READING THE UNQUIET GRAVE IN YOUR BOOK GROUP

Steve is delighted to talk with reading groups, book clubs, student groups, school and college classes, or just about any other group of people who choose to read The Unquiet Grave. A talk with Steve is your chance to ask anything you’d like about the book or Steve’s work—for example, why he emphasized one point or downplayed another, or how he did his research or brought his lawsuits against the government. Steve offers groups two ways to talk with him: by phone or by live video stream online. Steve is the first author to offer to talk with reading groups by online video. It’s easy to do, and it’s free.

To book Steve for an in-person appearance before a larger group, or to see stops on Steve’s book tour, click here.

For a discussion guide to The Unquiet Grave, click here.

TALKS WITH STEVE

What are the talks like?

Talks with Steve last 30 minutes. Steve doesn’t prepare a lecture or have a list of points to cover. He lets you direct the discussion. The talks tend to work best if they are just that—talks: questions and answers, comments and reactions, ideas raised and discussed.

There are only a few essential requirements for a talk with Steve:

1. Commit to having six or more people in your group present at the talk.
2. Make sure in advance that your phone or computer will work properly (see below).
3. Make sure you’re ready to talk at the appointed time. If you need to cancel or request a rescheduling, do so several days in advance.

Here are some things you don’t have to do for a talk:

1. You don’t have to live in the U.S. to have a talk with Steve, although you do need to be able to understand spoken English.
2. You don’t need credentials or specialized knowledge—just an interest in Steve’s work.
3. Your group doesn’t have to be an established book group or class. Six more friends who like good conversation and the exchange of ideas are all that’s needed.
4. You don’t have to buy the book, although it would be nice if you did since Steve can’t write books if people don’t buy them. Click here to buy the book.

First, read this page. After you’ve read it, fill out the talk-request form. Please don’t fill out the talk-request form until you’ve read this page.

On the talk-request form, you’ll choose one of two ways to talk with Steve: video chat or speakerphone chat.

For video chats, you’ll need (1) a reasonably fast computer, (2) a reasonably fast web connection, (3) the ability to watch live video, and (4) a phone. You do not need a webcam or special software. Most people with computers that were bought in the last few years have everything it takes to do video chats. More about how video talks work is below.

For speakerphone chats, all you need is a phone with speakerphone capability. Most cell phones these days have speakerphone options. More about how phone talks work is below.

When you fill out the talk-request form, you’ll be asked to list up to three dates and times when your group might be able to talk. The more times you can offer, the more likely it is that Steve will be able to talk with your group. Steve schedules talks on Mondays through Thursdays with start times time between 9 a.m. and 9 p.m. Eastern time (U.S. East Coast time); and on Sundays with start times between 7 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. Eastern time.

Steve strongly suggests you schedule your talk with him to start somewhere between 30 minutes and an hour after your book group (or class or whatever) gets together. This will give you a chance to talk about The Unquiet Grave on your own first, and it will provide a cushion for late arrivals.

Steve will be on his book tour throughout the fall of 2006. Video and phone talks can be booked with him starting January 2007 and running through May 2007.

When you fill out the talk-request form, you’ll also be asked to make sure you have the right technology, whether phone or computer, for the talk. Be sure you do. See below.

What happens after we request a talk?

Steve or one of his helpers will e-mail to you. We usually reply within a week, but it can take up to two weeks, depending on Steve’s travel and work schedule. If you haven’t heard from us in two weeks, feel free to e-mail Steve@SteveHendricks.org to follow up.

If Steve is available to talk at one of the times you suggested, we’ll book your talk and remind you of the instructions for how chats work. The instructions are below, under How Do Phone Talks Work? and How Do Video Talks Work?

If Steve can’t talk at one of the times you’ve suggested, we’ll e-mail you with suggestions for times when Steve is available.

How do phone talks work?

To talk by phone with Steve, please make sure you can do the following:

1. You’ll need a phone with speakerphone capability. Most cell phones and many landlines have speakerphone options. Know how to work your speakerphone. Test it.
2. Fill out Steve’s talk-request form after you’ve read this page.
3. If you’re using a cell phone or cordless phone, on the day of the talk make sure your battery is well charged.
4. It’s a very good idea to have a backup phone.
5. When it’s time for the talk, Steve will call you on the number you gave him. Make sure the phone line is free.
6. Make sure you have at least six people present for the talk.

How do video talks work?

Video talks take place on your computer, online. There are two kinds of video talks. One is one-way video. In one-way video, you can see and hear Steve, but he can only hear you—he can’t see you. This is the easiest kind of video talk to arrange since it doesn’t require any special software or video equipment on your end.

The second kind of video talk is two-way video. In two-way video, you can see and hear Steve and he can see and hear you. This option is available only to people who have a SightSpeed account (it’s free) and who are experienced SightSpeed users.

