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December 2, 2008 9:48:50 PM CST


Random House

Random House news stories

4 Stories

US Publisher Yanks Novel
on Mohammed

Random House feared violence over work on prophet's child bride

(Newser) - Random House has pulled a book about the life of Mohammed due to be published this week, Reuters reports. The company feared that The Jewel of  Medina, a historical novel and love story about Mohammed and Aisha—a child bride who was engaged to the prophet when she was 6—might rile Islamic radicals and endanger the lives of employees. More »

More about:  Islam author Islamic extremists novel Mohammed Random House

Random House Closes the
Book on CEO

Peter Olson to step down under pressure from German owners

(Newser) - Random House chief executive Peter Olson is expected to step down within weeks amid slumping profits and pressure from the company's German owners, the Wall Street Journal reports. Bertelsmann's new boss is dissatisfied with Random House's recent performance and insiders say doubts arose over Olson's strategies and his ability to turn the publishing company around, especially after some recent bouts of illness. He has run the company since Bertelsmann took over ten years ago. More »

More about:  book publishing publisher Random House Bertelsmann AG

Hotel Tell-All Book Muzzled
Before Release

Four Seasons acts
to keep ex-concierges' celeb dish off shelves

(Newser) - A book by ex-concierges at Chicago’s Four Seasons Hotel has been dumped just before the celebrity tell-all was go on sale, the Chicago Tribune reports. The hotel complained that confidentiality agreements made the tales of "celebrity bad behavior" in Great Reservations off-limits. Despite a publicity blitz ahead of the April 22 release, publisher Random House appears to have caved. More »

More about:  Chicago book Madonna gossip Demi Moore Random House concierge John Cusack Four Seasons

Audio Books Lose Copy Protection

Major publishers' downloads can be played on all devices

(Newser) - Some major book publishers are planning to remove anticopying protections from digital audio books, allowing customers who download them to transfer the files between their computers and portable players. The world’s biggest publisher, Random House, will offer all its audio books as unrestricted MP3s this month, reports the New York Times , and Penguin Group seems ready to do the same. More »

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