For the Love of Books

Transcription

1 May 2014 For the Love of Books 2014 BMI Management Conference Sanibel Harbour Resort and Spa, May 4 6 Book Manufacturers Institute, Inc. Two Armand Beach Drive, Suite 1B Palm Coast, FL , (fax) A reception and group dinners were held the second night of the conference. Conference programming took place the mornings of May 5 and 6. Innovation, adaptability and the importance of advocating print were some of the themes woven throughout the conference presentations. Heartfelt, authentic leadership and the value of creating joy in the workplace were also noted as factors that could favorably impact the bottom line. Photo courtesy of Werner Rebsamen. Nearly 120 members and guests enjoyed the 2014 BMI Management Conference, May 4 6, at the Sanibel Harbour Marriott Resort and Spa. A record 25 first-timers were in attendance, many of whom represented Library Binding Council members. Highlights of activities the first day included meetings of the Editorial Committee in-formation, the Library Binding Council, and the BMI Board of Directors. The first-timers reception was held later in the day and those new to the conference were warmly welcomed by Jac Garner, BMI president. During the dinner following the reception, they were asked to stand to be recognized by the BMI membership. Thomas Allen, Association of American Publishers, addressed major issues affecting the book publishing industry in his presentation, It s Your Right Or Is It? The Evolving World of Copyright. He discussed the importance of protecting our knowledge since the U.S. economy is now a knowledge economy. If this does not happen, the U.S. stands to lose its economic advantage. Allen also cited the Georgia State University case which is the single most important case that could affect copyright law. Continued next page Also in this Issue... Industry Headlines 2014 BMI Meeting Schedule LBC Technical Director s Report Tensile Flex-testing 101 Something to Think About

2 2014 BMI Management Conference Continued from page 1 Tony Kenney, International Graphic Arts Training & Marketing, delivered an eye-opening presentation, Working with or Fighting New Technologies, which included demonstrating best in class examples of the latest technology using QR Codes, Augmented Reality, and Near Field Communication. He advised on the importance of embracing new technologies that create the bridge between the book and the Internet. Companies such as Google (Google Glass), Blippar, Layar, and Metaio were noted as providers of innovative applications. Doing more to sell the value of print and making books more emotional was encouraged. Kent H. Larson, Bridgeport National Bindery and Duncan Campbell, Campbell-Logan Bindery, gave a brief presentation on the History of LBI, noting that in 1933, BMI was formed with bookbinders and printers. LBI was formed for library binders in 1935 and has now returned to BMI. An overview of the markets served by library binders was delivered and this market includes photo books, specialty binding, edition binding, case making, and menu covers, in addition to library binding. Library binders have diversified to markets beyond library binding in order to succeed in today s changing markets. In her presentation, Grateful Leadership, Using the Power of Acknowledgement to Engage All Your People & Achieve Superior Results, Judith W. Umlas, International Institute for Learning, Inc., discussed the merits of creating Library Binding Council Meeting Highlights: Hardcover Binding: Book-Block Integrity and Aspects of Quality, presentation by technical consultant, Werner Rebsamen Rules of Organization and Procedures Discussion, lead by council chair, Duncan Campbell Certification, Recertification, and Examination Procedures Review, lead by council chair, Duncan Campbell ANSI/NISO/LBI Library Binding Standard, Z Update, given by Executive Director, Debra Nolan Chair and Executive Director Highlights Photo courtesy of Werner Rebsamen. a culture of appreciation in the workplace and its impact on yielding breakthrough results. Heartfelt and authentic communication energizes staff, management, and other stakeholders. The 5 c s of being a grateful leader were noted: Consciousness, Choice, Courage, Communications, and Commitment. Karen Romano, formerly with Simon & Schuster, presented, Outside the Perimeter Where Does Print Register for the Trade Publisher? She gave an overview of how publishers are addressing developments in new technology noting that more experimentation is taking place with print and digital formats and the chunking of content. She cited an April 11, 2013, article in The Scientific American, The Reading Brain in the Digital Age: The Science of Paper versus Screens which addresses the reading ex- Continued next page 2 The Endpaper May 2014