For both one-way and two-way video talks, Steve uses—and you will too, if you do a video talk with Steve—a website called SightSpeed. SightSpeed does all the work of turning your web browser into a videophone, and it does it for free. SightSpeed will not work on older, slower computers, and it often won’t work with slow web connections.

How do you know if SightSpeed will work on your computer? The short answer is that if you can watch videos on your computer and you have a decent web connection, you can probably use SightSpeed. If in doubt, go to the Introduction to SightSpeed Video page and see if you can watch the short “Introduction to SightSpeed” video. If you can see and hear it okay, your computer is probably just fine for doing a video talk with Steve. If you can’t see or hear the demo video, then you should stick with a phone chat.

The more technical answer to the question of whether SightSpeed will work for you is that your computer should probably meet the specifications below. We say “probably” because the specs below are only general guidelines. Your computer might be a little slower or use a slightly older web browser yet still be able to run SightSpeed. The specs are:

• Type of computer: PC (Windows-based) or Mac.
• Processor: for PCs, 1GHz or faster; for Macs, G4 1GHz or faster.
• Operating system: for PCs, Windows 2000 or XP; for Macs,  OS X 10.3.9 or higher.
• Web browser: a relatively recent edition, such as Internet Explorer 6 or higher.
• Video display card: must fully support Direct X 7 features.

For more information on SightSpeed’s suggested specifications, see www.sightspeed.com/support/system.

ONE-WAY VIDEO TALKS

Unless you’re already a SightSpeed member and have used SightSpeed several times before, you should do a one-way video talk or a speakerphone talk. To do a one-way video talk with Steve, please make sure you can do the following:

Before the talk

1. Make sure your computer is capable of doing a video talk. See the information above in How Do Video Talks Work?
2. Go to the Introduction to SightSpeed Video page and make sure you can see and hear the introductory video without difficulty. Important note: the video instructs people on how to use SightSpeed for two-way chats. You do not need to do any of the things the video tells you since you are doing a one-way chat. All you need to be able to do is watch the video without problems.
3. You’ll need a phone with speakerphone capability. Most cell phones and many landlines have speakerphone options. The phone serves two purposes: You’ll need it to talk to Steve since he won’t be able to hear you through your computer. And you’ll need the phone for backup in case the video doesn’t work. Know how to work your speakerphone. Test it.
4. Fill out Steve’s talk-request form after you’ve read this page.
5. It’s a very good idea to have another, backup phone.
6. A day or two before your talk with Steve, do one more trial run of your computer by going to Introduction to SightSpeed Video page and running their demonstration video again. The reason to do this again is that SightSpeed frequently updates its technology, and you want to make sure there are no glitches created by an update.

On the day of the talk

1. At least ten minutes before the time for the talk, click here: people.sightspeed.com/Steve@SteveHendricks.org (or open your web browser and paste the address into the address line). Your window will open a new browser at this address. Leave this browser window open.
2. Make sure the sound for your computer is turned on (not muted) and the volume is set at a reasonable level.
3. Make sure the phone line that you told Steve to call on is free. If you’re using a cell phone or cordless phone, make sure your battery is well charged.
4. When it’s time for the talk, Steve will log on to SightSpeed, and a few moments later, his face and voice will appear on your computer. At about the same time, he’ll call you at the phone number you gave him.
5. Make sure you have at least six people present for the talk.

Two-way video talks with Steve are available only to people who are experienced SightSpeed members: people who have a SightSpeed account (accounts are free) and who have done several two-way chats before (sorry, no first-timers). If you meet these criteria, then do the following:

Before the talk

1. Fill out Steve’s talk-request form after you’ve read this page. On the form, fill in the blanks that tell Steve you’re a SightSpeed member and what e-mail address you use for your SightSpeed account.
2. After we agree to a date for the talk, add Steve’s e-mail to your contact list: Steve@SteveHendricks.org.
3. A few days before the talk, make sure your webcam and microphone work. Test them.
4. Have a backup phone available with a speakerphone option. Know how to use the speakerphone.

On the day of the talk

1. At least ten minutes before the time for the talk, log in to your SightSpeed account and ask to connect with Steve.
2. Make sure the sound for your computer is turned on (not muted) and the volume is set at a reasonable level.
3. Make sure the phone line that you gave Steve as a backup is free.
4. When it’s time for the talk, Steve will connect with you.
5. Make sure you have at least six people present for the talk.

REQUESTING A TALK WITH STEVE

A form for requesting a talk with Steve will be activated soon. In the meantime, e-mail Steve@SteveHendricks.org with suggested dates and times for a talk with your group.

DISCUSSION GUIDE

[coming soon]

© 2006 Steve Hendricks