee, Valerie Plame Wilson was required to submit her book Fair Game to the agency for review before publication. They wanted to remove as much as 35% of the material, according to the publisher, but settled on withholding approval of a mere 15%. Simon and Schuster decided to make these excisions … Continue reading 85% There

Like every right-thinking American, I love Stephen Colbert, author of the indispensable guide I Am America (And So Can You!). But I like him even more after having heard him gush on NPR's Fresh Air about his schoolboy giddiness when Tony Bennett came on his show. Does Colbert have the nerves (and the chops) to … Continue reading But Seriously

JK Rowling's final Harry Potter book was a publishing phenomenon, a solid gold gift to booksellers, right? Not really. According to Publishers Weekly, amazon.com discounted Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows so fiercely that they actually lost money on it. But don't shed any tears for the book behemoth. Even in its rush to undercut … Continue reading Harry Potter and the Deathly Balance Sheet