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| Science Teacher With Quirky Video Goes Viral |
199 Views |
| posted on Tuesday, July 08, 2008 |
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EDITOR'S COMMENT:
Here's another example of how one person can make a difference -- and, while at it, go viral on YouTube, create an enthusiastic net-based fan club, and receive a contract from a major publisher to write a book about his passion.
The "one person" I'm speaking about is a high school science teacher "in the process of burning out" named Greg Craven. He gained internet fame by creating a video called "The Most Terrifying Video You'll Ever See". Since this video first appeared on YouTube in June of 2007, it has been viewed 1,389,315 times. That first video set the stage for Craven's tour-de-force follow up, "How It All Ends", which has now been viewed 510,853 and spawned a constellation of auxiliary videos.
What's it all about? Global warming. Craven's contribution is to tackle the topic not from the perspective of whether or not human's are responsible for global warming, but "given the risks and uncertainties of global warming, what is the best action to take?"
Here's a quick list of Craven-supportive websites, followed by a letter that Craven recently posted mentioning his book deal and soliciting help from his Net-based fans to write the book it record-breaking time.
Greg Craven (wonderingmind42) YouTube Website
The Manpollo Project
wonderingmind42
How It All Ends
The Most Terrifying Video You'll Ever See
--- David Sunfellow
Thanks to Dick Atlee for calling this to my attention.
------------
A MESSAGE FROM WONDERINGMIND42
From Greg Craven
manpollo.org
http://manpollo.org/book/book.html
Hey gang!
Greg Craven (wonderingmind42) here, the creator of "The Most Terrifying Video You'll Ever See" and the ridiculously long follow-up project "How It All Ends."
I've just been offered a contract by Perigee Books (an imprint of Penguin) to do a book based on the videos. The usual schedule for a book is a year to write it, then another 9 months to produce and sell it before it shows up on the shelves. I told them I'm panicked about the urgency of the issue, and dread the idea of passing a tipping point while I'm puttering away on crafting "the perfect" book. So we're "crashing" the book, as they say in the industry, with a scheduled release in summer '09. I'm pleased with their willingness to rush it, but it means I've got three-and-a-half months to write it and deliver the final copy. Clearly, a ridiculous proposition.
So, I'm pulling out all the stops (again! hopefully for the last time!) and going for it. I could use your help.
Real authors have at least year to research and write, and sometimes employ researchers. I've got three and a half months, and you. Someone once observed that one of the emergent functions of this site seemed to be a sort of think-tank for me to use. That's the function I'd like to call on now.
I would like to be able to come here and post questions, bounce ideas, ask for input, craft memes, "focus group" catchphrases and titles, ask for help in researching specific questions, etc. Can't say I'll adopt your advice, but in my mind every bit of information I get improves things.
So the forum "How It All Ends: The Book" will serve as a place for me to post requests for feedback, calls for brainstorming, topics for volunteer researchers, and titles for "focus grouping." If your time and energy is limited, you can just chime in when I ask for simple feedback, like "Which title do you prefer?" Please invite other people you know who may be interested but not yet a part of the forum to participate as they are inspired.
I very much feel that this forum holds the promise to allow me to encapsulate and channel an intelligence, experience, and wisdom much greater than my own into the book. With Penguin as the publisher, this is a book that will end up on the shelves of Barnes and Noble. I really feel there is a tiny but realistic chance that this could be a book that changes the world. Wouldn't that be cool?
Please, help make it happen.
............
NHNE Climate Change Resource Page
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