July 19, 2007: No Spoilers!

Spoilers happen – it's a fact of modern society. And given the modern marketing professional's need to interact with that society, I'm in a high risk group for discovering the endings of my favorite fiction well before I've finished the media on my own.

And so, with this in mind, I'll be at a local bookstore near midnight this Friday, picking up Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. I'll likely read the first chapter in the parking lot, drive home, pop open a four-pack of Red Bull (the 12-ounce cans, not the "for newbies only" original 8-ounce ones), and read until I collapse, or dawn arrives – whichever comes first. After a few hours of sleep, I'll get up and finish the book.

At no time will I answer the phone, turn on the television, or log onto the internet. The wife is similarly forbidden from these potentially hazardous acts, unless I'm protected by a closed door or two.

It'll be rough, but avoiding spoilers takes effort. And getting to the final pages, knowing only what the author wanted you to know, makes it all worthwhile.
-- Paul Chapman

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