Simon & Schuster launches self-publishing division

(Reuters) - Simon & Schuster launched a self-publishing division for writers on Tuesday, tapping into the growing market that has produced a handful of best-sellers outside of traditional publishing.Simon & Schuster's new Archway Publishing division will let writers self-publish printed books and e-books for a fee. In return, the publisher will arrange for distribution and marketing and give...

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Book Talk: Do you really know who lives next door?

TOKYO (Reuters) - Andrew, in a daring leap to freedom from an overbearing mother, moves in with a friend whose ramshackle house is the one blight on a gorgeous neighborhood - and promptly is attracted to his next door neighbor, the friendly Harlow.Welcomed by a plate of homemade cookies and admiring of the picture-perfect home where she lives with her husband, Red, it is a while before Andrew starts...

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Co-author of "Three Cups of Tea" commits suicide in Oregon

PORTLAND, Oregon (Reuters) - Journalist David Oliver Relin, co-author of the controversial best-selling book "Three Cups of Tea," took his own life last month in the Columbia River town of Corbett, Oregon, east of Portland, authorities disclosed on Monday.The cause of Relin's death on November 15 was listed as suicide by blunt force head injury, said Tom Chappelle, Multnomah County deputy medical...

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Book Talk: At base camp on the climb to conquer corruption

LONDON (Reuters) - Frank Vogl, who co-founded the anti-corruption group Transparency International (TI) in 1993, believes campaigners have reached base camp in their fight to end the abuse of public office for private gain.TI has offices in more than 100 countries and its annual rankings of clean government are widely used by investment analysts to help gauge political risk.But the almost daily disclosures...

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Living at high altitude tied to developmental delay

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - South American babies and toddlers living at high altitude were more likely to score poorly on early tests of brain development, in a new study.Of all kids age three months to two years, one in five was at high risk of developmental delays, according to tests done at their pediatricians' offices. That rose to between one in three and one in four for those who lived above...

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Nurses Who Saved NICU Babies Remember Harrowing Hurricane Night

Nurses at the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at New York University's Langone Medical Center  have challenging jobs, even in the best of times. Their patients are babies, some weighing as little as 2 pounds, who require constant and careful care as they struggle to stay alive.On Monday night, as superstorm Sandy bore down on Manhattan, the nurses' jobs took on a whole new sense of urgency as failing...

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Modest results in program to reduce kids' screen time

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - A program aimed at reducing the number of hours young children spent in front of a screen didn't accomplish that goal, but it did cut back on the meals they ate in front of a television, a new study found.That's good news according to the lead author, because people tend to eat more and eat unhealthy food while watching television."The relationship between screen time...

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Iron, omega-3s tied to different effects on kids' brains

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - For children with low stores of two brain-power nutrients, supplements may have different, and complex, effects, a new clinical trial suggests.Iron deficiency is the most common nutritional deficiency worldwide, affecting about 2 billion people, according to the World Health Organization.Poor children in developing countries are at particular risk for shortfalls in iron,...

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Foreign hackers targeted former military chief Mullen: report

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Foreign hackers targeted the computers of Mike Mullen, ex-chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the Wall Street Journal reported on Wednesday, calling it the latest in a pattern of attacks on computers of former high-ranking U.S. officials.The FBI is pursuing the hackers, the Journal reported. The agency was not immediately available for comment.Mullen's office confirmed that...

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Sports fans can pursue U.S. antitrust case over programs

NEW YORK (Reuters) - A federal judge on Wednesday allowed sports fans to pursue a lawsuit accusing Major League Baseball, the National Hockey League and various networks of antitrust violations in how they package games for broadcast on television or the Internet.U.S. District Judge Shira Scheindlin in Manhattan said the subscribers could pursue claims that the packaging has reduced competition,...

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