Wednesday, April 30, 2008

Discounted eBooks - April 30, 2008

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The Last Lecture was still the most requested book last week so it remains discounted this week. Election are heating up and Barack Obama is on many minds. David Balducci has released a stunning new book and Jewish women growing up are in vogue -- the fact in memoir form by Julie Klam and fiction by Jennifer Weiner.

Use Coupon code DH59X at checkout to get your discount on these great books. Happy reading!
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The Last Lecture eBook edition
by Pausch, Randy
"We cannot change the cards we are dealt, just how we play the hand." --Randy Pausch When Randy Pausch, a computer science professor at Carnegie Mellon University, was asked to give a "last lecture," he didn't have to imagine it as his last, since he had recently been diagnosed with terminal cancer. But the lecture he gave - "Really Achieving Your Childhood Dreams" - wasn't about dying. It was about the importance of overcoming obstacles, of enabling the dreams of others, of seizing every moment (because "time is all you have... and you may find one day that you have less than you think"). It was a summation of everything Randy had come to believe. It was about living.
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List Price : $16.95
Your price $13.05 (Using your 10% discount and $ .69 points in eBook Reward points)
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The Whole Truth eBook Edition
by: Baldacci, David
Nicolas Creel is a man on a mission. He heads up the world's largest defense contractor, The Ares Corporation. Dick Pender is the man Creel retains to "perception manage" his company to even more riches by manipulating international conflicts. But Creel may have an even grander plan in mind.Shaw, a man with no first name and a truly unique past, has a different agenda. Willing to do anything to get back to the top of her profession, Katie James is a journalist who has just gotten the break of a lifetime: the chance to interview the sole survivor of a massacre that has left every nation stunned.
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List Price : $18.99
Your price $14.61 (Using your 10% discount and $ ..77 iin eBook Reward points)
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Please Excuse My Daughter eBook edition
by: Klam, Julie
A woman's hilarious, bittersweet account of growing up in a family of career-shunning, dependence-seeking women and her journey to a state of twenty-first-century self-reliance. . . When Julie gets married to a hardworking but not wealthy man-one who expects her to be part of a modern couple and contribute financially to the marriage-she realizes how ambivalent and ill-equipped she is for life.
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List Price : $22.95
Your price $19.62 (Using your 10% discount and $1.03 in eBook Reward points)
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Certain Girls: A Novel eBook edition
by: Weiner, Hennifer
Readers fell in love with Cannie Shapiro, the smart, sharp-tongued, bighearted heroine of Good in Bed who found her happy ending after her mother came out of the closet, her father fell out of her life, and her ex-boyfriend started chronicling their ex-sex life in the pages of a national magazine. Now Cannie's back. After her debut novel -- a fictionalized (and highly sexualized) version of her life -- became an overnight bestseller, she dropped out of the public eye and turned to writing science fiction under a pseudonym
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List Price : $17.99
Your price $13.84 (Using your 10% discount and $ .73 in eBook Reward points)
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The Audacity of Hope eBook edition
by: Obama, Barack
At the heart of this book is Senator Obama’s vision of how we can move beyond our divisions to tackle concrete problems. He examines the growing economic insecurity of American families, the racial and religious tensions within the body politic, and the transnational threats–from terrorism to pandemic–that gather beyond our shores. And he grapples with the role that faith plays in a democracy–where it is vital and where it must never intrude. Underlying his stories about family, friends, members of the Senate, even the president, is a vigorous search for connection: the foundation for a radically hopeful political consensus
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List Price : $17.95
Your price $14.54 (Using your 10% discount and $ .73in eBook Reward points)

Our guarantee: If you have bought one of these titles from eBooks About in the last 15 days -- we will gladly offer you a rebate on the book; just contact us.

Sunday, April 27, 2008

Reading is Fundamental

As I get older there are fewer and fewer things that bring out my inner activist.  But last week I found one.  A very simple little news item:

Bush's '09 Budget Eliminates RIF Funding
President Bush's proposed 2009 budget eliminates all the funding for Reading Is Fundamental's book distribution program that has, since 1966, provided more than 325 million books to more than 30 million underprivileged children.

That got me mad -- like in mad enough to do something! Mad enough to talk about it to everyone I know.  Mad enough to write my Congressperson and Senators.  Mad enough to write Margaret Spilling at the US Department of education.  Mad enough to write both Barbara and Laura Bush.  Mad enough to write about it here.

