Shameless Self-Promotion, Part 1

The August 15th issue of Kirkus Reviews has some nice things to say about my book, Us and Them : Understanding Your Tribal Mind. The Kirkus person says the book's a ``provocative investigation'' of an ``absorbing question.''

I'm glad it wasn't a put-down.

I used to write sharp book reviews when I was a young ignoramus. Now, I would not. Writing books is hard, and people who do it should not be whacked upside the head, especially not by people who themselves haven't written a book.

I wish I could take back the clever lines and snarky critiques of my callow youth. John McCrone, I owe you an apology about that thing that ran in the early 90s. Jon Franklin, you too. Sorry.

I'm sure the karmic machinery of the world will pay me in harsh reviewer blows this fall. But not today: Kirkus writes, and having writ, moves on. I was weighed in the balance and not found wanting.

Whew.