Publishers Weekly’s Editor-in-Chief, Sarah Nelson, came up with a new twist on turning a sow’s ear into a silk purse in her commentary this week. She addressed the bogus book-banning list attributed to Governor Sarah Palin that was circulating hot and heavy on the net a few weeks ago. Her well-intended comments qualify for the cup-half-full, or rose colored-glasses award, masking too easily the ear that a sits on the well-fed sow resting in the shadows.

So, I want to shine a light on that sow’s ear. But before doing so, I want to acknowledge a few things about Publishers Weekly and its editor that I feel bear saying in a ForeWord magazine blog. Despite the fact that PW has purloined (purposely or accidentally) our trade mark “Foreword,” for the front section of their magazine, I have been and remain an admirer and regular subscriber to the magazine—not just for its literary side, but also for its reports on industry business news—and for a sense of where our industry establishment (its major publishing houses) is leading us and for the trends that fuel their publishing programs.

Let me say also that Sarah Nelson has built up a lot of good points with me as I’ve traveled the industry circuit and heard her on panels and in keynotes and in workshops. On occasion when she brushes up against politics or gossip, I may part company, but she comes at issues on our business with common sense, a good heart, and informed experience. She has presided over what I feel is a tremendously improved editorial product at PW, and is managing their operation with a steady hand in a time of great financial uncertainty—both for trade magazines generally, and for PW’s corporate support in particular.

PW has been, forever it seems, the reliable source for industry news, and the periodical of record for mainstream trade publishing. One expects as a matter of course that it would be in the forefront in the defense of first amendment rights and in opposition to censorship in all of its forms. The initial appearance of the so-called banned–books list, supported by the confirmed fact that as Mayor of Wasilla, Palin asked the librarian about their policies for removing books (“a perfectly acceptable question for a new mayor to ask,” Nelson observes), was rich fuel for the flames of ridicule and contempt being heaped on Governor Palin in the national political arena.

Inasmuch as a we can all acknowledge that the library and publishing industries, perhaps somewhat less than the entertainment industry, are predominantly self-identified as politically liberal, the allegation supported the prevailing stereotypes of conservatives  held by many liberals as intolerant and ignorant provincials or religious zealots. Everyone embracing those stereotypes eagerly seized upon this news as further evidence that Pailn would be a threat to our liberties.

So, I thought it was an act of justice on Sarah Nelson’s part to use her platform to point out that “there is no evidence that Palin tried to remove books from the library...while Palin stands for many things about which my feelings range from unease to stout disapproval, one thing I cannot accuse her of is being a book banner.” Nelson then goes on to suggest the kinds of “phony lists” a Palin-basher might have concocted that would at least have been well grounded in Palin’s belief system, such as support for gun rights and opposition to abortion.

Nelson surmises that book-banning was chosen because on the former issues Americans are fairly split, whereas on opposition to censorship we are all united. So, turning a rosy-hued spin on it (with which I can agree) she found in it something “in a roundabout slightly twisted way, pretty positive. To wit: books matter...they matter enough for us to solicit and debate our potential leaders’ attitudes towards them.”

One can turn a similar eye on all such ill-intended and mean-spirited bogus “facts”. For example, allegations that the Islamic heritage that forms a part of Obama’s family tree render his Christian affiliation suspect, could serve the salutary purpose “in a slightly twisted way” of encouraging a national conversation about the commonalities of spiritual benevolence shared by Christianity and Islam.

My point is that I think the truly positive benefit that could come out of these examples of bigotry in action would be a national conversation on how Americans have come to see pluralism of belief – in this case Christian fundamentalism vs Christian humanism—as mortal threats to each other. So much so, that remarkable women such as Hillary Clinton and Sarah Palin—women who have hit the glass ceiling and found a way through the cracks—can be vilified and dehumanized so that whatever they say or do is spun into a disrespectful caricature.

In that environment any heartfelt tear shed by either of them is suspect, and any allegation that fits the mold is celebrated as further proof of the caricature.

Yes, it is reassuring “in a twisted way” that in choosing to circulate a bogus list of allegedly banned books, the miscreant also illuminated the value we place on books. It would have been more reassuring to me “in a hopeful way” if it prompted a national conversation on why we are so ready to believe the worst about “the other.”