Reading is Fundamental is an awesome program!  riflogo It is the oldest and largest nonprofit children's literacy program in the world.   Their mission is to motivate kids to read.  An important part of the program is providing books for children to explore, read and keep. 

The program was started in 1966 by Margaret McNamara.  While her husband was busy messing up the Vietnam War at the Defense Department she volunteered to tutor a group of Washington D.C. children in reading.  One day she took a bag of used books with her.  At the end of the session she told each of the children that they could pick a book and keep it.  The kids were thrilled.  These children (an most of their classmates) had never owned a book! 

Margaret McNamara was so moved by their enthusiasm and awe that she got busy.  She recruited her friends, raised money everywhere she could and started collecting books to give away.  For the next nine years her efforts created a program that gave away books to children in the Washington D.C. public school system. 

In 1975 the US Congress passed a bill that provided matching funds to RIF. Congress has continued to fund the organization for the last 33 years in a row.  Reading is Fundamental now serves children and families in every state, district and territory of the US.  In 2007 the program gave away 16 million free books to 4.5 million children!

Now, the Bush administration has decided to eliminate RIF's funding!  Evidently it is more important to rebuild Iraq, bail out corporations and build Bridges to Nowhere than it is to promote literacy here at home.

Incredibly, this is the second time that this President who has made a bid deal about leaving no child behind, has attempted to cut funding for RIF.  The first time (in 2001) there was such a public outcry that the administration finally backed down.

This story becomes even more curious when you consider that Barbara Bush served on RIF’s board of directors from 1980 to 1988 and then on its national advisory board from 1989 to 1992 .  Add to that the fact that  Laura Bush served on RIF’s national advisory council from 1996 to 2001.

It's time for a huge public outcry!  PLEASE go to the RIF site and voice your opinion. 

The site provides links to find  your senator and representative and gives you information about how to send an e-mail message to them.  Join me and thousands of others in making our voices heard!  Write to Barbara and Laura for good measure!  But hurry, there is not a lot of time because the appropriation committee will be meeting in May and June to decide on budgets.

Oh yeah, I should mention that  this item even made me mad enough to actually make a donation to RIF.  This is an organization that deserves our support!

The families and children affected by this cut in funding are the weakest and most vulnerable members of our society. There aren't any lobbyists   in Washington advocating for them!  They have little voice or power and they need for us to speak up.  To give them a voice.

So get busy -- write, call, spread the word, donate.  Let's make sure that kids get the chance to have free books to explore, read and keep!  Let's make the outcry so loud that we can't be ignored!

Thank you for your support!

Friday, April 25, 2008

Just Listen eBook editions

Every now and then I agree to read a friends "must read" book.  I am generally disappointed, but every now and them I am surprised and delighted.

Just Listen was one of those delightful surprises even though I am not a big fan of "coming of age" novels.

Annabel Greene lives in a glass house.  She knows that what you see is very often different than what is real.  Her life is full of examples:

  • She has a loving family and good grades but she is miserable
  • Modeling is not glamorous and fun and she really wants to quit
  • Her beautiful model sister has an eating disorder
  • Her perfect Mom has suffered from crippling depression off and on over the years
  • Her former best friend is convinced that Annabel slept with her boyfriend even when she didn't
  • Owen, the angry loner with whom she shares lunch hour is a sensitive, caring guy who uses his music to cope

She copes by carrying on.  She goes to school, she studies, she does her modeling jobs and tries to cope with her sister's illness.

In her isolation she begins to eat lunch at a table with the other loners and a friendship develops between Owen and her.

Her friendship with Owen and his world view begins to change her view of the world and her place in it.  He teaches her about being honest and finding your own voice.  He teachers her about managing her anger.  He teaches her to appreciate the sound of music, and the blaring loudness of silence.

In the end, Annabel Greene finds her voice and takes charge of her life. 

The characters are fully drawn and finely nuanced.  The story captures the frustration and pain of being almost an adult while carrying a full load of adult secrets.  I wish they had written books like this when I was a teenage!

Here is the publisher's synopsis:

When Annabel, the youngest of three beautiful sisters, has a bitter falling out with her best friend, the popular and exciting Sophie, she suddenly finds herself isolated and friendless. but then she meets Owen, a loner, passionate about music and his weekly radio show, and always determined to tell the truth. And when they develop a friendship, Annabel is not only introduced to new music but is encouraged to listen to her own inner voice. with Owen's help, can Annabel find the courage to speak out about what exactly happened the night her friendship with Sophie came to a screeching halt?

