Kempers Book on Amazon

[zeppo123]

You can see a picture of the cover and a description of the book "Code Name Ginger" on Amazon now. Sagalyn has also updated their site to reflect the new name of Kempers book.

[ftropea]

Aww, I was hoping the book would come out before Christmas. Perfect stocking stuffer for the holiday... So where is Kemper going to do his book signings? Wouldn't it be cool to get an autographed copy? :)

Regards,

Frank A. Tropea

[n/a]

Thanks Zeppo. Here is a description of the book:

quote:Editorial Reviews
Book Description
Code Name Ginger delivers a masterful narrative about the art of invention, the soul of an inventor, and the birth of a revolutionary machine.
For anyone who has ever wondered what it was like inside Thomas Edison's lab or the Wright Brothers' garage, here is the twenty-first century equivalent. This is the story behind the creation of "Ginger," code name for the top-secret project that renowned inventor and entrepreneur Dean Kamen believes will change the world: the Segway Human Transporter.

One of the most talked-about products of recent times, the Segway is a self-balancing, electronic "people mover"-an engineering marvel that Kamen calls "magic sneakers." Kamen gave journalist Steve Kemper exclusive access to the project for the critical eighteen months during which the Segway was designed, prototyped, and readied for manufacture.

In Code Name Ginger, Kemper offers a gripping chronicle of raw innovation, high finance, ingenious engineering, and lofty ambition. He tells the inside story of the collaboration and clashes between a strong-willed founder and his engineers and marketers-and the investors who gambled $90 million on his pioneering idea.

Readers step into Kamen's eccentric and idealistic world of invention and sit in on secret meetings with high-powered deal makers such as John Doerr and business leaders such as Steve Jobs and Jeff Bezos. It's a bumpy journey, but an exhilarating one, filled with flashes of brilliance, multimillion-dollar misjudgments, and passionate people on a quest.

Code Name Ginger is a first-hand chronicle of:

· The intense, ragged process of innovation

· The challenges of funding and marketing a "secret" project

· The collision between invention and commercialism

· The risks of high-stakes entrepreneurship

· The creative genius of a modern-day Edison



http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1578516730/qid=1036598395/sr=2-1/ref=sr_2_1/002-7084702-6911238#product-details

[n/a]

quote:This item will be published on May 23, 2003. You may order it now and we will ship it to you when it arrives.


I would expect that the consumer verions will be launched by that time.

[zeppo123]

quote:Originally posted by Lawrence

Thanks Zeppo. Here is a description of the book:

quote:Editorial Reviews
Readers step into Kamen's eccentric and idealistic world of invention and sit in on secret meetings with high-powered deal makers such as John Doerr and business leaders such as Steve Jobs and Jeff Bezos. It's a bumpy journey, but an exhilarating one, filled with flashes of brilliance, multimillion-dollar misjudgments, and passionate people on a quest.

Code Name Ginger is a first-hand chronicle of:

· The intense, ragged process of innovation

· The challenges of funding and marketing a "secret" project

· The collision between invention and commercialism

· The risks of high-stakes entrepreneurship

· The creative genius of a modern-day Edison



http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1578516730/qid=1036598395/sr=2-1/ref=sr_2_1/002-7084702-6911238#product-details


I really think the "Multimillion dollar misjudgments" will be very interesting reading. Probably good material for bashers but still interesting.

[ftropea]

I wonder if there is a chapter about the leak. Was Kemper pushed out? If so, will there be a tone of resentment in this book.. or will the book "sound" as enthusiastic and "over the top" as the book proposal?

Regards,

Frank A. Tropea

[zeppo123]

quote:Originally posted by ftropea

I wonder if there is a chapter about the leak. Was Kemper pushed out? If so, will there be a tone of resentment in this book.. or will the book "sound" as enthusiastic and "over the top" as the book proposal?

Regards,

Frank A. Tropea


I would guess the book will be positive and Kemper will sell more books if Segway is a hit.

[Brooster]

This should be good. Thanks, Zeppo123.

I know it's been suggested before (Lawrence and others), but I wonder if the release date for the book won't roughly coincide with a release of the consumer model. A week of hype generated by the book, followed by the real thing?

We can only hope. Amidst this news, we have a Segway i-Series in a plexiglass case gathering dust ... and surrounded by junk ... behind a plywood screen at the Museum of Science and Industry. The absurdity of it is just incredible.

Brooster

[n/a]

quote:I know it's been suggested before (Lawrence and others), but I wonder if the release date for the book won't roughly coincide with a release of the consumer model. A week of hype generated by the book, followed by the real thing?

Brooster, if the book is released shortly before launching of the consumer model I think some people are going to wonder if the proposal leak was deliberate. I think that it would be a better strategy for the publishers to release the book after the consumer models have been launched because that will make Kamen and Segway more well known and the book would profit from the additional recognition Segway and Kamen will have received.

Segway LLC would probably benefit if the book were on sale first, assuming that the book is well received.

[Brooster]

Good points, Lawrence. It'll be interesting to see how this plays out. I have to assume at this point that Dean and his team have had an advance look at the final manuscript. If Kemper was in trouble with Dean before, I think he'd be in double trouble if the book was published without Dean's "blessings." Any thoughts?

Broo

Brooster

[Blinky]

Unfortunately for Dean Kamen that there we have our 'freedom of speech' to say what the hell we want to say at anytime.(not that it can't work for him) I don't think if there was negative resentment in the book Kamen that would be able to touch him. If the book talks about some personal problems the author may have had with Kamen that would tarnish Kamen's image, then this guy is in trouble. Kamen and his lawyers will have a wonderful time with that.

What ever the case may be, this book will make for some good reading.

[n/a]

quote:What ever the case may be, this book will make for some good reading.

We are all looking forward to it. I wonder who the first person to receive the book will be? Perhaps someone will manage to get a copy before the rest of us?