Posted by: Eugene Schwartz, Editor-at-Large

Award winning philanthropist and businessman Eric Greenberg is the independent publisher and co-author with accomplished editor and writer Karl Weber, of  Generation We: How Millennial Youth Are Taking Over America and Changing the World (Pachatusan, 9780982093108, November). He expects to be on the way to a million or a million and a half free downloads with its launch on www.gen-we.com this past Monday. Printed copies of the four color illustrated, 256 page book will be available in October

The book is the outcome of Greenberg’s concern with the “abuse and erosion” of our American system, “—the concept of freedom under law and a flexible, balanced government responsive to the will of the people as formulated by our founders and delineated in the Constitution they wrote over two centuries ago.”

To reverse this abuse and erosion, he believes, is a mission for today’s generation of emerging leaders —the Millennials (people born between 1978 and 2000.). Muhammad Yunus, Founder of Grameen Bank and Co-Winner of the 2006 Nobel Peace Prize, recently validated this premise, when he said “I share the hope expressed by Greenberg and Weber that this new generation will help re-orient our planet and conquer the problems of poverty, war, and pollution that currently plague it."

“The We Generation” is a compelling public affairs and futures study, lends distinction to independent publishing, and delivers a powerful personal manifesto.

The Making of the Book

In preparation, Greenberg had read the writings of, and met with “many of the world’s leading experts on the major problems of our time, from our reliance on fossil fuels and our burgeoning burden of debt, to the deepening crises affecting the environment, health care, and education.” He met Karl Weber, who joined him as a collaborator in the research and writing of the book.

Greenberg engaged Gerstein/Agne Strategic Communications to conduct a comprehensive research study into the values and attitudes of the Millenials. It included a survey of 2,000 individuals aged 18 to 29, as well as series of 12 focus groups. Its cost—one to one and a half million dollars. The results of the study, details and transcripts of the focus groups are all available for free access on www.gen-we.com.

What they found in the main is that “the worldview of the Millennial generation is shaped by two overriding dynamics that set this generation apart from those that have come before them. The first is a commitment to the common good over individual gain, an ethos that reaches across traditional divisions such as race, ideology, and partisanship. The Millennials are not a ‘Generation Me’ but rather a ‘Generation We.’ ”

The second dynamic that fundamentally shapes the Millennials’ worldview “is a comprehensive rejection of the country’s current leadership and dominant institutions. Whether it is Congress and the federal government, major corporations, or organized religion, these young Americans believe the large institutions that dominate so much of our modern society have comprehensively failed, placing narrow self-interests ahead of the welfare of the country as a whole.”

According to the survey, Millennials by percentages ranging from 73-76% highlight a series of social and political issues they believe are being neglected:  “America’s dependence on fossil fuels like coal, natural gas, and oil  . . . America’s dependence on foreign oil . . .declining quality and rising inequality in America’s public education system  . . .the rising cost of health care and growing number of uninsured… Lack of long-term job and retirement security . .  . Increase in obesity and chronic disease  . . .rapid shift of the U.S. economy from manufacturing to services”

While by a margin of almost two to one, Millennials say “they are less likely than previous generations to believe that government has a positive role to play. . . The scale at which Millennials want to tackle problems suggests a potentially large role for government. ”

Greenberg and Weber analyze the various issues and Millennial attitudes in detail. These observations and the survey results are the meat on the bone in this book and should serve as a wakeup call for every reader.

They then propose an agenda for the future.”History shows that every generation has a mission.  Some rise to the challenge nobly as the Greatest Generation rose to the challenge posed by the Great Depression and the rise of fascism . . .  Others muddle through, as the Silent Generation of the 1950s  . . .. For the Baby Boomers, the verdict seems to be mixed . . . as evidenced by a wealthy nation plagued by a sense of moral and spiritual emptiness.”

So it is the Millennials to whom the authors assign the cleanup. “We believe that Generation We, together with their supporters from other generations, can and will band together to create the greatest political force in the history of our nation. 

“The first step in the restoration of their birthright and the revival of the American dream: Project FREE, to technologically innovate the next generation of energy.  . . .  We must immediately implement an Apollo- or Manhattan-like project to invent new sources of non-fossil fuel energy free from carbon emissions, based on hydrogen, fusion, or other means.”

This isn’t just another blue sky energy program. It fits into a larger concept of what society is all about and how to get there. The authors show how the program will relate not only to national security, job creation, economic growth, and environmental sustainability but also to the societal transformation proposed.

While government action in the form of some central agency with a strong leader and budget will be needed, the ingredients for the social and political movement are in place in the form of the “real time society” network of the internet, Greenberg feels.

