Book Sense and The History Channel Inviting Disaster for Hardcover History

This month's Book Sense/History Channel Hardcover History bookmark promotion is based on the title Inviting Disaster: Lessons From the Edge of Technology by James Chiles (HarperBusiness). The bookmarks, which should be placed in the Hardcover History easelback, were sent to participating booksellers in the September White Box.

The History Channel's three-part series, Inviting Disaster, based on Chiles' book, will reconstruct moments of confusion and terror as systems collapse, operators make fateful, sometimes incorrect choices, and disaster follows. It uncovers surprising links between past and present tragedies, such as the connections between 19th century steamboat explosions and 20th century nuclear power plant failures. The program looks into the causes and consequences of technological breakdowns including the destruction of the giant drilling rig Ocean Ranger, the fiery PEPCON factory explosion in Nevada, a deadly runaway police van in Minnesota, and the Air France Concorde explosion. Inviting Disaster will air from 10:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. on October 14, October 21, and October 28.

The Book Sense/History Channel Hardcover History promotion launched this past summer. With publisher support, each month Book Sense creates a unique bookmark to be placed in the Hardcover History easelback. Hardcover History entices customers to return to bookstores each month for reading recommendations that complement meaningful History Channel programs.

The Hardcover History bookmark combinations through the end of 2003 are:

November 2003
The History Channel Special: JFK
Featured Book: President Kennedy Has been Shot by The Newseum, Susan Bennett (Contributor), Cathy Trost (Sourcebooks)

December 2003
The History Channel Special: The Wright Challenge
Featured Books: Aviation Legends by Ken Blackburn and Jeff Lammers (Workman) and The Flyers: In Search of Orville and Wilbur Wright, 1903 by Noah Adams (Crown)

Hardcover History will continue through June 2004, and more "watch-and-read" pairings are being planned.

Any store with Book Sense may participate. Interested booksellers should contact Meg Smith, associate director, Book Sense Marketing, at [email protected] or (800) 637-0037, ext. 1239 to join the Hardcover History program at any time.