It should be obvious to anyone reading this site that book segments are not ‘in order’; and many entries are incomplete. Writing in general, and my brain specifically, can be very chaotic. This site will mirror that chaos. Sometimes it will not be pretty.
Although the ‘Rough Drafts’ category is working out OK so far, a few people have expressed frustration with the incomplete nature of the entries (feeling they are being ‘teased’ with cliff-hanger bullet points). But it’s really the nature of this beast I’ve created. The whole point of is for the book to take shape before your eyes. I don’t have stuff already written that I’m simply ‘revealing’ from time to time…I am actually writing it just minutes before it shows up on the site.
Especially in these early days, there will seem to be no rhyme or reason at all to what I’m writing. But it’s simple to understand: I write what strikes me at the time I sit down to write. Sometimes that will be the continuation of something I’ve already posted, other times it will have no apparent connection to anything else. Only once I have written rough segments for most of the key topics, will I focus on ‘continuity’ and chronology.
For some readers, this approach will be too disjointed, which I completely understand. If that is you, you may find it more satisfying to just read the finished segments which are filed in the category ‘Mike’s Book – Job I’ve Known’.
Thank you to everyone who has provided feedback and comments. I feel honored that you’ve taken the time to be part of this project.
Doing good — at least the rough drafts pop up to the top when you edit them now! (Or maybe they’ve always done that…)
Ignore those calls man, if I was doing something like this and people bitch and moan about being teased with unfinished contents, I’d tell them to wait until all’s done.
Geez, I thought all the linking articles made it crystal clear that it’s all a work in progress.
Mike: I very much like the way you are doing this, and I think it is an appropriate reflection of how books/articles/writings come together. At least the things I’ve written don’t start out as logically organized narratives, but different pieces that eventually need to be woven together. Those of us that are reading it are already getting the chance to see a few disparate pieces starting to come together and coalesce, which is an enjoyable process to observe. I particularly like the ‘turning down the job at apple’ chapter at this stage. I don’t feel like I’ve been left hanging by “How could I leave this paradise?”
but rather, I know I have something interesting to look forward to. I’m eager to read more about how you got from turning down the job at Apple to actually working for Apple, but I know I’ve got all kinds of other good stuff to follow in the mean time.
Great stuff. It’s like watching a DVD movie with commentary. The movie is great, but the background is so much more interesting.
Thanks, and keep it coming.