Comment by kn0thing | Hacker News Reader

Comment by kn0thing | Hacker News Reader

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I've been doing public speaking for a while now (e.g., my TED talk was back in '09 http://www.ted.com/talks/alexis_ohanian_how_to_make_a_splash...) but live TV 'debate' is a whole 'nother beast.

You're talking about my first 'debate' on MSNBC (it pains me to link to it but....) http://upwithchrishayes.msnbc.com/_news/2012/01/15/10161056-...

Yeah, I was totally unprepared for that format (my first 'debate') and it was covered in failsauce. I just couldn't believe he'd so brazenly lie like that, interrupt, etc. The feedback on reddit and HN was pretty helpful, though, and the day of the blackout I was on literally every other network much better armed.

(shameless plug: I write about all of this in great detail in my forthcoming book, Without Their Permission)

http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/bestoftv/2012/01/18/exp-poi...

http://www.reddit.com/r/politics/comments/ol56z/reddit_found... (never do an interview on a cell phone)

http://video.foxbusiness.com/v/1400506693001/websites-go-dar...

http://www.bloomberg.com/video/83688294-reddit-com-oppositio...

The next time I was invited for a debate (fast company conference in NY) it was a different story, imho: http://www.fastcompany.com/1834779/reddit-cofounder-bands-ex...

I was about to ask you a couple of questions about the book, but details are on your website. For the lazy -

http://withouttheirpermission.com/

Oh silly me, forgot to link! Thanks. You can AMA here too :)

Lol, ok I'll take you up on that.

1. You must have read a lot of books on the topic over the last few months/years. What are your top (5?) books to recommend to a budding entrepreneur (while we are waiting for yours to come out)?

2. Have you considered doing an Audiobook? (I'm a fan of non-fiction audiobooks and find they work particularly well for the sort of book you have written)

1. I've actually tried not to read too many other entrepreneurship books -- something Zach Weiner taught me (he doesn't read many other webcomics) to encourage creativity. That said, some books that have helped me be he entrepreneur I am today are (in no particular order) Masters Of Doom, Founders at Work, The Lorax, Drive, and White Man's Burden. Oh and PG essays of course.

I also really didn't want to waste my reader's time (my writing is pretty conversational and there are even some jokes in the book along with doodles) so I advertise on the back that the book can be read in 5 hrs (or a crosscountry flight).

2. Yep! They asked me to read it (I of course said yes, since Christopher Walken wasn't available).

> Masters Of Doom

Yes! I listened to the audiobook version of this which was read by Wil Wheaton, great stuff.

Thanks for the other suggestions - I'm going to start with Drive as I liked Daniel Pink's latest book but haven't read Drive yet.

I like conversational style, and 5 hours is a good length for a book - I hate it when a 5 hour book gets dragged out to 10.

Will there be an eBook version outside Apple's walled garden (DRM-free, preferably)? I dislike dead-tree books, with their fixed typography and whatnot!

Right - Kindle and nook!

http://www.amazon.com/Without-Their-Permission-Century-ebook...

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/without-their-permission-ale...

Would that suffice?

Ah, not available on Amazon UK, that's why I couldn't find it :(

Yeah, sorry, it's US + Canada launch on Oct 1. We haven't yet sold the intl rights, I think. BUT! I'm thinking of doing something w/o my publisher's permission :) and doing events in London, Berlin, HK, and maybe Paris where I just bring a giant suitcase or two full of US edition books for an event & signing.

I love how appropriate this is, given the title (and I assume content) of the book! :D

It's available on Kindle and Nook, but I didn't see a completely DRM free option. Kindle DRM doesn't bother me that much personally because I can view the books on every device I own, and on the web.

Brother, you're a fast learn and I'm impressed with you to no end.

Keep up the good fight.

There are some people who I would love to introduce you to who are also of the same mind. I wish there was an easy way to contact you so we could maybe set something up.

Thanks, Nrsolis. Do they also live in NY? contact AT alexisohanian is probably the best way - I'm a traveling man the next month + planning the tour (as well as doing regular YCing).

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