[TOS] Another few steps along the textbook path

[Greg Wilson]

The current system is a farce, but so is Godin's rant. From his third 
paragraph:

> A textbook author in Toronto made enough money from his calculus 
> textbook to afford a $20 million house. This is absurd on its face.

What a coincidence --- as a textbook author (but sadly, not that one), I 
think it's absurd that Godin earns what he earns for having opinions.

> There's no serious insight or leap in pedagogy involved in writing a 
> standard textbook. That's what makes it standard. It's hard, but it 
> shouldn't make you a millionaire.

Does he feel the same way about Facebook ("Come on, it's just a web app 
--- there's no serious insight or leap in technology")?  Or about other 
entrepreneurial ventures in areas he actually knows something about? 
Most books fail, just like most startups; pointing at the few that win big 
and shouting "no fair!" is unfair.

And later:

> Professors should be spending their time devising pages or chapterettes 
> or even entire chapters on topics that matter to them, then publishing 
> them for free online. (it's part of their job, remember?)

In reverse order:

2: Really? I've never seen anyone pay a professor to write a book.  To 
*teach*, yes, but if the prof wants to turn their notes into a book, 
they're on their own.

1. Dumping a jumble of facts in front of students is a poor way to teach; 
telling a story to connect them is much better, but that requires 
thoughtful coordination of parts.  Pages, chapterettes (is that even a 
word? oh, wait, he's in marketing...) or chapters are useful raw material, 
but who's going to create the narrative?

Thanks,
Greg