It's been a while

It's been a lot longer than I had remembered since I've updated this. So, what's up? I have gotten my copies of the book. I think it came out really good, but then what mother doesn't think her children are the best looking around? The title on the cover ended up off-center, but that's a very minor problem and they've already fixed the negatives for future printings.

I've always looked at books, especially long ones (this one is 608 pages, including frontmatter) and wondered how someone could think of that much to say. But you know, it really isn't as hard to think of that much to say as you'd think. Still, it's a little surreal to hold it in my hands and open it up and realize that I actually did write it.

Don't really know how sales are going yet. Of course, it's too early to see what kind of faculty adoptions we'll get, and that's were the bulk of the sales will come from. But it has been selling some on Amazon and their marketplace vendors as well as other online booksellers both here and abroad. There's been an odd off-and-on price war among a few of those vendors though. Still, it is selling and bounces up and down the best selling rankings. One day it was listed as the 8002 best seller among amazon books, ahead of all the other operating systems textbooks. It stayed that way for an hour (because Amazon updates the lists once an hour...) :-) Even still, that doesn't seem too bad for a book that hasn't really had any advertising yet, and hasn't been in the classroom yet to build a reputation.

Next week, I'll be in Portland for SIGCSE. The publisher would like me to be there for a "signing." It's really more a chance for faculty who might consider adopting it to meet with me, discuss the book, and ask any questions they might have. I don't really know what to expect from faculty in that setting, but hopefully it'll help sales.

My real motivator for posting today, though, is something deeper and more serious. It is a "forward this to everyone you know" email that my daughter forwarded. It purports to be from a teenage girl dying from cancer. It hit me because I've been around cancer more than I care to. I've lost acquaintances and family to it. Other family, acquaintances, and myself have survived it. One family member is currently battling it. Regardless of how genuine the backstory (the claim to track forwarding is particularly doubtful), this says something important. I figured at least as many people might see it here as I could send it to. The rest of this post is that message:

Slow dance:

This is a poem written by a teenager with cancer. She wants to see how many people get her poem. It is quite the poem. Please pass it on.

This poem was written by a terminally ill young girl in a New York Hospital . It was sent by a medical doctor - Make sure to read what is in the closing statement AFTER THE POEM.

SLOW DANCE

Have you ever watched kids
On a merry-go-round?
Or listened to the rain
Slapping on the ground?
Ever followed a butterfly's erratic flight?
Or gazed at the sun into the fading night?

You better slow down.
Don't dance so fast.
Time is short.
The music won't last.

Do you run through each day
On the fly?
When you ask How are you?
Do you hear the reply?
When the day is done
Do you lie in your bed
With the next hundred chores
Running through your head?

You'd better slow down
Don't dance so fast.
Time is short.
The music won't last.

Ever told your child,
We'll do it tomorrow?
And in your haste,
Not see his sorrow?
Ever lost touch,
Let a good friendship die
Cause you never had time
To call and say,"Hi"

You'd better slow down.
Don't dance so fast.
Time is short.
The music won't last.

When you run so fast to get somewhere
You miss half the fun of getting there.
When you worry and hurry through your day,
It is like an unopened gift....
Thrown away.
Life is not a race.
Do take it slower
Hear the music
Before the song is over.

--------------------

FORWARDED E-MAILS ARE TRACKED TO OBTAIN THE TOTAL COUNT.

Dear All: PLEASE pass this mail on to everyone you know - even to those you don't know! It is the request of a special girl who will soon leave this world due to cancer.

This young girl has 6 months left to live, and as her dying wish, she wanted to send a letter telling everyone to live their life to the fullest, since she never will. She'll never make it to prom, graduate from high school, or get married and have a family of her own.

[I've omitted some more that's typical of these emails and a name and address. (I don't like posting personal information without the permission of the person involved.) It's the message that's important.]