18 replies to this topic

[Don Wedding]

Boy , If there ever was a time to get Dokk's new Slot car book, it is NOW!!! I could read it from cover to cover in the next 30 days stuck at home.  , Hey Dokk ,Could you send me a advanced copy so I could review it for our fellow Sloters.  One can only Hope. 

[Tim Neja]

It's a unicorn---doesn't really exist!!

[917-30]

Perhaps Dokk is helping to put the final touches on the upcoming article in Vintage Motorsports magazine, on the Slot Car Museum. A few issues ago (VM is a bi-monthly) they took a tour of Scott Bader’s impressive car collection, housed in the same building, and promised a part 2 for the museum. The magazine is now having a sale on both print and digital issues, if you’re interested.

[don.siegel]

Thanks for that, I'll check it out. 

 

The text is finished and the book should soon be in production, or maybe it's already in the process. 

 

Worth waiting for! 

 

Don (your friendly copy editor)

[Phil Smith]

Don, is this book in French?

[don.siegel]

Nope, all in good old American English! 

 

I should probably write a book in French, for the balance of trade! 

 

Don 

[TSR]

It is not a ghost, has never been, but life got across it many times.
The book was completed over five years ago, but plenty of things happened between then and today. In any case, the decision about production was made last year in May.

The book has been in production since last summer by one of the best there is, Larry Crane. Don Siegel edited the copy (thank you!) and it has been out of my hands for quite a while now.
Pages are being built, and it is a long process.
I copy here, a post I made last week about it:

"Several persons have worked hard at making this large volume something special, and we are seeing the end of a long tunnel now.
The gentleman building it is very capable and the author of plenty of beautiful publications. But... he is also busy.

Also, this book is for the general public, not just for enthusiasts, so as far as I am concerned it could be published 20 years from now and serve its intended purpose... 

Of course, it would be nice if our book builder would finish it sooner.

Here are page samples that provide the look and format we are using, which is a horizontal "coffee table" book with hard cover and good quality binding:









There are 400 pages of this, plus 786 pictures and another 300 pages (so far as it will evolve over time) on the book's interactive website.

So yes, it is a bit of work."

And a message from the book builder himself:

All is well. I have completed remaking most pages up to the end of C2-01.
I have had to produce and ship three magazines since Dec 1. The April 300 Starletter is on press now and will be stuffed into envelopes next week and shipped.

I will be building Slot Car Dreams pages for a few more days until it arrives for shipping, then back to full time on Slot Car Dreams for a couple of weeks before the next magazine deadline looms.
 
I naively thought we would have the book printed and shipped for last Christmas, I worked on it virtually round the clock when it arrived here, but have begun making a complete second edition. The last time I was working round the clock I totaled my car and lost my license for four months. I don't work past midnight anymore."

[Bob Appelle]

I was ready to post something negative, but why bother, it's not worth my time.

[TSR]

Then, Bob, please don't bother buying the book when it's out... 

[bbr]

What is the table of contents? I would like to know what the chapters are.

[TSR]

Mike, no harm pre-publishing that. This made from a PDF from a few months ago, sorry for quality.

[Don Wedding]

Thanks, Dokk, for the update, Can't wait to get it, looks like it will be well worth the wait, Didn't mean to step on your toes. I'm just bored out of my mind. Hope you have avoided the Corona  We're all in the danger zone as far as age goes. 

[TSR]

Don, thank you and no worry, it is in good hands and the guy is working hard at completing the job. At the same time, Scott has a fellow setting up the interactive website where just about half of the copy will be, because otherwise the book would have 800 pages and would be a very impractical device as a "coffee table" book...

Not much I can do myself at this stage, but join you in waiting. Then let's hope that the crashing economy will still allow the writing of the $150K check to actually print the thing.

[MattD]

Philippe, how much of the factory slot info in the new book was covered in your first book?    Is the coverage more in depth in this book, or since it was covered in the  first book is some that basic info glossed over?

 

mb

[TSR]

Matt,
The first book was very superficial and only had 99 pages and little info. Think of it as an extended "magazine article" or generalities compared to what's coming, and be ready to have your laptop next to you when reading, as we were forced to reference much of the copy to a website (the links are in each relevant paragraph) of which the readers will have free access once they have logged in.

Much of the info you will read in the new far larger volume was never published in any form, and to be able to get all the pictures we needed, they are a bit small but will repeat in a larger format on the website, that is dynamic and has a "reply" window where enthusiasts can place comments that will be carefully monitored (no SPAM or irrelevant comments from the actual subjects will be published).

The basic book contains the condensed stories, the website links extrapolate on each story in greater detail. Pictures will be added on a dynamic basis and as requested by inquirers.
Most of the 4th chapter about "pro racing" chapter is on the web due to extensive verbiage content that would be boring to many hobbyists and would have taken far too much printed space.

Also to make it clear and to save some dollars for some, this work is about the "Classic Era" of AMERICAN slot cars and AMERICAN INSPIRED slot cars and slot racing, and if you are an HO or a Scalextric collector or if your interest lies in current home racing slot car products, save your money because there is practically zero content of events or products after the year 1973 in that book. If you, however, like what you have seen online about the LASCM and its contents, you should love this book.

You will also find at the end of the book, a  link to the most extensive, and quite detailed listing of 1/24 and 1/32 scale RTR slot cars and kits ever published, of over 3000 models from the USA, Japan, Germany, Italy and south America. Again, no "toy" slot cars from European countries or battery powered stuff from Japan or Hong Kong, only more serious hobby material for teens and adults. Of course, no "component cars" made of bits from different companies are listed. Why should any be to confuse collectors even more?

 

[MattD]

Sounds like a winner to me.   It's the time period most of us vintage guys care about.       Not very many care about HO stuff and the really toy like, battery operated stuff.   While the pro stuff is of great interest to a lot of guys on slotblog,  among the vintage collectors it may not be as important.   Minimizing that and putting it on the web can make both groups happy.    

 

Looking forward to it.

[strummer]

I was going to post something positive, but why bother; it's not worth my time. 

 

Other than the bit about "HO stuff" (and I think there's several good books already out about that scale), I'm with Matt: 

 

"Sounds like a winner to me" and "Looking forward to it"...except to add: I can't wait!

 

Hope everyone is doing okay.

 

Mark in Oregon

[Mad Mark]

Cant wait for the new book!

[Alchemist]

Hi Dokk,

 

Thank you for the update.

 

I'm just overly thrilled that your new book is going to be available soon.

 

I value your time and tremendous effort, in putting your wealth of slot car knowledge/experience into print. 

 

I really appreciate that Dokk!

 

To be able to acquire your new book will be such a "treasure" for me!

 

Thank you.

 

Ernie