BookTV
July 9, 2007 9:25 AM Subscribe
BookTV.org is one the smartest shows on television. Scraping free content from author interviews at local bookstores and book fairs, its new re-designed website is long overdue, and now all content stays available in a permanent archive in case you miss the 48hr C-SPAN2 weekend marathons. Sample programs: The Canon: A Whirligig Tour of the Beautiful Basics of Science, In Depth: Ray Kurzweil,"Blackwater: The Rise Of The World's Most Powerful Mercenary Army"
This is good stuff. Thanks for the post. I'm watching the Blackwater one right now.
posted by YoBananaBoy at 9:48 AM on July 9, 2007
posted by YoBananaBoy at 9:48 AM on July 9, 2007
I love Booknotes.
Brian Lamb is a great American and deserves any award we can heap on him for his efforts at c-span.
He's also my favorite interviewer on TV because he has that rare understanding that people are there to listen to and learn from the interviewee and not the interviewer. I don't understand why a neutral interviewer is such a difficult task.
posted by dios at 10:03 AM on July 9, 2007
Brian Lamb is a great American and deserves any award we can heap on him for his efforts at c-span.
He's also my favorite interviewer on TV because he has that rare understanding that people are there to listen to and learn from the interviewee and not the interviewer. I don't understand why a neutral interviewer is such a difficult task.
posted by dios at 10:03 AM on July 9, 2007
c-span is the best thing that has ever happened to television.
posted by brandz at 10:07 AM on July 9, 2007
posted by brandz at 10:07 AM on July 9, 2007
It never occurred to me to see if there was a website for this show. I am dumb. Thanks for this post.
posted by ibmcginty at 10:22 AM on July 9, 2007
posted by ibmcginty at 10:22 AM on July 9, 2007
Thanks for this! I never thought to check the website either, though my TV has been stuck on Book TV every weekend since forever.
posted by hojoki at 10:41 AM on July 9, 2007
posted by hojoki at 10:41 AM on July 9, 2007
For whatever contractual reason, BookTV is not available by podcast yet. Someday soon, we hope. However, there are several, somewhat less awesome, but still worthwhile C-SPAN Podcasts. 'AfterWords' is my favorite, it seems to be basically the same as BookTV but not the books featured are not as high-profile.
posted by bluejayk at 10:42 AM on July 9, 2007
posted by bluejayk at 10:42 AM on July 9, 2007
RealPlayer haters can get by with VLC or mplayer, but you'll probably have to open the .ram file linked from 'Stand-Alone Player' in a text editor, copy a link, and finally open said link in vlc or mplayer..
posted by unmake at 11:01 AM on July 9, 2007
posted by unmake at 11:01 AM on July 9, 2007
I love BookTV. It's also proof that Americans will not do anything to get on television. They won't attend discussion panels on literature.
posted by Kattullus at 11:11 AM on July 9, 2007
posted by Kattullus at 11:11 AM on July 9, 2007
It drives me crazy that C-SPAN isn't available on broadcast TV (though I think there's a radio version, which makes the situation a little less awful). Everyone ought to have the right to watch Congress in action, not just those wealthy enough to wire for cable.
And BookTV kicks ass, indeed.
posted by breezeway at 11:24 AM on July 9, 2007
And BookTV kicks ass, indeed.
posted by breezeway at 11:24 AM on July 9, 2007
Many a dull weekend has been redeemed by BookTV; it is one of my best sources for new reading material. Thanks for letting us know about the new website!
posted by TedW at 12:12 PM on July 9, 2007
posted by TedW at 12:12 PM on July 9, 2007
yup I dvr it often (wish they had better descriptions of the content for my onscreen guide).
posted by vronsky at 12:44 PM on July 9, 2007
posted by vronsky at 12:44 PM on July 9, 2007
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posted by DU at 9:31 AM on July 9, 2007