Thursday, June 3, 2010

Binding Innovation: Sewing Machines and Social Networking


The Americans: The Democratic Experience by Daniel Boorstin is full of compelling stories about the formation of America, and especially good in spotting unconventional entrepreneurs.

Boorstin, who died in 2004, was a lawyer, a professor at the University of Chicago for 25 years, the librarian of Congress, the senior historian of the Smithsonian—the list goes on.  But what is most impressive is that Boorstin never, ever stopped writing, including dozens of books and two major trilogies (of which The Democratic Experience is part, and the Pulitzer Prize-winning part at that).

When Boorstin went before the Senate to be confirmed as librarian of Congress, several senators demanded that he not write while serving in the post.  He refused, but promised to do it on his personal time: weekends, evenings, and from 4 a.m. to 9 a.m. every morning.