the jade gurss blog

"In The Red" - Now Available

My new book - IN THE RED - is now available! You can order from the usual book outlets, or receive the shipment immediately by ordering from Octane Press. It will also be available in eBook format very soon. Thanks for all of the interest and the orders thus far!

For more book details, visit the following locales on the web: 

Twitter:   @InTheRed2001 - daily updates and dialogue. Follow the Twitter feed for media appearances, autograph signings and more fun. 

Facebook:  "Like" the In The Red Facebook page for daily updates, photos, videos and more.

Tumblr:  The "In The Red" Tumblr page offers even more photos, videos and sounds updated often. 

12 Hours of Victory Lane - the video!

 

Here is the highlights video from the 12 Hours of Victory Lane - the 2011 edition. I was lucky enough to compete for the third straight year - teamed with the fine chaps Kevin York, James Kirkham and Dr. John Connaughton. We raced under the Twitter handle for my new book: @InTheRed2001. And, for the first time, there was a second fingerprint inc. team. John Luzzi, Evan York and Walt Sova teamed to finish fifth. 

I shot the video on an iPhone 4 and edited with iMovie. 

Crank it up - and enjoy! 

(Click the Vimeo logo in the lower right of the picture to watch in HD on the Vimeo site.)

Announcing "In The Red"

If you're one of the folks who wondered if I'd fallen from the face of the earth, I apologize for abandoning the ol' blog for a few months. But, I promise it was all for good reason. 

I am excited to announce my latest book, In The Red. It will be released in early 2012 by Octane Press, LLC. You can pre-order now at:  http://octanepress.com/book/red  You can also read the book's first chapter on the Octane site. 

The 2001 season seemed to involve every emotion one could experience, from the horrific tragedy of Dale Earnhardt's death in the season-opening Daytona 500 to Dale Jr's emotional and triumphant return to Daytona in July. In the same way "Driver No. 8" chronicled the 2000 NASCAR season, In The Red picks up where it left off, giving an insider's view of the 2001 season with Dale Earnhardt Jr. 

I'm close to the material, so it's hard to be objective, but I strongly believe this is the best work I've ever done.

In the build-up to the book's release, I'm happy to offer a lot of never-before-seen material all across the web. Here are some of those outlets: 

Twitter:  Follow @InTheRed2001 for interactive chats during each Chase race of 2011. We'll also Tweet links to much of the other material. 

Facebook: "Like" the Facebook page for In The Red to see daily updates including never-before seen photos,videos and even music from the book. 

Tumblr:  The In The Red Tumblr blog will have daily updates with similar photos, videos and many stories behind the stories from the book. If you have a Tumblr blog, I encourage you to follow. Even if you don't, you can follow the blog by checking back each day or selecting the RSS feed at the top of the page. 

As a "thank you" to Jim and the readers of the Dale Jr. Pit Stop website for so many years of fervent support for Dale Jr. and me, you can also find another exclusive chapter from the book there. 

In the coming weeks, we will be running a series of contests that will give you an opportunities to win rare 2001 merchandise and other items from my personal archives. We will announce the first contest later this afternoon. 

 

A Quick Poll

 

I have a quick poll for all of you. You will be able to see the results of the poll after you make a selection. I appreciate your responses - and feel free to add more feedback in the Comments section at the bottom of this entry. Thanks!

(and check out the new Tumblr blog as well. Some cool awesomeness - new and old!)
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WHAT IF a new book about (insert your favorite NASCAR driver name here) was released in 2011...

 What format of book are you most likely to buy?

• eBook (approx. $9.99 / iBooks, Kindle, etc.)
• Hardcover (approx. $24.95)

view results
Free vote poll

 Where are you most likely to buy the book?

• National Chain (Barnes & Noble, Borders, etc.)
• Local Bookstore
• Online from Author (Autographed)
• Online (Amazon.com, B&N.com, etc.)
• Steal one from a friend.

view results

Free vote poll

Kindle is the Future of Reading

For those dismayed by the demise of the newspaper industry, Amazon has announced a new, larger version of their Kindle,  an intuitive electronic reader. I've been using the first version of the Kindle for several months, and enjoy being able to travel light with a number of books, newspapers and magazines at my fingertips in an instant. Users can download books in seconds over a built-in wireless connection, and most best-sellers are $10 or less for the electronic version. 

I believe the new version, which has a larger screen and is thus more adept at graphics and newspaper-style content, offers at least a small glimmer of hope for newspapers and periodicals that have been hit hardest by the availability of free content online. The new model also has tests being conducted by several universities with electronic text books.

Other than missing the tactile experience of turning pages, the machine is a delight to use - and will only improve as the technology improves. The initial price can be daunting (the current model retails for $359), but the long-term benefits outweigh the initial outlay.

If you're skeptical, find a friend who has one and try out a Kindle. I imagine it's the reading method our kids will use as they grow.

Recommended Reading: (non-Kindle) "How David Beats Goliath (When Underdogs Break the Rules)" by Malcolm Gladwell from The New Yorker- and a related column/blog by Bob Lefsetz.  

Kindle Recommendation: Outliers: The Story of Success by Malcolm Gladwell.