Tomorrow, April 28, at 6 p.m. Central, Parnassus Books, Nashville, Tenn., will host a virtual book launch event on the store's Facebook page for Family Business: How Ingram Transformed the World of Books by Keel Hunt (West Margin Press). Moderated by Elyse Adler, the event features Hunt in conversation with John Ingram, chairman of Ingram Content Group. All are invited to attend.
Family Business, based on more than 70 interviews, traces the growth of Ingram over the past 50 years from its beginnings, when Bronson Ingram purchased a small Nashville textbook depository, to the leading book wholesaler with branches around the world, state-of-the-art print-on-demand facilities, self-publishing operations, distribution subsidiaries, software systems, book data and more--a full range of services and infrastructure that help publishers and others publish, distribute and sell their titles.
As West Margin Press--distributed of course by Ingram Publisher Services--says, "Over the past 50 years, from its headquarters in Nashville, Tennessee, Ingram has played a pivotal role in modernizing the book business. Two members of the founding family have led the way: Bronson Ingram, a tough-minded industrialist who instinctively recognized a golden opportunity to apply modern efficiencies to antiquated logistical systems, and Bronson's son John Ingram, an 'intrapreneur' with a keen understanding of both the opportunities and the risks created by the new digital technologies. Led by these two brilliant managers, Ingram has used its unparalleled industry-wide connections to help transform book publishing from a tradition-bound business into a dynamic, global 21st century powerhouse."
Hunt is an editorial columnist for the Tennessean and author of Coup: The Day the Democrats Ousted Their Governor and Crossing the Aisle: How Bipartisanship Brought Tennessee to the 21st Century and Could Save America.