The future of publishing (cont'd.) ...

Maxine Clarke has some very worthwhile thoughts on the subject: A roof over our heads.
The Internet has already brought profound change to the news business. It is clearly going to have similar impact on publishing in general. Booksellers and publishers, it seems to me, have been more alert to the impending changes than their counterparts in journalism. But another group that I think is behind the curve is the politicians - and maybe also the polibogs (which tend to be run by people who are more conventionally political than the rest of us). Maybe someone attached to no one party, but solely on the basis of what I shall call a custom platform, will manage to run for office and win. The really important changes are not behind us, but before us: We have just crossed the threshold.