Now that the dramatic rescue of the Chilean miners is complete, we should get ready for an onslaught of books about the drama. Although the rescue has been detailed by the media, we haven't heard the personal accounts of the miners. No one is known to have survived as long trapped underground, and it won't be long before the first-person tales are rushed to print.
I'm not complaining. I'd like to hear more from shift foreman Luis Urzua, who was credited with organizing the men and keeping morale high despite the terrible circumstances. Or from Jimmy Sanchez, 19, the youngest of the group and the father of a 4-month-old baby. Or from the poor guy who was torn between wife and mistress. I'd love to see a recreation of the ordeal by Sebastian Junger ("The Perfect Storm") or Jon Krakauer ("Into Thin Air").
Crain's, meanwhile, reported that New York editors were considering a book proposal by Jonathan Franklin, who has covered the rescue for the Guardian, and another by Alexei Barrionuevo, who has been on the scene for The New York Times. Franklin's book, "33 Men, Buried Alive" sold this week to a British publisher.
I'm sure "Collapse: The Movie" won't be far behind.