Forgive the appearance of self-promotion, but I would be remiss
in not drawing attention to a book I (finally) recently published
titled "Inventing Entertainment: The Player Piano and the Origins
of an American Musical Industry" (Rowman & Littlefield, 2009),
available on Amazon.com.

My intention is mainly to say thanks to all of you who helped me
write this book, and to say that if you get a chance to read a copy
I hope you find my account acceptable.  I fully acknowledge that all
of you are far more expert than I in many aspects of the history of
the player piano.  In fact, in the book I tried to represent both the
continued enthusiasm of the MMD and AMICA communities who strive to
keep the sounds of history alive, while also giving a brief account
of the historical background to the instruments.  I paid particular
attention to QRS and I featured the life of J. Lawrence Cook.

Since I tried to write the book in a way that will make the story
accessible to a wider public (who many not have even heard of MMD)
I hope that it also helps answer recent appeals in these very postings
for drawing attention to QRS in light of the challenges the roll
business faces.

Thanks again to all with whom I communicated over the last few years,
and keep the good times rolling!

Brian Dolan
San Francisco

 [ Inventing Entertainment: The Player Piano and the Origins of an
 [ American Musical Industry, by Brian Dolan, ISBN: 0742561275,
 [ Hardcover, 264 pages, Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc., 2008
 [
 [ Dr. Brian Dolan is Professor of Social Medicine and Medical
 [ Humanities at the University of California, San Francisco, and has
 [ published widely in the areas of British social history during the
 [ age of Enlightenment ... He also writes about the history of
 [ technology, including his most recent book, "Inventing Entertainment",
 [ a social and cultural history of the music business at the time of
 [ the player piano and a critical chapter in the story of the creation
 [ of contemporary life.  "The player piano made the American music
 [ industry, and American music itself, modern."  Ref.
 [ http://www.andersonliterary.com/web/represent/dolan_brian.html 
 [
 [ -- Robbie