June 4, 2004
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Topic: Judge a Book By Its Cover
Well…as my site says, I am writing a book. And, I’m realizing that writing a book is easy. Getting people to buy it is what’s going to be hard. And making the ideas inside of it materialize is going to require more resources than I can ever possibly provide.
The cover of my book, despite the popular saying, is what many people will judge, when deciding whether or not they want to buy it. It’s in our nature to pre-judge. Obviously, the layers beneath the cover are important, but it’s the cover that can make-or-break whether or not people choose to look at those layers.
I have several ideas for my title and cover. Please comment on the following:
1- The College Bubble Crisis
2- My Fake Thesis
3- Life after College
4- College: What is it good for?
5- Failing College
6- College 2040
7- Life begins when college ends
8- College daze
9- A is for apathy
10- A is for apathy, B is for boredom,
11- A is for apathy, B is for boredom, C is for cynical
12- A is for apathy, B is for boredom, C is for cynical, D is for depression, E is for evaluations, F is for failure, G is for grades, H is for honors, I is for innovation, J is for jaded,
13- The meaning of college
14- Bullshit 101
(photo of my Washington University Diploma on a toilet)
or
(photo of me on top of some mountain in South Afirca)
The Need for Innovative Education Reform In America’s Colleges and Universities
Dan Lilienthal
Washington University in St. Louis, Class of 2003
Comments (12)
hehe i like the idea of having ur diploma on the john. Great.
monica
THANKS, you too. I also deserve to give you more back, however I’m at work. I’ll be back.
Sounds cool, Dan. I think people will dig that.
The title, although fitting for the subject matter, seems a bit like something that a student would title their thesis or research paper. Unless that is the desired reaction, I think it may be a bit too long. People respond to words just as much as the visual image.
well if you want my honest opinion…
1. nah too economicsy (well you don’t want to scare people away)
2. mmm, not terrible
3. no no, sounds like a guide to partying
4. too jaded (you want to expose problems not seem like an angry drop out)
5. interesting, i like the simplicity but like 2 it doesn’t say much, although that can be enticing
6. no no no, just no
7. too much like 3, doesn’t pique ones curiosity
8. nope
9. yeah this is catchy, and just angry enough, and makes you want to know more
10-12. not so much, keep it simple
13. no, not angry enough!
14. yes this is good, Mike Moore style titles are what catches the eye and imagination
2, 5, 9 and 14 are the best in my opinion, but that doesnt mean you won’t find something even better, good luck!
Bullshit 101 is good.
interesting. I’m interested in what you’re going to say. education in America is an awful waste of students’ time/energy/ and psyche.
you should write a book about people “coming to terms with things” instead. Like a lifetime made for TV movie.
Well here are the titles i personally favor:
7- Life begins when college ends (ive never been.. but im sure that it’s true)
12- A is for apathy, B is for boredom, C is for cynical, D is for depression, E is for evaluations, F is for failure, G is for grades, H is for honors, I is for innovation, J is for jaded, (you know, if you continued that list, it would be even more amusing, and you COULD be known as the man with a world’s longest title on his published book) (as if that title i just created wasn’t long enough)
14- Bullshit 101 (straight to the point.. always a good thing, right?
)
Let me know when the book is published.. I would love to read more.. i love the titles.
~Siena
I like numbers 7 and 9. They sound catchy and somewhat professional. I’d also like to know when the book is finished. As for a picture, It would be pretty cool if you had like a look-a-like of a report with a big red A and your name at the top… All sitting on top of your toilet of course! haha
I like many of them. But I hesitate to blame our ills all on college. I like Bullshit 101 (although I think a bit too pessimistic for most people and may risk turning them off – not a problem with me, you know I think pessimism is necessary – but you could probably lighten it up with a lighter subtitle) because all levels of education are bullshit, not just college. We go to college because once we’ve gotten through 13 years of grade school, we are unable to imagine any other ways of learning. The biggest failure of our educational system in that it doesn’t teach us how to educate ourselves, as it should, but makes us dependent on learning from others. I like the ABC’s title, too.
Aaaargh! I’m sitting here writing on your xanga, procrastinating big time on the other thing I have promised to write for you.
i like 1, 2, 8, and 14. i also like the picture of your diploma on the toilet