In this era of self-publishing and ubiquitous self-improvement and business book creation, it is easy to gloss over colleagues and acquaintances when they announce their new book – because – to be honest – everyone seems to be at it. Speaking personally as an author myself, I am just as guilty.
Well don’t gloss over this. In their publication: ‘Random’ – Matt Ballantine and Nick Drage have deconstructed the book as a concept to present something… truly random.
From the outside it has the appearance of a weighty tome, but on closer inspection the book cover is a box containing 120 cards with bright pop-art themed graphics on one side and fascinating randomness on the flip.
These are unbound pages. They encourage the reader to select them as they choose, like a pack of giant playing cards. You can choose individually or in a cluster – your call. This anarchic presentation has disrupted the very idea of the relationship between the author, the content and the reader. You can be… random.
Each card starts with a question – and then goes somewhere suitably unexpected – from the stock market to a Roman tower for dice ‘that misbehave’. With questions like: Could Monkeys Really Type Shakespeare? Does Your Openent Know What You Will Do Next? Could A Butterfly’s Wings Really Change the weather?
It is a triumph. A companion for conversation, for creative ‘unblocking’ and as a resource for team exercises or personal amusement. Is it time you took the time to truly explore the intricacies of ‘random’?
Buy the book here: https://randomthebook.com/about/