3 2014 BMI Management Conference Continued from page 2 perience in the digital age and the impact of navigation and structure on comprehension. Romano encouraged the book manufacturing industry to be more vocal about the reading experience. Richard Sheridan, Menlo Innovations, in his presentation, Build A Workplace People Love Just Add Joy, discussed the value of embracing change and intentionally creating a culture of joy. He described the benefits of doing so, including a positive impact on the company s bottom line. He encouraged those in attendance to get your customers to participate in your company s culture. Marco Boer, IT Strategies, Inc., Photo courtesy of Werner Rebsamen. talked about the value and profitability of book manufacturing despite the decline in production, in his presentation, Digital Book Printing and Book Manufacturing Moving From A Commodity To A Luxury. He described the impact of the rent versus own approach taken by younger generations and cited examples about how best to maximize revenue streams in light of this. In the final presentation of the conference, John Maine, Resource Information Systems, Inc., gave the RISI Annual Outlook for Book Publishing Papers. He noted the improving global economy and gave a two-year outlook for paper availability and cost trends. He discussed developments in offshore supply of book publishing papers from Asia and Europe and provided a wealth of statistics including those found on pewinternet.org. He also shared that digital now accounts for 19% of all sales of books in dollars. Following the conference presentations, which marked the end of the conference, BMI president Jac Garner acknowledged the conference committee for their outstanding work and encouraged those in attendance to complete their evaluation forms. The next gathering of the group will be November 9 11, in Bonita Springs, at the Hyatt Regency, for the BMI Annual Conference. Thank You! Thank you BMI Conference Committee for a great conference! Joseph H. Upton, Chair Mike Collinge George J. Doehner Patrick Douglas-Meis James Kaeli Bradley Koch Kent H. Larson Charles O. Marshall Rob Mauritz Janet McCarthy Grimm Robert L. Shafer The Endpaper May

4 Mark Your Calendar for the BMI Annual Conference November 9 11, 2014 Hyatt Regency Coconut Point Resort & Spa Bonita Springs, FL Located on 26 acres overlooking breathtaking Estero Bay Aquatic Preserve, this resort offers limitless recreation, personalized service and attention to detail at every turn. Hyatt Regency Coconut Point Resort & Spa 5001 Coconut Road Bonita Springs, FL (239) Industry News/Happenings CMIC Summit 2014 October 15-16, 2014, Rochester, NY RIT s Cross-Media Innovation Center (CMIC), is seeking informed professionals to present on a number of pertinent topics at CMIC Summit 2014, Rochester, NY, October 15-16, Suggested presentation topics this year, include (but, are in no way limited to): Strategy in Cross-Media Communications Content Management Big vs. Small Data Mining and Analytics Dynamic Communications Mobile Communications Transactional Communications (financial, medical, legal, etc.) Books, Magazines, Newspapers and the Tablet (traditional vs. digital) The Future Direction of Publishing Content (syndicated vs. free) The Future of Package Printing Measurement and Analysis - Spatial Uniformity Functional Print Workflow Functional Print Processes and Materials Selected participants will create and deliver a 30-minute presentation of their topic. Formal papers will not be required for this event. Should you have an interest in participating, submit a word abstract of your proposed presentation to Liz Dopp by May 15, For more information, please visit printinthemix.com/ CMIC_Summit_2014 or contact: Liz Dopp RIT - School of Media Sciences Managing Editor, CMIC/Print in the Mix liz.dopp@rit.edu Phone: BookExpo America May 28 31, New York City, NY Featuring fresh sessions with information about the latest trends, developments, and technologies affecting the book industry, the BEA Conference Program is designed for participants to discover new ideas and practical solutions as well as connect with industry leaders. For more information, go to 4 The Endpaper May 2014

