Penn Group

- A fine German publishing company has perfected the art of Not Getting It. They are printing out the German Wikipedia, binding it, and turning it into a book. Those who miss the “enraged bickering via comment” feature of Wikipedia are encouraged to scribble vigorously in the margins.

- The Telegraph has published a list of the top 50 cult books, including The Female Eunuch, A Rebours, Slaughterhouse-Five and (of course) Catcher in the Rye. Some top-rate descriptions there: for a Celestine Prophecy experience, they recommend that you “rent an Indiana-Jonesalike film - Tomb Raider, say - and ask a hippy to whisper nonsense in your ear while you’re watching it.”

- Starbucks has selected a new book for its roster of instamatic bestsellers. It’s called The Fine Art of Racing In the Rain, it sold to HarperCollins for a million dollars, and it is narrated - this is true - from the POV of a dog.

- More details have surfaced in regard to the upcoming film adaptation of Ayn Rand’s Atlas Shrugged. Angelina Jolie is still confirmed to play the lead, Vadim Perelman (House of Sand and Fog) will direct, and Brad Pitt remains as yet unaffiliated with the production. The Telegraph, by the way, says that Rand’s books are “loved by the kind of person who tells you that selfishness is an evolutionary advantage, before stealing your house/lover/job.”