Twitter is an interesting phenomenon, but it seems like such a terrible time-sink -- the being aware of it; the non-presence if you do not post -- unless one could use a widget to cross-post microblog content. On reflection, I find the previous sentence somewhat horrifying, but I suspect you know what I mean. Ya can't be everywhere all the time.

As to Google Books... I Am Not a Lawyer, but the Author's Guild is not the representative of all authors. I will watch with great interest the fracas that will inevitably ensue when one or more high-profile authors sue (1) Google for infringing copyright and (2) the Author's Guild for negotiating on their behalf without permission.