Eight years ago, we delivered the first issue of Shelf Awareness. On our anniversary issue date, we usually write about how we started, our journey and new developments in our business. But this time we're going to do something different, and we'll do it with numbers instead of our beloved words. We've always been big fans of the Harper's magazine index, and so today we borrow this idea and have a bit of fun with it. We're amazed by the numbers, and hope you will be, too.

The Shelf Awareness Year Eight Index

1. Number of subscribers for our first issue, eight years ago today: 587
2. Estimated number of subscribers who will view this issue of Shelf Awareness Pro: 31,120
3. Number of subscribers for our consumer publication, Shelf Awareness for Readers: 212,000
4. Estimated number of consumer subscribers by end of July 2013: more than 250,000.
5. Percentage of consumer subscribers who have subscribed through their local independent bookstore: 73%
6. Number of mornings that John Mutter has risen at 5 a.m. to send out the Shelf: more often than not.
7. Number of nights Jenn Risko somehow thought it best to not sleep, but to stay up and worry: 167
8. Number of employees and freelancers in the first year, aside from John and Jenn: 0
9. Number of employees and freelancers, including book reviewers, today: 70
10. Total number of e-mails Shelf Awareness has sent over eight years: 64 million.
11. Number of issues published, including Pro, Readers, Maximum and Dedicated issues: 2,035
12. Number of individual ads over total life span of the Shelf: 13,736
13. Number of times we screwed an ad up: 17.
14. Estimated number of bottles of wine drank: Okay. We just did the math. Maybe a bit more than we want to reveal.
15. Number of mornings we sent the issue on auto-pilot because of aforementioned wine: Classified.
16. Number of mornings we woke to send out the Shelf to no power or no Internet: 7
17. Number of times the Shelf didn't go out: 0
18. Number of times the issue went out twice by mistake: 1 (our first issue)
19. Average number of folks every year who are fooled by our April Fool's issue: 10
20. Most cited "favorite first line of a novel" in our Book Brahmin feature: "Many years later, as he faced the firing squad, Colonel Aureliano Buendía was to remember that distant afternoon when his father took him to discover ice." --Gabriel García Márquez, One Hundred Years of Solitude.
21. Number of times we've heard how much our colleagues love and appreciate what we do: Countless.
22. Number of times we get sick of hearing this: 0
23. Percentage of time we feel we can't thank our readers, advertisers, and employees nearly enough: Pretty much all the time.
24. Number of years we want to keep doing this: Many, many more.

Please send congratulations or Bronx cheers here.

The merger of Random House and Penguin became official today when parent companies Bertelsmann and Pearson closed on the deal. As indicated earlier, the new Penguin Random House venture is owned 53% by Bertelsmann and 47% by Pearson and encompasses all of Penguin's operations around the world and all of Random House's, except for Verlagsgruppe Random House, Random House's German-language publishing operations in Germany.

Penguin Random House called itself "the first truly global publishing company with operations in the U.S., Canada, U.K., China, India, South Africa, Australia, New Zealand, Spain, Mexico, Argentina, Uruguay, Colombia and Chile. The new company employs more than 10,000 people and publishes more than 15,000 new titles every year across 250 imprints. It publishes many of the world’s bestselling authors, including more than 70 Nobel Prize laureates." Penguin Random House headquarters are in New York.

Marcus Dohle

Also, as indicated earlier, Markus Dohle, who has been chairman and CEO of Random House, is CEO of Penguin Random House and will continue to head Verlagsgruppe Random House. John Makinson, who has been chairman and CEO of Penguin Group, is chairman of Penguin Random House. The rest of the board consists of a mix of three people from Penguin and four from Random House; two independent directors have yet to be named.

Dohle commented: "As separate companies, we have long performed outstandingly by every benchmark; as colleagues, we will share and apply our passion for publishing the best books with our enormous experience, creativity, and entrepreneurial drive. Together, we will give our authors unprecedented resources to help them reach global audiences--and we will provide readers with unparalleled diversity and choice for future reading. Connecting authors and readers is, and will be, at the heart of all we strive to accomplish together."

