We’ve been hearing for a couple weeks from folks inside Comcast that the company had commissioned a book on the creation of the country’s largest cable provider (and current owner of a third-tier network called NBC). And while it’s currently being shipped out to all Comcast employees, the 424-page tome will not be made available for those of us who might want to actually read it.
The Philadelphia Inquirer has some details on An Incredible Dream: Ralph Roberts and the Story of Comcast, including the cover shot which features company co-founder Roberts — and proud pop of Comcast CEO Brian Roberts — with his arms outstretched as if to say “come unto me, all ye who wish to wait hours for your cable installer to not show up.”
The book, several years in the making — because nothing at Comcast can happen in a timely manner, was written by William Novak, who has previously penned biographies on Lee Iacocca, Magic Johnson, Oliver North and other people I remember hearing about in elementary school in the ’80s.
While branding experts tell the Inquirer that the book can “demystify the company” in the public realm, we don’t see that happening if the only way to get a copy of the book is by taking it from your Comcast employee neighbor who uses it to hold down the lid of a garbage can.
We’re all too busy re-reading Fifty Shades of Grey to look through any new books right now, but if any Kabletown employees out there actually read An Incredible Dream and want to share their views on it, feel free to e-mail us at tips@consumerist.com.
Update: One Comcast employee who has gotten their copy of the book says that it does have a retail price of $30.00 printed on it, so perhaps it will eventually be available for non-Comcast consumption… Though we can’t imagine anyone paying $30 for a book commissioned by Comcast for Comcast about Comcast.
Comcast’s biography, now available to employees [Philly.com]
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I like the way Brian Roberts is spreading his arms showing how big the average monthly bill will be.
How deeply can we penetrate our customers before they start to squirm? This deep.
An Incredible Dream, indeed!
I kind of see him in the act of doing a trust fall.
Promise whoever gets you a copy an edit button.
Only a matter of time before the book is leaked.
Only a matter of time before the book is leaked.
The jpg didn’t load for me, I must have just hit my monthly data cap.
It may be for public safety. Laughing too hard can cause internal injury if sustained for the duration of reading 422 pages.
I don’t think you know what “third-tier” means…
That dude looks like a evangelical Jesus wannabe.
I hear the Crystal Cathedral is available.
He can use it during a four hour window two weeks from Thursday from 8 to 12 noon.
Let me see if I understand this — a company is publishing a book to give to their employees… and people outside the company are disappointed they can’t get a copy?
Most places I’ve worked had books, manuals, videos, and other material that was produced entirely for internal consumption. None of it is the sort of thing I’d willing to pay money for.
We wish it were available for sale on Amazon, so we could all go there and post fake funny reviews of it.
So now I know why we just got another rate increase. Had to pay for the book somehow, I guess.
Watch eBay. It’ll be there the day these things are distributed. And if there’s a real demand, it’ll show up as an eBook too.
Wouldn’t making this book openly available amount to public masturbation?
As it stands now, he’s basically just privately asking his employees to let him give them a facial.
The proper term is: give someone a “pearl necklace”
A “facial” sounds so crass.
There’s already a copy of the book on Ebay: http://www.ebay.com/itm/An-Incredible-Dream-Ralph-Roberts-and-the-story-of-Comcast-/320894155455?pt=US_Nonfiction_Book&hash=item4ab6c83abf
Reminds me of when I got a job at Bloomberg. They shipped me a copy of the book “Bloomberg by Bloomberg”. It wasn’t a bad read and they were a *great* company to work for, but sending that book as part of my welcome package came off a bit conceited.
Soon to be followed by a letter to Comcast subscribers explaining how their “cost of providing you with great service” is going up, and will require a rate increase.
Sounds like it’s probably full of corporate brainwashing…