15 Million Trivia Books In Print: Gordon “Uncle John” Javna of Uncle John’s Bathroom Reader
April 11, 2016
It’s story time today with “Uncle John” of Uncle John’s Bathroom Reader.
The Uncle John’s Bathroom Reader books have been helping people cure boredom during those (hopefully not too tough) times in the bathroom since 1987. Filled with short stories, facts, and interesting articles, the Bathroom Readers are family appropriate and suitable for nearly all readers.
But where do these facts and stories come from? In fact, where did this idea for a bathroom reader come from? In this episode, Gordon explains the history of the Bathroom Reader (including who the heck is “Uncle John”). An entrepreneur in his own right, Gordon discusses his many ventures before taking over the Bathroom Reader, including careers in music, real estate, and the craft beer business.
We’ll get insights on naming the book, developing the style and concept, and dealing with publishers. With over 15 million books in the world, the Bathroom Reader is clearly doing something right; listen in to find out how Uncle John and the Bathroom Reader keep things fresh with new ideas and interesting stories. Also, Gordon shares a few sneak peeks from upcoming editions. Don’t miss out!
Links from today’s chat with “Uncle John:”
- Uncle John’s Bathroom Reader Blog
- Follow Uncle John’s Bathroom Reader on Twitter @Bathroom_Reader
- Quacky Duck and his Barnyard Friends (wiki)
- Quacky Duck’s album Media Push (Amazon)
- Operation Yellow Ribbon (includes the story of the town of Gander handling the incoming planes that were stranded mid-air during 9/11)
- Come From Away (a musical inspired by the story of Gander)
- The Value of Blood (Interesting art piece by Phil Hansen)
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The Credits
Products of the Mind is produced by Mana Monzavi.
The illustration accompanying these show notes is by Whit Harris.
The theme music for this episode was provided by Le Chateau. The track name is “Bury You.” Go buy it on Soundcloud!
This episode and these show notes © 2016 David Lizerbram
