The new research primer is here, the new research primer is here...
Older readers might remember the Steve Martin movie "The Jerk." I love the scene where the new phone books arrive and Martin, as the title character, is ecstatic to see his name in print for the first time. Well, the book that I coauthored with George Hayhoe arrived at my house last Friday and the scene was pretty similar. Not the first time in print, but it is the first time my byline made the cover. It's even on Amazon.

It's always the same for me anytime I get something published. Instant thrill (oh boy, time for my 15 minutes of fame) followed by disappointment (oh no, I should have done a better job than this). I'm getting better at staying centered and balanced. The thrill used to be "Oh boy, I'm famous." I realize now that we are all famous, some just more so than others, and even the most lasting of fame is still only temporary. And I know that perfection is a fool's target. I'm content now if my output is good enough to do someone some good. I hope this book helps a student who is overwhelmed by having to do a research project, or some practitioner who would like to be a more critical consumer of research. I hope it helps shape research agendas that define our practice for the better.

As Buddha said: Before enlightenment it was chop wood and carry water; after enlightenment it is chop wood and carry water. OK, I've got a research textbook on my shelf with my name on the cover; time to get back to work on the Help file I'm writing that tells users how to back up their log files.

Still, it's a lot of fun to see my name on the cover of a book, and oh, I wish I had done a better job.