5 Industry News/Happenings ALA Annual Conference June 26 July 1, Las Vegas, NV ALA Annual Conference is the world s largest event for the library community, bringing together more than 25,000 librarians, educators, authors, publishers, literacy experts, and the leading suppliers to the market. Key issues and topics covered at 2014 ALA Annual Conference will include innovation and transformation, ebook lending and usability, digital content, community engagement, leadership, the impact and potential of new technologies, books and awards, copyright, outreach, privacy, services for makers, library advocacy, core values, career development, teaching and learning, and best practices on a range of libraryrelated concerns programs, discussions, and sessions; unlimited in-depth conversations Memorable speakers including Jane Fonda, Jennifer B. Kahnweiler, Stan Lee, Lois Lowry, Alexander McCall Smith, Azar Nafisi, Philippe Petit, Ilyasah Shabazz, and many more to come 700+ exhibitors highlighting new and favorite titles, products, technology and services the world s largest exhibition for libraries 100s of authors 30+ preconferences offering in-depth professional development Poster sessions, Conversation Starters, and Ignite sessions Key policy, research, and other updates from ALA and other leading institutions Conversations, practical steps, strategies, and tools on advancing library-led community engagement and other topics Library Unconference on Friday, Library Camp on Monday, and Networking Uncommons for impromptu sessions, follow-up conversations, and small gettogethers ALA JobLIST Placement Center connecting job seekers and employers, and providing free career counseling Las Vegas, offering an easy-to-navigate conference campus, low hotel rates, and plenty of free activities The conference opening keynote is Jane McGonigal, a world-renowned and inspiring designer of alternate reality games games that are designed to improve real lives and solve real problems. McGonigal specializes in games that challenge players to tackle real-world problems, including poverty, hunger and climate change, through planetary-scale collaboration. She s a New York Times bestselling author (Reality is Broken: Why Games Make Us Better and How They Can Change the World, Penguin Press, 2011) and inventer/co-founder of SuperBetter, a game that has already helped more than 250,000 players tackle health challenges such as depression, anxiety, chronic pain, and traumatic brain injury. Following is more information on the conference: Overview - Highlights - Registration Information - ALCTS PARS Meetings of Note During the ALA Conference Preservation Administrators Discussion Group Saturday, June 28, 2014, 8:30 am 11:30 am, Paris Las Vegas Hotel, Champagne I ALCTS Awards Ceremony - Saturday, June 28, 2014, 5:30 pm. Paris Las Vegas Hotel, Champagne 1 Promoting Preservation Interest Group Sunday, June 29, 2014, 10:30 am 11:30 am, Las Vegas Convention Center, S219 Book and Paper Industry Group Sunday, June 29, 2014, 1:00 pm 2:30 pm, CAP, Trevi PARS Forum Sunday, June 29, 2014, 4:30 pm 5:30 pm, Las Vegas Convention Center, S228 The Endpaper May

6 Industry News/Happenings Preservation Week Celebrating its Fifth Year Preservation Week, April 27 May 3, recently celebrated its 5th year! During Preservation Week libraries all over the country present events, activities, and resources that highlight what we can do, individually and together, to preserve our personal and shared collections. For more information, go to preswk and to view the event map with featured speakers, go to Madeline Kelly Awarded Jan Merrill-Oldham Travel Grant CHICAGO Madeline Kelly, collection development support specialist at George Mason University, has been awarded the 2014 Jan Merrill-Oldham Professional Development Grant. The Jan Merrill-Oldham Professional Development Grant is given by the Preservation and Reformatting Section (PARS) of the Association for Library Collections & Technical Services (ALCTS) to support travel to the American Library Association Annual Conference. The grant of $1,250, sponsored by the Library Binding Council, Book Manufacturers Institute (formerly the Library Binding Institute), is intended to provide librarians and paraprofessionals new to the preservation field with the opportunity to attend a professional conference and encourages professional development through active participation at the national level. The grant is to be used for airfare, lodging and registration fees to attend the ALA Annual Conference. The recipient will attend the Preservation Administrators Interest Group meeting and at least one other PARS interest group meeting. The recipient will write about the experience for ALCTS News. Kelly holds a B.A. in English and Spanish from University of Mary Washington (2008) and an M.L.I.S. from Simmons College (2012). In her current position, her first with preservation duties, she has been proactively growing her preservation knowledge while increasingly taking on preservation responsibilities. Kelly has received training and Editorial Committee Forming An editorial committee consisting of BMI and Library Binding Council members is in formation. The purpose of this committee will be to articulate a vision and provide guidance on the association s publications, including the Endpaper and ShelfLife. Committee members may serve as reviewers and advise on content and topics of interest to the book manufacturing and library binding industries. If you are interestedin serving on this committee or to learn more, please contact Debbie Nolan, dnolan@ hardcoverbinders.org. performs duties related to preservation, including selection for preservation, book repair and disaster preparedness. She also assists with presenting workshops and preparing policies. In her application Madeline articulates her strong and growing passion for the field of preservation very convincingly. She understands the major elements of the work and is extremely interested in learning more about preservation for the success of the GMU program and for her own success. The award will be presented on June 28 at the ALCTS Awards Ceremony during the 2014 American Library Association (ALA) Annual Conference in Las Vegas Photokina September 16 21, Cologne, Germany Every two years Photokina brings together the industry, trade, professional users and end consumers with a passion for photography. For more information, go to GraphExpo September 28 October 1, Chicago, IL GraphExpo is an innovative exhibition of digital, inkjet, offset, flexo and hybrid technologies where attendees can explore demonstrations of the latest technologies, unique new applications, and products and services for every facet of the graphic communications industry. For more information, go to 6 The Endpaper May 2014

