You can find details below.  This is a great opportunity to spend some time learning WP7.  Make sure you visit http://developer.windowsphone.com to install the Beta bits before arriving.  I will be leading the events in Minneapolis, St Louis, Overland Park, and Des Moines.  I hope to see you there!

A rededication to finding time to read, some free evenings, and summer vacation has really let me dive into reading.  I have knocked down quite a few books in the last month and thought I would share what I have finished.  If you are like me, you are always on the look out for something good to read. 

1. Coyote series – Alan Steele.  A four book series that follows the colonization of a distant world against the backdrop of political and environmental upheaval on Earth.  A surprisingly engaging mix of frontier exploration with science fiction wonder.  A sometimes not so subtle discourse on politics provides a compelling way to keep the story line moving.  Wonderful character development through the series. 
2. Atlas Shrugged – Ayn Rand.  Ok, I actually read the Cliff Notes.  Yep, its true.  I read the original back in college – required reading for a philosophy course I had.  I only “skim read” it then since at over 1000 pages it was a load, but it was a significant learning experience because of the in class discussions and comparison to other philosophical points of view we looked at.  Rand’s philosophy of Objectivism is probably one of the most misrepresented philosophies out there, as is the underlying meaning of Atlas Shrugged.
3. The Peshawar Lancers – S.M. Stirling.  I finally finished this one after having started it over a year ago.  An alternate reality, steam punkish setting, Stirling has written a book that I have really had to slog my way through.  If you have a hankering for a book that describes the setting in excruciating detail, this is the book for you.  I have found the story very interesting, but it is lost under pages and pages of unnecessary detail.  I often find myself skipping paragraphs at a time to get back to the point of the scene.  I’m a bit of a Stirling fan, but this was not high on my list.
4. Executive Power - Vince Flynn.  Ahhhh, nothing like a little Flynn action thriller.  Its the standard Flynn formula with Mitch Rapp once again defeating the bad guys.  Fast pace and intrigue keep you turning pages.  Easy mind candy that went by fast despite it being a thick book.
5. Economics in One Lesson - Henry Hazlitt.  A very short read and while the examples used are a bit dated, the fundamental ideas are timeless.  It had been forever since I had any economics courses, so I thought I would refresh my understanding given the current debates going on.  Finished it in a couple of days and was pleased with how so many of the debates of today could be found inside this book and clear, concise, and complete answers on why something is good or bad.

So what’s next… I have two on the table right now. 

1. The Prefect - Alastair Reynolds.  I have enjoyed Reynold’s previous works and the reviews on this one have been good.  I am a grand total of 20 pages into it so I have yet to form an opinion but so far it is good. ;-)  The question is, will it conclude with “the big, long interstellar spaceship chase” that Reynold’s seems to put in all of his books. ;-)
2. Capitalism and Freedom - Milton Friedman.  The Hazlitt book renewed my interest in economics, a field I had thought about studying more in college.  I have always been more on the Friedman side of things than Keynesian (few people know that Friedman was originally a Keynesian).  The thing I find most appealing about Friedman is that he understands the connection between economic models and their impact on politics and liberty – both are so intertwined but so few people realize this.

What have you been reading?

All of you have at one time or another attended some great events.  What I am interested in is what you would say are the things that make an event truly stand out from other events.  In this case, I am thinking about how Microsoft could raise the bar for events that it delivers as “first party” events in places like Minneapolis, Omaha, Des Moines, etc.  Think – how could the VS 2010 Launch event have been absolutely killer…. 

Clearly, content is king, but I would love to hear your thoughts on the end-to-end experience….  Just some things to get the ball rolling…

- Content – Clearly we need to have good content.  What makes good content?  Is there a difference between Launch style content (new stuff) vs. other types of events (everyone has some level of understanding)?  Can you have content that pleases both senior developers and a junior developer?

- Venue – How do you feel about theaters? Hotels better? Other? Is parking a big deal or just something you deal with?  Screen requirements (multiple? High resolution? Etc.)

- Swag – is it a major turn-off if you don’t get product?  Do you think handing out eval software on premise is worth it? Trinkets? Hard copy of links to resources?

- Food and Beverage – what is your expectation?  The minimum required for an event?

- Demos – do you like longer, more elaborate demos?  Quick hit, show me what I need to know? Scenario based?  Do certain types of demos lend themselves to different types of events?

- Videos – Do you like opening videos?  What kind? “Welcome from Steve Ballmer”, “Funny spoof videos”, “customer testimonials”, “cool tech demonstration videos”

I know there is more. If you could take some time leave a comment or two, that would be great!