Wednesday, April 23, 2008

eBook Discounts for April 23, 2008

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Traditional booksellers can not even keep Randy Pausch's The Last Lecture in stock. This amazing book is an inspiration about living life each day -- I actually carry it with me on my Palm.

Enjoy this and all of the other requested books this week. Use coupon code C3KL9 at check out to get your discount!
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The Last Lecture eBook edition
by Pausch, Randy
"We cannot change the cards we are dealt, just how we play the hand." --Randy Pausch When Randy Pausch, a computer science professor at Carnegie Mellon University, was asked to give a "last lecture," he didn't have to imagine it as his last, since he had recently been diagnosed with terminal cancer. But the lecture he gave - "Really Achieving Your Childhood Dreams" - wasn't about dying. It was about the importance of overcoming obstacles, of enabling the dreams of others, of seizing every moment (because "time is all you have... and you may find one day that you have less than you think"). It was a summation of everything Randy had come to believe. It was about living.
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List Price : $16.95
Your price $13.05 (Using your 10% discount and $ .69 points in eBook Reward points)
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Pleasure eBook Edition
by: Dickey, Eric Jerome
Nia Simone Bijou is a woman who has it all?and is driven by the desire for more. Born in Trinidad, reared in Los Angeles, and now living in Atlanta, Nia is a writer, a thinker, and a woman in conflict. She struggles with both her logical self-a woman who has never let go of an old heartbreak, and her sensual self?a woman demanding intimacy and sexual freedom. As intense loneliness and secret desires take hold, Nia is inspired to become sexually adventurous. She embarks on three passionate and forbidden affairs. Each lover teaches Nia valuable lessons about herself and her desires?but how long can Nia play with fire without getting burned?
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List Price : $24.95
Your price $19.20 (Using your 10% discount and $1.01 iin eBook Reward points)
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Fat Envelope Frenzy eBook edition
by: Jager-Hyman, Joie
A former Ivy League admissions officer, Joie Jager-Hyman follows five bright and eager high schoolers—students from diverse ethnic, social, and financial backgrounds—as they each put their best foot forward on the road they hope will lead them to the hallowed halls of Harvard University. At once a remarkable true story of dedication, achievement, and heartbreak and a guide for success in an ultra-competitive environment, this important work deserves a place in the home of every family that has ever dreamed of receiving that coveted “fat envelope” in the mail.
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List Price : $11.95
Your price $10.22 (Using your 10% discount and $ .54 in eBook Reward points)
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Bulls Island eBook edition
by: Benton, Dorothea Frank
After twenty years, Elizabeth "Betts" McGee has finally managed to put her past behind her. She hasn't been home to beautiful South Carolina and untouched Bulls Island since the tragic night that ended her engagement to Charleston's golden boy, J. D. Langley. And why is that? Really, this is the story of two old Southern families. The Langley family has more money than the Morgan Stanley Bank. And they think they have more class. The Barrett family made their nineteenth-century fortune in a less distinguished manner—corner grocery stores and liquor stores.
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List Price : $19.95
Your price $15.36 (Using your 10% discount and $ .81 in eBook Reward points)
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A New Earth eBook edition
by: Tolle, Eckhart
Illuminating, enlightening, and uplifting, A New Earth is a profoundly spiritual guide to creating a better way of living and a better world to live in. Building on the astonishing success of The Power of Now, Eckhart Tolle presents readers with an honest look at the current state of humanity: He implores us to see and accept that this state, which is based on an erroneous identification with the egoic mind, is one of dangerous insanity. Tolle tells us there is good news, however. There is an alternative to this potentially dire situation.
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List Price : $14.00
Your price $11.34 (Using your 10% discount and $ .57in eBook Reward points)

Our guarantee: If you have bought one of these titles from eBooks About in the last 15 days -- we will gladly offer you a rebate on the book; just contact us.

Monday, April 21, 2008

eBooks on the Small Screen

Last Wednesday morning, while eating breakfast and scanning the Wall Street Journal, I stumbled across an article by Lee Gomes.  He wrote a long piece about reading Ian McEwan’s novel “Amsterdam” on his Blackberry:

“Contrary to all of my previous expectations, not only was I reading the novel on my cellphone, I was enjoying it, too.

