Inside Jacket

This is Day Two of The Daily, the newspaper created specifically for the iPad, and so far, I’m impressed.

I’ve said many times that books, newspaper and magazines must adapt to the iPad, rather than simply repackage content that was designed for a print or web audience. The iPad’s startling display, portability and video capabilities make it much more of an entertainment device than a laptop, and that’s what media companies need to address.

And that’s what I like about The Daily — the way it integrates text, video and other multimedia features. News Corp. has built a publication that is much more attractive and innovative than the iPad versions of newspapers. It’s not perfect. You won’t need hours to read it, and as PC Magazine noted, the reporting is not as deep as The New York Times. Others have questioned whether it is out of step with iPad viewing habits, which tend to clump in the evening, rather than the morning.

But the navigation options — including a "carousel" of stories that takes advantage of the touch screen — is slick. The photos are sharp, and the ads are enticing. Keeping it fresh every day will be a big challenge. But it’s a promising start.

As Black History Month 2011 begins, I thought back to some of the books I read last year on the topic — and a few that I missed. Here’s a short list of recommendations, including two favorites, bios of Louis Armstrong and Willie Mays, who lived through the Civil Rights era but stayed mostly on the sidelines of the major upheavals. Still, their stories provided insight into the turmoil gripping America in those days. (I don’t have a good book on the topic on my nightstand right now, so suggestions are welcome.)

"Willie Mays: The Life, The Legend" by James S. Hirsch.

"Pops: A Life of Louis Armstrong" by Terry Teachout.

"The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks" by Rebecca Skloot.

"The Warmth of Other Suns: The Epic Story of America’s Great Migration" by Isabel Wilkerson.

"The Other Wes Moore: One Name, Two Fates" by Wes Moore.

Enjoy!

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Finally got a chance over the weekend to see "The King’s Speech," a movie that won awards for best cast and best male actor from the Screen Actors Guild last night.

I thought I was the last person on earth to see the moving story about the English prince who battled a speech impediment and his own insecurities, but the theater was very crowded. Some folks may have been seeing the movie for a second time, and I can understand that, because it is loaded with subtlety. Like that snotty crack about commoner Wallis Simpson, the Lady from Baltimore.

I’m partial to movies that were adapted from books, so next on my to-do list of Oscar contenders is "True Grit." If I’m lucky, I’ll also have time to also see "Black Swan" and "The Fighter" before the stars walk up the red carpet.

Today is the 25th anniversary of the explosion of the space shuttle Challenger, one of those tragedies that brings back a “where were you” rush of memory. I was in Richmond, a reporter covering the Virginia General Assembly, when I heard the news on television. Like the rest of the world, I was riveted by the tragedy, which occurred a mere 73 seconds into the the flight, and claimed seven lives, including a young teacher, Christa McAuliffe. To read more about the disaster, check out this NASA website, or these books:

“Truth, Lies, and O-Rings: Inside the Space Shuttle Challenger Disaster” by Allan J McDonald and James R. Hansen. A whistle-blowing account of the failed O-ring, by McDonald, an executive with one of the shuttle’s contractors, and Hansen, a history professor.

“Comm Check…: The Final Flight of Shuttle Columbia” by Michael Cabbage and William Harwood, journalists who covered the shuttle.

“Challenger Revealed” by Richard C. Cook, a memoir and insider’s account from a NASA budget analyst who leaked documents to the media about problems with the Challenger’s construction.

Walking from The Baltimore Sun offices to Charles Street, I’ve often passed the small store run by the Maryland Bible Society.

The pretty building, with limestone carvings, was like one of those specialty shops you find tucked away in a corner of Manhattan. And it was oddly pleasing to think that someone could survive on such limited offerings this far from the Bible Belt.

Well, the Sun reports today that the society has gone completely digital — closing the downtown store and selling Bibles and related material online. That’s quite a change for an organization that has been around for a couple of centuries, and whose past presidents include the guy for whom Ft. McHenry is named.

But as reporter Jessica Anderson notes, the society’s transformation mirrors the changes being felt by major booksellers. Just last weekend, I was in Chicago, and was sad to see a big, empty store on Michigan Avenue’s Magnificent Mile, where until recently Borders had a marquee store.

That won’t be the last.