We all are concerned that Bill Powers’ books are out of print. Behavior: the control of perception (B:CP) was re-issued in 2005 by Bill’s sister Alice Powers through her publishing company, Benchmark Press, now defunct. She also published or re-published Living Control Systems II, Living Control Systems III, and Making Sense of Behavior (LCS II , LCS III , and MSOB ). The IAPCT Board of Directors have been communicating with members of the Powers family about how best to get these republished. This has been delayed by the death far too young of our dear friend, long-time Secretary, and indefatigable conference organizer, Bill’s elder daughter Allie Powers. We hope that it will be possible to produce a 50th anniversary edition of B:CP in 2023, two years from now.
Dag Forssell’s company, Living Control System Publishing (LCS), currently maintains ten PCT books in print. In his estate plan, LCS’s account with Lightning Source/Ingram (LSI) and the two websites livingcontrolsystems.com and pctresources.com will become property of IAPCT when he and his daughter Karin Forssell decide that he no longer wishes or to can no longer competently administer them. Karin is fully informed and has complete access to all relevant accounts.
Under consideration is for Dag to re-issue those books that are under copyright to the CSG. At the turn of the year CSG Inc. was dissolved and all its assets were assumed by IAPCT Inc.
Several PCT authors have books under contract with other publishers. In alphabetical order, Tim Carey, Bart Madden, and Rick Marken come immediately to mind.
Hi Bruce,
I noticed that most PCT/MOL books haven’t been translated into Dutch (which, with about 22 million readers, is a decent size market). Having been both a publisher and translator myself I imagine being quite capable of getting Dutch publishers and translators interested and frankly I’m dying to give B:CP a shot myself. Can you help me on my way by informing about the translation rights?
Best regards,
GJ
Hi GertJan,
Can you please point to your introduction of yourself here at Discourse. I must have missed it.
As Bruce just told you, Powers’ books are in limbo just now.
How about translating some of the books published by Living Control Systems Publishing. Your translation (a labor of love to be proofed by PCTers such as Eva and Frans Plooij) would stay in the IAPCT fold and be available on the same terms as the books you will translate, i.e. free PDFs and available, priced at cost through Internet book stores for those who want a printed copy.
I can provide source files prepared for translation, Windows translation software, and compare experience from my 25 years as a professional translator between English and Swedish. If you are game, we can work out the process starting with one of the many papers at my website and in the Book of Readings. Your choice.
I propose you write me directly with cc: to Eva and Bruce.
Best, Dag
I concur fully with this proposal, and we all hope that a way will open to keep B:CP and the LCS volumes in print, and that will open the way to translation rights as well.
I’m really sorry to hear that Allie Powers died. Organizing the “explosion” of Bill Powers books on World market is the best way to keep memory on Powers family. My personal oppinion is that Bill Powers books could be more famous if World public would be better acquanted with the basic orientation of his work. So I think that defining his place in history of Cybernetics and Psychology could add many advantages to promotion of his work.