7 Industry News/Happenings Excerpt from BMI Legal and Regulatory News Brief April 2014 DEPARTMENT OF LABOR TO AMEND EXEMPT EMPLOYEE RULES OVERTIME IMPACT In mid-march, President Obama directed the U.S. Department of Labor to modify its regulations governing whitecollar exemptions under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). The Administration wants to qualify more employees for overtime workers that are currently classified as exempt from overtime pay. You can read the White House s press release HERE: fact-sheet-opportunity-all-rewarding-hard-work- strengthening-overtime-pr. Under current FLSA regulations, workers classified as executive, administrative, or professional employees are exempt from overtime under FLSA if they are (A) paid a salary of at least $455 a week and (B) their jobs meet certain duties tests. Here s some background: The current $455 per week figure was set by President George W. Bush in 2004 using the same executive order process (no congressional approval required) as the Obama Administration now proposes to use. It s important to note that $455 per week is only $23,660 annualized, slightly under the Federal Poverty Line for a family of 4, thanks to inflation. Assuming the DOL acts, the most likely change will be to adjust the minimum salary of $455 per week. No one has an exact number at this time, but some believe it could be as much as doubled. Some states are already leading the way: New York and California recently increased the minimum salary for exempt status to $600 and $640 per week, respectively. duties. Currently, a manager is permitted to perform nonexempt duties for as much as 80 to 90 percent of the day without losing the exemption as long as the most important duty is management within the business. Additionally, the current regulations recognize the concept of concurrent duties; a manager performing non- exempt work can perform managerial responsibilities at the same time. No one knows if concurrent duties will survive in the new rule. The obvious effect of the proposed changes will be to convert employees from exempt to non-exempt status, thus making overtime mandatory. However, before you jump up in red-faced fury, the impact on most printers (unlike the food service industry) could be relatively minor: Just how many associates do you have that made less than $900 per week ($46,800 annualized) assuming this is the number that gets set that are not currently eligible for overtime? Probably very, very few. Legal and Regulatory News Briefs A BMI membership benefit, legal and regulatory news briefs contain information of interest to book manufacturers and library binders. Two issues have been published electronically since November If you have not received a copy of these two issues and would like to, please contact the BMI office at Second, The DOL will likely change the duties test for the executive exemption. The change is expected to require that an exempt manager spend a certain percentage of his or her time (50 percent? 60?) performing executive The Endpaper May

8 2014 BMI MEETING SCHEDULE Date Meeting Information May HR Roundtable Hilton Garden Inn Des Plaines, IL (847) July ACTS Conference Westin Downtown Indianapolis, IN (317) September Finance Roundtable Campus Inn Ann Arbor, MI (734) September 30 M&S Committee AA Exec. Conf. Center Admiral s Club/O Hare Airport, Chicago, IL November 9 Library Binding Council Meeting Hyatt Regency Coconut Point Bonita Springs, FL (888) November 9-11 Annual Conference Hyatt Regency Coconut Point Bonita Springs, FL (888) Trade Shows Book Expo May New York, NY American Library Association June 26-July 1 Las Vegas, NV Publishing & Business Conference & Expo September 2014 New York, NY Graph Expo September 28-October 1 Chicago, IL Continued next page 8 The Endpaper May 2014