Until a few weeks ago, my assumption had been that a useable electronic book would need to resemble a Gutenberg book as much as possible, with, for example, pages of screen text about the same size as pages of print. I had heard reports that Japanese commuters were using cellphones to read books. But I figured that was sort of the thing only Japanese commuters would ever see fit to do."

I burst out laughing and handed the article to my husband.  Henri has long maintained that reading an eBook on a small device is a terrible idea.  He's not even interested in trying to read a book on a handheld device.  I have an ongoing (and so far unsuccessful) campaign to convince him to be more open minded.

He scanned the article and then grudgingly conceded that Lee might have a point.  He was quick to add, however, that he remained unconvinced.  And then he couldn't help himself.  He pointed out that I was possibly a hypocrite --  since I got my Cybook last November I haven't really used anything else for leisure reading.   

big palmThat evening as I was in the middle of reading Marisa de los Santos'  Belong to Me, my Cybook froze.  That is a story for another day (and it ended up to be no big deal).  The point of this story is that for the first time in six months I had use another device to finish the book.  

I had almost forgotten the reasons to read on a handheld device, but as I started to use the Palm they came back to me:

  • Backlit - I can read in the dark
  • Portable - I can have all my important info with me and still read anywhere
  • Touch Screen - easy to scroll and move around
  • Vivid Color - I really like color
  • Wireless - instant connectivity to the rest of the world

The bonus discovery:  the thumb button in the middle of the device is much easier to use and more intuitive than the button on the right side of the Cybook.  I also found that the ergonomics of holding and balancing the device were really comfortable.

There are really only two advantages to reading on the Cybook -- a bigger reading surface and the ability to read in bright and direct sunlight. 

I am not sure that those advantages really outweigh the advantages of reading on the PDA. specifically the touch screen and the wireless access. 

Just to check myself, I pulled out a very old Windows PC based PDA and charged it up.  All of the advantages of the Palm PLUS I was not so confined by the DRM.  Suddenly I could read protected PDF, Palm and MS Lit files. 

For the price of a Cybook or Sony Reader you can buy a Pocket PC that runs windows, has a touch screen, adds a keyboard and includes a cellphone. 

Friday morning I got the Cybook functioning again, but I'm still reading on the Palm. 

Of course, I am now actively considering upgrading my Verizon phone to an XV6800.

Turns out, that small screen isn't so bad after all!

Thursday, April 17, 2008

Searching for Paradise in Parker, PA (eBook edition)

Last week my reading took me from Armageddon to Paradise.  That sentence comes close to encapsulating what I love about books!

After Armageddon in Retrospect I was ready for something light and fluffy.  You know, something without an ounce of reality that would take me to a land where everything was heavenly.  What better than Searching for Paradise in Parker, PA!

The good news is that this books is vintage Kris Radish.  It features  strong women, clueless guys and the requisite lesbian.  The bad news is that it is vintage Kris Radish.  It seems like I've read this all before.

I really wanted to love this book like I did Elegant Gathering of White Snows or Annie Freeman’s Fabulous Traveling Funeral.  Unfortunately, I can't say I did. 

The relationship between Addy and her sister, Hell, didn't ring true, too saccharine sweet even when you include their fight midway through the book.  And why name a character Hell??

The clueless men in a space a very few months were transformed from numskulls to sensitive new age kind of guys.  But then I guess this is fiction.  

Addy's friends, the Sweat-hers (really!) are cartoon women with amazing empathy and almost magical powers of feminine insight.

And for the plot to come close to working, the town would need to have about fifty citizens.

About half way through I just wanted the book to end, already.  But since I am close to incapable of not finishing a book I start, I more or less sped read to the end. 

This is probably a great beach read for the uninitiated Kris Radish reader; but even then, I would recommend either Elegant Gathering or Annie Freeman, first.

I hate writing and posting negative reviews. . . I mean after all the whole point of this blog is to get you interested in reading something that is recently released and fabulous, entertaining, informative or otherwise noteworthy,  This particular book is none of those things. . .  Unfortunately, it was the only book I managed to slog through last week so it is all I have (that is current/new).

Maybe I am too jaded; so check it out for yourself and let me know what you think.