Among the many appointments announced, Dohle said that three executives who have had similar positions at Random House will have global corporate responsibilities at Penguin Random House: Frank Steinert is chief human resources officer, Stuart Applebaum is leading communications, and Milena Alberti is overseeing corporate development. All are continuing to be responsible for those areas in the U.S.

Dohle has also set up the Penguin Random House Global Executive Committee, which will "work together with him to set the company's strategic, operational, and publishing direction and priorities." Members are Núria Cabutí, CEO of Random House Mondadori; Gina Centrello, president and publisher, Random House Publishing Group; Tony Chirico, president, Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group; Gabrielle Coyne, CEO of Penguin Random House Asia Pacific; John Duhigg, CEO, Dorling Kindersley; Leslie Gelbman, president, Mass Market Paperbacks, Penguin Group U.S.; Ian Hudson, deputy CEO of Penguin Random House U.K.; Barbara Marcus, president and publisher, Random House Children's Books; Brad Martin, CEO, Penguin Random House in Canada; Maya Mavjee, president and publisher, Crown Publishing Group; Madeline McIntosh, president, CEO of Penguin Random House in the U.S.; Sonny Mehta, chairman and editor-in-chief, Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group; Susan Petersen Kennedy, president, Penguin Group U.S.; Andrew Phillips, CEO, Author Solutions; Frank Steinert; Don Weisberg, president, Penguin Young Readers Group U.S.; Tom Weldon, CEO, Penguin Random House U.K.; and Coram Williams, CFO, Penguin Random House U.S. and worldwide.

David Shanks has stepped down as CEO, Penguin Group (USA), and will serve as senior executive adviser to Dohle and the U.S. executive team.  

In a letter to U.S. Penguin Random House staff, Dohle wrote in part:

"You and generations before you made this day possible through your hard work, passion and commitment to excellence. You should be proud of what you've accomplished and what we are all now a part of: the first truly global trade book publishing company. Together, we are even better positioned to fulfill our core purpose: to bridge authors and readers by publishing the very best books.
 
"Through my meetings and conversations since the merger announcement, coupled with the depth and scope of all the work that led to today, I have learned a lot about you. First, that your dedication is unrelenting. You have delivered a strong performance over the past eight months, during a time when many of you have taken on additional roles with our integration planning teams. Second, that there is a strong mutual respect among us. In the integration-planning discussions I've witnessed a shared sense of purpose, transparency, and a collaborative spirit that makes me especially enthusiastic about our future. The ability to focus and to engage in open dialogue will be at the heart of our corporate culture at Penguin Random House and a key success factor as we become a united company.
 
My discussions to date--with many of you and with our authors, agents and booksellers--have also reconfirmed for me that we are aligned by a larger vision, one that goes far beyond this new company we are creating: to shape and define publishing in the 21st century. We believe in books of every type and format, and we embrace our responsibility to enrich and diversify societal discourse through the work we do each day.  Today, as Penguin Random House, we are telling the world that publishing great books matters. We stand together for quality."

Disney Publishing Worldwide is selling the Hyperion adult trade publishing list to Hachette Book Group, which has long been and continues to be Disney's book distributor. Disney will now publish children's and YA books and books based on franchises from its Disney/ABC TV operations.

The deal encompasses more than 1,000 books published since 1991, when Bob Miller started Hyperion, as well as some 25 books scheduled for publication. Among backlist bestsellers are Jacqueline Kennedy: Historic Conversations on Life with John F. Kennedy, with a foreword by Caroline Kennedy, Jamie's Food Revolution by Jamie Oliver, The Five People You Meet in Heaven by Mitch Albom, The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch and Always Looking Up by Michael J. Fox. Hachette will publish forthcoming books from Joanne Lipman, J.R. Moehringer, Ethan Hawke and others.

