Wi15: 'Carrying Out the Quiet Revolutionary Act'

"I flew out from Los Angeles on Friday, and there were two legs to my trip. On the first leg, when my seatmate sat down next to me and struck up a conversation and asked me what I did for work, I said I'm the incoming CEO of the American Booksellers Association. The conversation that ensued is one that I'm sure most, if not all, of you have had over and over again. He said it's so sad there are no more bookstores. And he talked a lot about it. So on the second leg of my trip, when my new seatmate sat down next to me and we struck up a conversation and he asked me what I did for work, I said I'm a leader in a medium that changes the world every day. This time the conversation was very different.... I talked about the work we all do.... I told him that's my new job, to help ensure that the people, all of you carrying out the quiet revolutionary act to make the world better every day through books, bookselling and bookstores, continue to survive and thrive."