- To celebrate the publication of Lend Me Your Ears in Russia on 19 February.
- To advertise my wares to British, American, Spanish and Russian audiences.
- To prove that famous quotations are sometimes literally true, as when 4 different covers = the same book within.
- To invite publishers in languages other than English, Spanish and Russian to write to me asking for a free copy to consider whether it might be worth translating.
You can't judge book by its cover
Business Communicator of the Year 2010
The judges said: "During his tenure as President of the CBI Martin Broughton's speeches were witty, direct and controversial, making headlines and entertaining audiences. He can craft a phrase, select a great quotation and crack a good joke, which is extremely rare among top British executives and almost unheard of from a man trained as an accountant. His speeches should be studied by corporate communications departments as models of excellence."
The runners-up were Mervyn King, Governor of the Bank of England and Rory Sutherland, Vice-Chairman of Ogilvy Group UK.
Snakes, ladders & the folly of Q-A campaigning
The day when Mrs Thatcher apologised (twice) for what she said in an interview
· Do interviews ever deliver anything but bad news for politicians and boredom for audiences?
· Will the 2010 UK general election be the first one to leave us speechless?
· Two more straight answers from Mandelson - about failed coups and the PM's rages
· Mandelson gives two straight answers to two of Paxman’s questions
· Rare video clip of a politician giving 5 straight answers to 5 consecutive questions
· Politician answers a question: an exception that proves the rule
· A Tory leader's three evasive answers to the same question
· Gordon Brown's interview technique: the tip of a tedious iceberg
· A prime minister who openly refused to answer an interviewer’s questions
· Why has Gordon Brown become a regular on the Today programme?
Nobel Prize for Economics (& Atkinson Award for Imagery): Joseph Stiglitz
Unlike the economics teachers of my undergraduate days (who only inspired me to drop the subject in favour of sociology), Stiglitz has quite a way with words that I've blogged about before.
How good an economist he is, I have no idea, but this isn't the first time that I've been impressed by the ease and frequency with which he uses imagery to make his points intelligible to wider audiences.
Here are some samples from the article in today's Independent, followed by video clips of him from televised interviews over the past year or so.
Garbage disposal service
The US government, Stiglitz says, was reduced to the role of garbage disposal service for the banks' toxic assets, bad loans and worthless securities they themselves had created.
Safety net
The safety net should focus on protecting individuals; but the safety net was extended to corporations, in the belief that the consequences of not doing so would be too horrific. Once extended, it will be difficult to withdraw.
Blackmail
The world-weary response of the media and the politicians, after the immediate horrors have passed – to give in to the financial sector's blackmail.
A gun to our heads
He reminds us that the banks have effectively tried to keep "a gun to our heads", that says that if we don't keep them going on their terms then they will "kill the economy".
The market is a crazy man
"You're dealing with a crazy man, you're asking what I can do to placate a crazy man: Having got what he wants he will still kill you."
The Great American Robbery
His sheer indignation at what he calls "the Great American Robbery" – that multi-trillion dollar bailout for the banks sanctioned by the Bush and Obama administrations – is as awesome as the sums involved, and as understandable.
Calm sea of financial stability
According to Stiglitz, far from free markets delivering a calm ocean of financial stability, they have delivered us a financial crisis, on average, every year or two.