9 LBC Technical Director s Report Werner Rebsamen Tensile Flex-Testing 101 Members of the Library Binding Council have aided the new Photo Book industry in developing basic manufacturing standards. An international endeavor, this involves experts from all over the world. It s an exciting project, the aim being that digital printed photo books can be guaranteed to last and be around for at least a hundred years. This effort is being undertaken in response to all those proponents of e-books and fans of other electronic media. I m sure we all agree that safekeeping images for future generations is an important item. Printed and hardcover bound items will, no doubt, prevail. The committee is looking at all areas: existing standards for papers, inks, toners and, of course, all the materials used for binding. One recent dialog centered on flextesting bound book blocks. The reason is that there are different procedures between those established in the U.S./Canada and those in Europe. For an international committee, that is indeed a confusing task. As an expert on the topic of bookbinding, I had many conversations on that topic with my European and American colleagues. To find a common ground is virtually impossible. Let me explain: The purpose of flex-testing book blocks: When reading a book, we turn the sheets. On certain bindings, that procedure exerts pressure onto the binding edge. What we try to establish with a flex-test is the evaluation of a long-term turn resistance. However, in all the decades of being active in this trade, I sometimes question the accuracy and usefulness. Some of the past flex-testing results were occasionally so erratic; they did not make much sense. Bookbinding experts wondered why and traced the problems not to the test itself, but to the operators, humans and sometimes, the operators variable loading factors. How and when did flex-tests originate? The time was most likely in the early 1960s, when the industry started to adhesive bind books, magazines and catalogs in large quantities. The then very active Research and Engineering Council of the Graphic Arts conducted many tests. Gerald Mielke, a HB Fuller bookbinding adhesive binding expert was involved in those earlier endeavors and explained that they used nine different book manufacturing companies, each with their own procedures for testing. Few had the same type of testing equipment. All this made a difference and for a time, the industry was not able to establish usable guidelines for testing adhesive bound products. In 1976, the Moffett Precision Products company, on the recommendation of Paul Chamberlin of Illinois Adhesives (now Henkel), started to work with Moffett and developed the now most popular tensile page-pull and tensile pageflex testing devices. With those testing machines, they were able to establish the very first North American industry guidelines for quality adhesive bound products. Flex-testing procedures. On an average size book block, three sheets are selected: one in the center, the other two halfway toward the front or the back. The book block is clamped down onto a slightly curved surface, imitating maximum opening features. The single sheet selected for flexing is then clamped. Tensile pressure of a standard 2 lbs. is applied. Then the sheet is flexed back and forth, 60 degrees at the pivoting point, or to a total of 120 degrees. If it detaches from the binding edge or tears, the flexing gadget will automatically stop the cycles. The amount of flexes achieved are then recorded and averaged out. Continued next page The Endpaper May

10 Technical Director s Report Continued from page 9 Problematic loading factors. There have been many discussions on the value of flex-testing adhesive bound products. Many decades ago, a German engineer writing an extensive paper on this subject, made several statements of how individually measured values scatter to such an extent, that in the overwhelming majority of cases, reproducibility is unsatisfactory or virtually impossible. Well, we found the cause inexperienced persons doing the testing are to blame! They sometimes break the spine to ease the loading. This created such a big problem that the Government Publishing Office (GPO) issued guidelines on how to load a flex-testing device. In their chapter on Improper Setups of the Flex Tester, there are photos illustrating things like not breaking the spine, bird winging, position of book block and/or clamp, and others. But even those instructions are now questionable. What shall we do? The best advice given comes from Chuck Cline, a former National Starch and Chemical (now Henkel) bookbinding adhesive binding expert and a still very active industry consultant. Chuck recommends clamping down the cover panels and with them, the first few and last sheets. Then select a single sheet for the tensile page pull clamp. All other sheets must float freely. (see photo) This prevents the breaking of the spine or at the glue-line. Such a procedure results in more uniform, usable data and best of all, truly simulates actual reading, turning sheets. 40 or 60 flexing cycles? Many arguments have been started on that topic. European adhesive binding experts have different opinions and guidelines for testing. Their many kinds of testing devices are indeed different, but does it matter? Dan Moffett told me the 40 cycles used on his flex-testing machine, were recommended by the Paul Chuck Cline recommends loading a flex testing device in this fashion. This to simulate actual turning of sheets and most of all, this will avoid breaking the spine and glue-line and with it, achieve only erratic results. Photo courtesy of Chuck Cline Chamberlain, the very first respected Father of adhesive binding. The load factors also differ. On the popular Moffett equipment, it is a standard 2 lbs., no matter if it is a small or large book. On European testing devices, the load factor must be calculated with regard to the dimension (length of adhesive edge) of the product to be tested. Their measurements are used and are specified in N/cm. (Newtons/cm) Does it matter to test at 40 or 60 cycles? The answer most likely is no. Tony Clark, who published the book Bookbinding with Adhesives, avoids that topic and so did my colleagues at the University of Leipzig, Dr. Liebau and Dr. Ing. Ines Heinze, in a similar German book on Klebebinden, the latter covering all topics on adhesive binding. In this writer s opinion, the collection of data for comparison is more important than all other factors. Of course, writing an international standard then becomes a challenge. But so could be an argument of what is a better, more accurate measurement, inches or centimeters? Continued next page 10 The Endpaper May 2014

