"A valuable manual for aspiring journalists" - LJ

We're thrilled to be bringing out a look at the future of journalism from Juan Luis Cebrián, one of Spain's most influential people in the modern news industry. Called THE PIANO PLAYER IN THE BROTHER: THE FUTURE OF JOURNALISM, the book's title is a riff on a common joke about journalists (and lawyers!). We're glad to see that Library Journal thinks Piano Player is a worthwhile read as well. With the lightning-quick changes in the news industry, it's more important now than ever for us to understand the historical role of the journalist and explore what responsibilities he or she has in a democratic society. In Cebrián's own words, "the best way to transform the world is to help others understand it. This is the calling of journalism."

Cebrián, Juan Luis. The Piano Player in the Brothel: The Future of Journalism. Overlook, dist. by Penguin. Feb. 2011. c.192p. tr. from Spanish by Eduardo Schmid. ISBN 9781590203941. $24.95. COMM
What is the future of journalism? Cebrián (Red Doll), a novelist and one of the original editors of Spain's newspaper of record, El País, analyzes the changes to the traditional newspaper in particular and to the profession in general. In this collection of insightful and instructive essays, he addresses the challenges journalists face in this age of instantaneous electronic media. The illustrious newspaperman brings a sense of history and gravitas to his writing, a result of living and working in a country transitioning from the media-restricted Fascist regime of Francisco Franco to a struggling democracy with a free and open press. This experience is what leads Cebrián to assert that journalism plays a vital role in protecting civil liberties and democratic values.
Verdict: This gem of a book is a valuable manual for aspiring journalists and an informative guidebook for the rest of us.—Donna Marie Smith, Palm Beach Cty. Lib. Syst., FL

Read the review online here.