I am reminded of the dream that “If you build the field, the people will come,” to paraphrase the movie . I think this book can be that field.

Posted by: Eugene Schwartz, Editor-at-Large

“Generation We,” is not your typical independent publishing story. Yet it is emblematic of how independent publishing can provide a platform that will reach an instant audience in the narrowest or widest range.

It was just a week ago that industry futurist and consultant Mike Shatzkin broadcast a posting to his friends and colleagues announcing this remarkable forthcoming publishing achievement. It was only a month earlier that he was engaged by Greenberg to bring together the ingredients requisite to publication: a production supervisor (Brian O’Leary of Magellan Media) a printer (Quebecor), a publicist (Max Pulsinelli of Maximum Impact) and, with the help of Rich Freese, former CEO of PGW, .a distributor (BookMasters/Atlas in Ashland, Ohio).

Nor is it that Greenberg is your naive innocent operating on a shoestring. He already knew that going with a conventional publisher would mean giving up the production and marketing controls that were so important to his reasons for doing the book in the first place. Having poured over a million dollars into the research that led to the book, what he didn’t anticipate were the logistical intricacies that could impede a quick and effective launch—especially one that wants to be in the market before election day. Hence, Shatzkin.

Bringing the book out now was important because Greenberg chose independent publishing  as a platform from which he expects to accomplish nothing less than the mobilization of a new generation of 95 million Millennials in the cause of the social and political transformation of American politics. Catching the crest of the wave of election campaign interest will help his message become part of the national conversation.

The Personal Odyssey

How did this come about? After all, according to his Barnes and Noble.com bio, “Greenberg has founded and established many businesses in his entrepreneurial career including wind farms in partnership with Native American tribes in the Great Plains; Acumen Sciences and the Acumen Journal of Life Sciences; Scient, a consulting firm focused on eBusiness and emerging technology; and Viant, an internet systems integrator. An award-winning philanthropist, he was named by Worth Magazine as one of the 10 Most Generous Americans Under 45”

Greenberg writes in the book’s introduction, “Through hard work, applied intelligence, and good timing, I was able to prosper. By the turn of the century, I was a paper billionaire at 35 years of age...Although I was lucky enough to have  a stable relationship with my wife, everything else around me devolved into a pit of misfortune, conflict, and poor health. 

“I was miserable. By 2004, I weighed 275 pounds, was dependent on prescription medication, depressed, and sometimes selfish and thoughtless. The world was giving me a valuable lesson: Life is not about things and what you do for yourself.  I was imploding from my ambition-driven ego. My life was unsustainable...I closed my business and stopped working.”  

So it came to pass that an Emeryvlle, CA based business man, had his personal epiphany while in the Amazon jungle in 2006 during a two year process of self-renewal and rediscovery.

He returned determined to do something about the state of crisis he felt was undermining the foundations of American society. This story of personal transformation is a back story interesting and inspiring in its own right.

In addition to launching his Millennial generation project, Greenberg has applied his talents to a socially responsible enterprise as President and Chief Executive Officer of Beautifull, Inc. (Beautifull.com), “a prepared, fresh food company focused on providing tasty, healthy, and real food for retail and home delivery.”

As I listened to Greenberg in our interview and as I later read more of the book, I realized that Greenberg was looking for the “big idea”—a line of attack that would break out of the mold of the conventional with the prospect of leading to serious change. He wanted to find the fertile soil for new ideas, seed it, and enable a new crop of actors to grow and take over.

Once a Reagan Republican (for which he doesn’t apologize in the book), but now in a new place for social and political transformation, Greenberg remains an idealist, but is not a utopian. He is not advocating the overthrow of the system. “If we ever are going to fix the problems we have today we have to do it with political action,” he says, and it needs to be done within the system and within the two parties if possible.

He writes, “This book is for our future.  The most powerful force that can make our future better than our past is the youth binding together on the outcome, resolve, and political will to achieve it, no matter how they may differ on details of implementation. I’m not a member of Generation We, and I don’t aspire to lead it.  My great hope in writing this book is that it will inspire a handful of  great leaders like Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., or Mahatma Gandhi to emerge and lead their peers.”

At its heart, the purpose of this effort, he told me is “to ignite a passion for the greater good.”

The name of his publishing house, Pachatusan, by the way, is taken from a holy mountain in Peru, which can mean, “he who sustains the world.”

Posted by: Eugene Schwartz, Editor-at-Large