I just spent a little time at the just-launched http://www.whomovedmybuybutton.com/ and I must say I'm very pleased with the mission of this clever little site that takes on the noble cause of 'Keeping an eye on our friends at Amazon since Friday morning.'

The idea is as simple as it is timely: to help authors whose books are available on amazon.com keep track of whether or not the BUY NOW link is working and the book can actually be purchased.

One thing that's great about working at TED is the suggestions we get from our authors about books that have been helpful in their journey. Here's one mystery writer from Paula Cappa.

Yesterday I was poking around TED's Web site and found your list of suggested reading books for writers and saw many familiar titles. Everyone at TED is so up on everything in the writing/reading world, and you probably know of this book already, but I thought I put in a good word for "Reading Like a Writer" by Francine Prose for you to consider adding to that list.

I was paging through some vintage copies of National Lampoon yesterday (one of my favorite magazines ever, may it R.I.P) and found an entry from their short lived FROM THE SLUSH PILE series, where they remind readers why writers need editors with excerpts from actual submission to publishers from back in the day.

The bookcase was made of solid walnuts and polished to a high shine.

Mr. Phillips cleared his throat to make his presents felt.

The dishes done, Ruth sat down with a book of cross words.

This particular group of coal minors was the lowest of the low.

Her neatly coiffed hair, her clothes, her well modulated voice denied the wiry person she really was.

There's something about airports that get me in the mood for stories with protagonists who aren't afraid to open up a can of serious whoopass from time to time. I'm not sure what it is, perhaps the myriad aggravations of air travel these days, but for whatever reason I tend to go for a more physical brand of thriller before getting on an airplane.  And when the mood for such a book strikes lately, I find myself more and more likely to reach for a Jack Reacher novel.

It's been over a month since I read the book , and just last night night I passed on the offer for half of my wife's quesadilla even though I was still pretty hungry. So this book has definitely made an impact!

I wrapped up my original post on this by considering the power of what Dr. Kessler doesn't say and doesn't offer in this really remarkable book.  He doesn't offer diet advice. He doesn't tell readers what to eat. Nor does he imply that restaurants or food producers should stop serving up food that's so bad for the people who eat it.   But his message is stronger without this, and the takeaway value of the book--something my colleague Peter Gelfan explores in some detail here--is still very high.

I can't imagine anyone with half a brain not being compelled by the  premise of the book, nor the facts that support it:

• that much of the food available to  the American consumer  is far too sweet, salty, and fatty to really be good for us
• that many if not most Americans have concerns about their weight and difficulty resisting the allure of sweet, salty, fatty foods