Julie Wedgwood talks with Jay about unbooks and iPads – August 2010

The book Learnscape Architecture morphed into Learnscaping, then Work Smarter, then Working Smarter, and today I’m releasing The Working Smarter Fieldbook.

Geneology:

“Reality is an endless stream of knowledge, culture and ideas that flows faster and faster. Traditional books are snapshots of that stream. The swifter the stream, the shorter the life of the book. A book is an event. We need a process that outlasts the moment — a movie in place of a photograph.” I wrote that two years ago in CLO, and I’ve been working on a solution — the unbook.

The “un” prefix highlights how unbooks differ from traditional books. In brief, unbooks are in perpetual beta, are frequently updated, and accept input from their readers,

I’ve just released the mid-2010 edition of an unbook titled The Working Smarter Fieldbook. It is the successor to the January 2010 edition of Working Smarter. Let’s examine the changes and additions to show both the evolution of the unbook concept and what’s gained importance in learning and development in the past six months.

[more to come in an article in CLO magazine]

When things settle down, this will be my first unbook on the iPad.

Another take on the unbook: The Unbook is a whimsical, modern take on the classic piggy bank, only for adults. Place it on a bookshelf, at home or in the office, while it discreetly collects enough loose change and turns into a sturdy bookend, holding up the books on either side of it. Made from colorful polyethylene, its cartooned design and lively colors of Green, Orange, Yellow and more, add a touch of humor to the tedious financial world of grownups. Designed by Josh Owen for Casamania.

Now, with the unbookend, unbook enthusiasts can display their fanatical views to the world with a colorful symbolic object, and save money at the same time!

You can buy one here.