11 Technical Director s Report Continued from page 10 Products to be flex-tested. A given sheet, loaded with a specified tension, flexes back and forth at 120 degrees at a certain, but uniform speed. Some products, mainly catalogs printed on glossy, coated papers, must be adhesive bound in such a way that the sheet is unable to flex at the binding edge. That technique is known as binding with a clamping effect, which can be achieved with deeper notches and a heavier coating of adhesive. If a sheet is not able to flex at the binding edge, a flex-test should never take place. All we would accomplish is flexing the paper and for that, the paper industry has its own tests. (MIT Folding endurance) We had O.C. folks bragging that flex tests went beyond 10,000! Such numbers just make no sense. I m sure they tested a product unable to flex at the adhesive edge. What a waste of time and effort! How many flexes may be the norm? That is an interesting topic and again, we find lots of different opinions. Tony Clark, in his book, suggests 250 flexes for textbooks and many others for different products such as magazines, pa- perbacks, diaries and catalogs. The Germans, Dr. Liebau and Dr. Heinze, stated that sorting out minimum requirements for different products does not make any sense. They list 50 to 100 flexes as being sufficient! When should the tests take place? This is also a good question. Adhesive binding experts recommend testing when 80 percent of the final adhesion is achieved. For Hotmelts, that is approximately one hour, for cold emulsion, testing is impossible before a 20 to 24 hour period. As for PUR s, that timing is dependent on the moisture content of the sheets, 20 to 24 hours; on very dry sheets such as digital or web offset printed sheets, some timing is given from 60 to 70 hours. Are there industry standards for tensile page-pull and flex tests? There are no standards only industry guidelines, first established in North America by the R&E Council of the Graphic Arts. Finally, one must always bear in mind, that page-pull and flex tests, as well as others, individually do not measure the overall strength of a binding. They are only part of a book testing program we will cover in the near future. Writing this short article made me realize that I opened a can of worms. With BMI readers now also being on board, I would like to get some dialog going, especially with Q.C. people down in the trenches. Then we may be able to write an extended article in our quarterly ShelfLife publication. Your questions, insights and opinions are very much appreciated. An adhesive bound book block with a clamping effect is not suitable for flex-testing. All we do is to flex the paper, most likely forever. Photo: Cover Illustration of Bindereport, a German Bookbinding magazine March Werner Rebsamen is Professor Emeritus of the Rochester Institute of Technology and the technical consultant to LBC. He can be reached at wtrebs@metrocast.net. The Endpaper May

12 Something to Think About Trying Not to Try: How to Cultivate the Paradoxical Art of Spontaneity Through the Chinese Concept of Wu-Wei Wu-wei literally translates as no trying or no doing, but it s not at all about dull inaction. In fact, it refers to the dynamic, effortless, and unselfconscious state of mind of a person who is optimally active and effective. People in wu-wei feel as if they are doing nothing, while at the same time they might be creating a brilliant work of art, smoothly negotiating a complex social situation, or even bringing the entire world into harmonious order. For a person in wuwei, proper and effective conduct follows as automatically as the body gives in to the seductive rhythm of a song. This state of harmony is both complex and holistic, involving as it does the integration of the body, the emotions, and the mind. If we have to translate it, wu-wei is probably best rendered as something like effortless action or spontaneous action. Being in wu-wei is relaxing and enjoyable, but in a deeply rewarding way that distinguishes it from cruder or more mundane pleasures. - Edward Slingerland, professor of Asian Studies and Embodied Cognition at the University of British Columbia, Trying Not to Try: The Art and Science of Spontaneity. Edward Slingerland, professor of Asian Studies and Embodied Cognition at the University of British Columbia and a renowned scholar of Chinese thought, explores this in his book, Trying Not to Try: The Art and Science of Spontaneity. Some of the most elusive objects of our incessant pursuits are happiness and spontaneity, both of which are strikingly resistant to conscious pursuit. Two ancient Chinese concepts might be our most powerful tools for resolving this paradox wu-wei (pronounced oooo-way) and de (pronounced duh). Slingerland explains: This notion is remarkably similar to Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi s pioneering concept of flow that precious state of consciousness where we feel a deep and total immersion in life or creative work, forgetting the passage of time and even such physical needs as hunger and thirst and subsequent psychological theories that emphasize the value of problem-creating over problem-solving as a source of creative energy and fulfillment. It is also at the heart of Lewis Hyde s famous distinction between work and creative labor. We re drawn to people with wu-wei, Slingerland argues, because we inherently trust the automatic, unconscious mind due to a simple fact from the psychology of trust because spontaneity is hard to fake, we intuit that spontaneous people are authentic and thus trustworthy. To read the full article, at Brain Pickings go to brainpickings.org/index.php/2014/04/21/trying-not-to-tryslingerland/. 12 The Endpaper May 2014