Now available! The Light of Alexandria by James Maynard

[Russell Kanning]

Shorty Dawkins??

with all that italian stuff .... get real

[jgmaynard]

The paralells between the fall of the Roman Republic, then the Empire, and today's America are just astounding.

For instance, Galen of Pergamum, possibly the greatest physician of the ancient world, kept making mistakes because he was never allowed to dissect bodies. The society which condoned gladitorial fights, refused to let cadavers be cut into.

Now, we have the movement against stem cell research that is holding back medicine for the same type of twisted mentality.? We'll blow up a restaurant full of women and children trying to get to the sons of Saddam, but don't you dare touch that fertilized cell!?

Stem cell research isn't illegal.? If you've got a few million dollars you want to put towards it, more power to you.? The only thing up for debate is how much of your tax money should be spent on it, and I'd think most of the people here would side with "none" as the answer.

You are right that there is no federal restriction on it yet (although there are state laws), but what I stated was that there is a "movement against stem cell research"; not that they had succeeded yet in banning it.

And yes, I am also against any state or federal "funds" going to any science endevour - including this - I think it's the worst thing that ever happened to science.

JM

[tracysaboe]

As long as they don't kill any baby's to get them, I guess I don't have a problem with it.

If a baby dies, in the womb of natural causes, and the woman desides to donate (or sell for that matter) them (like organ donation of something) I don't have a problem with it.

But when embryos (babys) are created for the purpose of killing them to research them, then I have problems with it.

Tracy

[Russell Kanning]

So how is your book distributed promoted sold?

[jgmaynard]

I'm self-publishing through a company called Lulu.

They allow people to self-publish anything (that is not overtly offensive), doing as much or little of the work as you like. If you handle everything, they charge you nothing. The author names the price, then, they print it up (print on demand), handle all the CC, shippings, returns, etc., and they take 25% of the profit over production costs. It's VERY cool!

The book will be sold through the website (so those of you clammoring to get one of the first few copies will have to get it through the site).?

Later, I will be getting an ISBN, and distributing it through stores, including Amazon and B&N. I'll also be trying to get it physically into Toadstool, the local B&N, etc. I'm also going to give a few copies away at KSC, to ancient history profs and the history of science prof, to see if I can get it adopted into there. Then, I'll see if I can get it adopted in other schools, as well.

For promotion, I'm going to do a PR when the book is first for sale, plus I'm networking with people, have it on all my forum messages and e-mails, etc. Once I sell a few copies, I'm prob going to do Goodle Adwords, and go from there. I'm also going to see what I have to do to get some papers, magazines, etc. to do a review of it......

I'm also tying in promotion with Dr. Harkay's book,Phenomenal Physics, that I edited, and am editing the new edition of now.

One guy in Keene just self-published a really esoteric book, and sold 30k copies in six weeks! My book is much more mainstream then that, so I'm hoping to get some serious sales. We'll see how well I do..... LOL.

JM

[Russell Kanning]

too

[jgmaynard]

I'm trying to make this work feel more like a history channel documentary, so one of the things I'm doing in the book is to put up lots of images of the people involved.
I now have a photo page, with lots of images of the famous scientists of that era, feel free to check it out at:
http://www.lightofalexandria.com

JM

[jgmaynard]

I now have a table of contents for the book up on the website to go with the music, pictures, and a new expanded description of the book.

Check it out at: www.lightofalexandria.com?

JM

[Kat Kanning]

Looking forward to it, Jim!  I'd like to use it for Kira's school.

[Lloyd Danforth]

Amazing!  One day she's being home schooled and the next she has her own school!

[Kat Kanning]

   Don't make me spank you.

[jgmaynard]

I hope you do, Kat. There's maybe a couple historical events you might want to gloss over due to her age, but for the most part, it should be perfect for homeschoolers. Another few weeks, should be ready.......

JM

[jgmaynard]

I know have the preface of my book on the site at www.lightofalexandria.com. I hope everyone likes..........

JM

[jgmaynard]

People can now view the first chapter of the Light of Alexandria on my website at www.lightofalexandria.com !

The chapter is entitled "The Light First Kindled" and sets up the scene just before the birth of science, as Greece emerged from a dark age into an age where science would open up new worlds for the people of the ancient Aegean.

Let me know what you think!

I've just talked with my editor and it now looks like the book will be out just after the first of the month.

JM

[jgmaynard]

I believe I finished writing the book today, so it's almost ready to go into final editing. It should be out soon. It wound up being longer than I thought, close to 200 pages, so that's why it took longer than I thought.

I think it's really good though!

I'll probably put the second chapter on the web tomorrow or the next day.   

I also talked with Bookland on Main St., today, and they will likely be carrying it, starting with a window display for it, including promotional materials..... 

JM