Meme Pas Fausse (Not even wrong-French style)

[marcus]

Même Pas Fausse (Not even wrong--French style)

Smolin's book came out in April 2007 in French translation and spent a good bit of time as #1 on the French amazon.com physics bestseller list. I just looked today and it was #4 physics bestseller with a salesrank in all books of 2021.

Now Woit's book is due to come out in French translation, officially 3 October 2007.
http://www.amazon.com/dp/2100503936/?tag=pfamazon01-20

It is a paperback called MÊME PAS FAUSSE
Instead of doing the usual thing of putting out hardcover first and then mass market paperback a year or so later, they are going direct for the mass market with a paperback "Poche" edition.

Interestingly, the French version of Smolin's book is hardbound, but still obviously selling well. Here's the amazon.com page on that one.
http://www.amazon.com/dp/2100507028/?tag=pfamazon01-20
A nice plus for Smolin's RIEN VA PLUS is that it has a preface by famous French mathematician Alain Connes---father of Noncommutative Geometry.

As a comparison benchmark, so that Smolin salesrank 2021 means something, the French version of Brian Greene Fabric came out September 2005 (just two years ago) in hardcover, so still fairly recent, and has salesrank 15,127 at the moment
http://www.amazon.com/dp/2221095553/?tag=pfamazon01-20
Brian Greene Elegant came out February 2005 in paperback and has rank 23,190
http://www.amazon.com/dp/2070302806/?tag=pfamazon01-20

 

[notevenwrong]

Hi marcus,

Thanks for noticing this. Believe it or not, this is the first I've heard about this. I knew that rights to the book had been sold to Dunod, but hadn't heard anything at all from them since they bought the rights. I thought part of the deal was that I was supposed to be allowed to check the translation. I guess not, if it's coming out in a couple weeks. In this case, the author definitely bears no responsibility for whatever marketing materials they use or put on the book cover..

 

[marcus]

I think the timing is excellent, also their decision to open with a paperback edition instead of the usual first-hard then-soft practice. Best of luck with the new printing!