In an age where everyone is standing in the marketplace, screaming as loud as they can, it would seem the ultimate "sell" is silence.
As you're reading this post, the new and final book of the Harry Potter series, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, is being delivered to secret locations in North America.
Despite what you may have read about a leak, security measures have been put in place to protect the contents of the book. The book series fans are adamant that the information contained in the leak is false and misleading. Many have added their voices to confuse the story. [For my Italian readers, see the story here.]
And what a great story this is. One of collaboration and ingenuity, where customers, the readers, are square in the center of magic and discovery. This is the subject of my post at FC Expert blogs today. Children of every age want to keep the secret long enough so they can discover it. I once talked to a young lady who said she read one of the earlier books, all 800 pages, in less than two days.
What begun as a story pouring out of the imagination of one person, author J.K. Rawling, has now become a shared experience, a cultural event, for millions of children the world over.
Waiting at a bookstore near you is the portal to the last book in this fantastic installation of characters and the story of our times. In a world of instant gratification, waiting on purpose has proven to be worthwhile.
[photo Reuters]