Working with Gary Vaynerchuk has been non-stop surprises (good surprises). He moves so fast that I have to follow him on Twitter and check in on his book site (which changes nearly daily) to keep up with all he’s got going on.

The other day my father called to tell me how great the Crush It! billboard is. He said it stopped him in his tracks while driving out of the city one day.

Crush It! billboard? Huh?

When I emailed Gary to get the scoop, this is what I got back:

So exciting to see what everyday brings!

Nurse Theresa Brown wrote another post for The New York Times’ Well blog, looking at a patient’s decision to refuse cancer treatment against the doctor’s advice. It’s a thought-provoking piece, bringing another question to the health care table: Whose death is it anyway?

We’re also excited to learn that Theresa’s writing has been included in two anthologies: The Best American Science Writing, 2009, and The Best American Medical Writing, 2009. Additionally, she was recently featured in the American Nurses Association‘s daily newsletter as their top story. For those that would like to read Theresa’s essays in another context, here are a few more options!

While most retailers are batting down the hatches for another dismal holiday season, Disney has enlisted the help of Steve Jobs to revamp its retail space. These new “entertainment hubs” will focus on interactivity and community and adopt Apple hallmarks like mobile checkout. Apparently employees can use iPhones to control giant Lucite trees. (The Times article notes that Disney’s theater idea is a clear extension of Apple’s lecture spaces.)

Yesterday’s article made me wonder if there is  a shoestring equivalent for bookstores? Indeed bookstores have always been community spaces, and one doesn’t have to look very far to find examples of young booksellers who are trying to push them (back) in that direction. I’ll be interested, for example, to see what kind of events/ open mics/ classes Jessica Stockton holds at Greenlight Bookstore which opens its doors next week in Fort Greene (we’re rooting for you Jessica!). 13-foot-tall Lucite trees sound pretty cool, but at the end of the day creating a unique space where people want to hang out doesn’t necessarily require battery operated equipment. Or does it? I am curious what people think adds to the bookstore experience -

One of my favorite parts of the job is coaching authors on their digital strategy. I always say, pretend you have your very own magazine…..what would you want it to be? Here’s a great example of putting all of your assets to good use.

Great job Martha! Can’t wait to see how it develops!

Working in marketing for publishers for oh so many years now………..I cringed and laughed reading this week’s “Shouts and Murmurs” piece which, upon posting, I will immediately tweet.

Found in the New York Times this morning. There’s a woman who made a commitment to read a book a day and post a review on her site, every day for a year.

Read All Day Long

One word: Wow.

Choire Sicha’s sharp analysis of product placement online and on screen immediately made me think of that fabulous scene in Thank You For Smoking – you know, the one in which Rob Lowe (the kimono wearing film executive) and Aaron Eckhart (the tobacco lobbyist) discuss smoking… in space? (fast forward to 3:00)

In his op-ed, Sicha rightfully questions the value of placing Coke in a movie like The Road: “Who will prevent these man-eaters of commerce from persuading me that my personal escape from Thunderdome must not be Pepsi-fueled?” It’s true, this seemingly arbitrary product placement probably has little impact. But, on the other hand, the see-click-buy variety that companies like Delivery Agent are enabling appears to be the way of the future (and don’t forget the scary Tivo/ Amazon partnership). Yes, we may be immune to cola in the apocalypse, and cigarettes in space, but we all want to know where Joan Holloway bought her dress.

If you love Mollie Katzen (and what fan of the mushroom barley soup from The Moosewood Cookbook doesn’t?) you’ll want to check out Mollie’s new cookbook, GET COOKING: 150 SIMPLE RECIPES TO GET YOU STARTED IN THE KITCHEN, which we’re publishing next Tuesday (October 13, in honor of Mollie’s birthday). It’s Mollie’s first cookbook ever specifically designed for beginners…and her first ever to include all the food groups. The idea is to welcome everyone into the kitchen, whether you are vegetarian or vegan or carnivorous, and whether you think you can cook or not. In fact, if you think you can’t cook, this is the perfect book to wean you from takeout and get you on your way to making easy, fresh, inexpensive meals for yourself and your friends.

And if you love Kashi, the natural foods company (and what fan of their Cinnamon Harvest cereal doesn’t?), you’ll be excited to hear that Kashi will be promoting GET COOKING on the backs of 8 of their most popular cereal boxes this Fall!!! Kashi has also partnered with Mollie to create a fantastic new video-based website called Get-Cooking.com, which launches today. Check it out for terrific instructional videos that will have you making everything from polenta to pilaf in no-time.

Jonesin’ for a chili-cheese smothered Tubby Dog or a peanut butter glazed Elvis donut topped off with banana slices and bacon? Jones no more. This Is Why You’re Fat, the book, hits stores in just a few weeks and while it may not fully satisfy your growling stomach, it will at least tantalize your hungry eyes! Look out for the local faves listed below in a neighborhood near you. A deep fried Mars bar may be only a stone’s throw away.

Illustration by Zach Kanin