Hachette Book Group CEO Michael Pietsch commented: "We welcome to HBG Hyperion's many excellent writers, whose works we are proud to publish. Hyperion's strong nonfiction list in particular is a perfect complement to HBG's title portfolio. As Hyperion's sales and distribution partner, we know the books and writers on the list well and look forward to taking on full publishing responsibilities."

For its part, Disney will focus on books from the Disney, Pixar, Marvel and Lucasfilm franchises; from authors Mo Willems, Rick Riordan, Ridley Pearson, Elizabeth Wein and others; and from ABC, ABC Family and ESPN, including titles based on the Castle series, tie-in cookbooks to The Chew and the forthcoming book based on the TV series Shark Tank.

After several weeks of turmoil regarding celebrity chef Paula Deen's use of racial epithets, Ballantine Books issued this statement on Friday:

"After careful consideration, Ballantine Books has made the difficult decision to cancel the publication of Paula Deen's New Testament: 250 Favorite Recipes, All Lightened Up."

Scheduled to be published in October, the book, co-written by Melissa Clark, had been the No. 1 new release on Amazon last week and was billed as a healthier take on Deen's notoriously unhealthy but popular food favorites.

photo: Chuck Bennett/ DailyBreeze.com

Williams' Book Store, San Pedro, Calif., which was founded 104 years ago, is closing, the Daily Breeze reported. The paper called it "the oldest bookstore in the city of Los Angeles, probably also San Pedro's oldest business."

"We knew it was coming," owner Jerry Gusha told the Daily Breeze. "It's been bad for a long time. We struggled to pay last month's rent." In hindsight, he added, he should have called it quits two or three years ago.

Oliver Bernard, a British poet and translator of Rimbaud and Apollinaire who "led a life of dazzling variety," died last month, the Guardian reported. He was 87.

For an appearance last week by legendary tattoo artist Ed Hardy at Book Passage, Corte Madera, Calif., bookseller Alix Todd made this striking sign on the store's chalkboard. Hardy's new book, co-written with Joel Selvin, is Wear Your Dreams: My Life in Tattoos (Thomas Dunne Books).

Congratulations to the Morris Book Shop, Lexington, Ky., which celebrates its fifth anniversary from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., on Saturday, July 20. The event features a 20% discount, performances by Reva Williams and the Lexintones Ukelele Group, free soft drinks and snacks and the Athenian Grill food truck outside.

Design Observer announced its choices for the 50 best book covers and 50 best overall book designs of 2012. Jacket Copy noted that designers "see things differently: They can look at covers in a state of aesthetic isolation."

At Abrams:

• Nicole Russo has joined the company as director, children's marketing and publicity for Abrams Books for Young Readers, Amulet Books and Abrams Appleseed. She was formerly deputy director of children's publicity at Simon & Schuster.
• Paul Colarusso has joined the adult marketing department as marketing manager and will market books in the categories of art, photography, graphic design, fashion, textiles, nature and science and craft. He formerly worked at the Aperture Foundation.
• Kate Lesko has joined the adult marketing department as marketing assistant. She is a recent graduate of New York University with a B.A. in Linguistics and a certificate in Book Publishing from NYU's School of Continuing and Professional Studies.

The End of Night: Searching for Natural Darkness in an Age of Artificial Light by Paul Bogard (Little, Brown).

This morning on the Today Show: Jenni Rivera's autobiography Unbreakable: My Story, My Way (Atria, $25, 9781476746074) whose Spanish edition is Inquebrantable: Mi Historia, A Mi Manera (Atria, $16, 9781476745428). The book will also be featured today on Telemundo's Un Nuevo Dia and today and tomorrow on Telemundo's Al Rojo Vivo and Noticiero.

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Today on NPR's Fresh Air: Tomi Ungerer, author of Fog Island (Phaidon Press, $16.95, 9780714865355) and subject of the documentary Far Out Isn't Far Enough: The Tomi Ungerer Story.

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Today on NPR's Diane Rehm Show: David Robertson, co-author of Brick by Brick: How LEGO Rewrote the Rules of Innovation and Conquered the Global Toy Industry (Crown Business, $26, 9780307951601).

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Today on NPR's On Point: Lynda Obst, author of Sleepless in Hollywood: Tales from the New Abnormal in the Movie Business (Simon & Schuster, $26, 9781476727745).

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Tonight on a repeat of the Tonight Show with Jay Leno: Phil Jackson, co-author of Eleven Rings: The Soul of Success (Penguin Press, $27.95, 9781594205118).

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Tonight on a repeat of the Colbert Report: Jonathan Alter, author of The Center Holds: Obama and His Enemies (Simon & Schuster, $30, 9781451646078).

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Tonight on a repeat of the Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson: Debbie Reynolds, author of Unsinkable: A Memoir (Morrow, $28.99, 9780062213655).

Warner Bros. "is in final negotiations" for movie rights to the iconic Encyclopedia Brown children's book series, aiming for an adaptation to be produced by Roy Lee and Howard David Deutsch, according to the Hollywood Reporter. Beginning in 1963 and continuing until his death in 2012, Donald J. Sobol wrote 28 Encyclopedia Brown books. The studio and producers "are now out to writers for a take on how to turn the books into a film and potential franchise."

Vancouver playwright C.E. Gatchalian won the $4,000 Dayne Ogilive Prize for LGBT Emerging Writers, Quillblog reported. The judges praised Gatchalian for "reaching ever-growing audiences across Canada, not only broadening the creative dialogue on queer identity, but also championing intricate portraits of race, survivorship and sexuality." Currently the artistic producer at Vancouver's Frank Theatre Company, he was also nominated for a 2013 Lambda Literary Award for his play, Falling in Time.

T.E. Lawrence was small in height (just 5'5") but huge in stature. He's been the subject of many biographies and studies--and, famously, an epic motion picture--so it's not easy to find a new way of looking at him. But that's exactly what veteran journalist Scott Anderson (The Man Who Tried to Save the World) has done in Lawrence in Arabia, a magnificent investigation into, as the subtitle suggests, war, deceit and imperial folly.

Anderson focuses on four young men, three of whom are "little remembered today," who, for good or bad, set the stage for what would happen in the Middle East over the next century. First was Lawrence: an archeologist and mapmaker at heart turned leader, soldier and renegade diplomat. Then there was Curt Prufer, an academic who also worked for the German embassy in Cairo. Aaron Aaronsohn, a celebrated agronomist and Zionist, played a "signal role in the creation of the Jewish homeland." And William Yale, a member of the American aristocracy, was a field intelligence officer and a "secret agent" for Standard Oil.

Lawrence was posted to Cairo in 1914. His productive work with Arab leaders helped convince them to work with the British army to defeat the Turks. He orchestrated a stunning surprise attack on Aqaba and helped in the capture of Damascus and the establishment of a provisional Arab government. Meanwhile, Prufer did his best to foment Arab hatred toward Britain, while Aaronsohn spied on and duped the Ottomans. Yale, present at the Paris Peace talks, quit in disgust when he observed the deceit inflicted upon the Arabs. On a December morning in 1918, the British and French Prime Ministers met and carved up the "Great Loot"--Syria to France, Mesopotamia and Palestine to Britain--thus keeping Woodrow Wilson and the United States in the cold, despite the Arabs' clamor for American intervention. Everything Lawrence fought for was "turned to ashes."

Anderson's genius is to show how the actions of these four men intertwined on many levels, resulting in bad decisions by the Ottomans that would "unleash forces of such massive disintegration that the world is still dealing with the repercussions a century later." His research is extensive and well integrated into the story, while the prose is as addictive and sophisticated as the best John le Carré thriller. --Tom Lavoie

Shelf Talker: A masterful piece of historical research and writing that sheds new light on Lawrence of Arabia and others to show how the Middle East became the mess it is today.