Here is the publisher's information:

After twenty-eight years of marriage to her husband Lucky, Addy Lipton feels anything but happily married. In fact, just thinking of their garage, filled to the brim with Lucky’s useless junk collection, drives Addy dangerously close to plowing her car through it. But when Lucky wins a trip to paradise—aka Costa Rica—Addy has a faint hope they may be able to turn things around. Or maybe they won’t. Either way, Addy never gets the chance to find out.


On the morning of their departure, Lucky fractures his back tossing their luggage into his truck. Now, with the man she feels she barely knows anymore parked indefinitely on her couch, Addy can’t see their already shaky relationship surviving much longer. It’s time to make some big changes—and some drastic choices.


With the love and support of her devoutly single sister Hell and her workout friends, the Sweat-hers, Addy begins a crusade to revive her dreams—and she takes the women of Parker along for the ride. Soon the men will realize they’ll have to step up to the plate to keep their wives and lovers happy. And Addy will have to decide if the paradise she’s creating in Parker is big enough for two....

Wednesday, April 16, 2008

eBook Discounts for April 16, 2008

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Science, Short Stories, Money, Mystery and a Spritual Biography were the most requested books this last week. If you haven't read the Heather Wells mysteries, this is a great time to discover them (go back and buy the first two).

This week use coupon code B2J8G at check out to receive your discount.
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Physics of the Impossible eBook edition
by by Kaku, Michio
A fascinating exploration of the science of the impossible—from death rays and force fields to invisibility cloaks—revealing to what extent such technologies might be achievable decades or millennia into the future. One hundred years ago, scientists would have said that lasers, televisions, and the atomic bomb were beyond the realm of physical possibility. In Physics of the Impossible, the renowned physicist Michio Kaku explores to what extent the technologies and devices of science fiction that are deemed equally impossible today might well become commonplace in the future.
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List Price : $17.95
Your price $15.35 (Using your 10% discount and $ .81 points in eBook Reward points)
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Unaccustomed Earth eBook Edition
by Lahiri, Jhumpa
This collection’s five powerful stories and haunting triptych of tales about the fates of two Bengali families in America map the perplexing hidden forces that pull families asunder and undermine marriages. ‘Unaccustomed Earth,’ the title story, dramatizes the divide between immigrant parents and their American-raised children, and is the first of several scathing inquiries into the lack of deep-down understanding and trust in a marriage between a Bengali and a non-Bengali. An inspired miniaturist, Lahiri creates a lexicon of loaded images.
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List Price : $17.95
Your price $13.82 (Using your 10% discount and $ .73 iin eBook Reward points)
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Ir's Not About the Money eBook edition
by: Kissel, Brent
What do the latest financial thinking and ancient spiritual teachings reveal to us about financial freedom? Top financial advisor Brent Kessel insists financial success and security is "not about the money." Rather, it's about what's inside us—first understanding your emotional relationship to money, and only then taking action. It's Not About the Money expertly and compassionately guides you along the path to financial security and true peace of mind.
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List Price : $19.95
Your price $15.36 (Using your 10% discount and $ .81 in eBook Reward points)
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Big Boned eBook edition
by: Cabot, Meg
Life is reasonably rosy for plus-size ex-pop star turned Assistant Dormitory Director and sometime sleuth Heather Wells. Her freeloading ex-con dad is finally moving out. She still yearns for her hot landlord, Cooper Cartwright, but her relationship with "rebound beau," vigorous vegan math professor Tad Tocco, is more than satisfactory. Best of all, nobody has died lately in "Death Dorm," the aptly nicknamed student residence that Heather assistant-directs. Of course every silver lining ultimately has some black cloud attached.
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List Price : $10.95
Your price $9.36 (Using your 10% discount and $ .49 in eBook Reward points)
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The Measure of a Man: A Spirtual Autobiography eBook edition
by: Poitier, Sidney
Legendary actor Sidney Poitier returns to reflect on his life--this time to dig deeper into the moral and spiritual dimensions that have given it meaning. He writes about values and ideals, love, education, family and work. Rich in stories and in hard-earned wisdom, the book draws on the two halves of Mr. Poitier's unique perspective:
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List Price : $12.95
Your price $11.66 (Using your 10% discount and $ .58 in eBook Reward points)

Our guarantee: If you have bought one of these titles from eBooks About in the last 15 days -- we will gladly offer you a rebate on the book; just contact us.

Monday, April 14, 2008

Bookselling and the First Amendment

 

As someone who has lived outside of the country for extended periods of time, I cherish the values of the First  Amendment.

This is specifically true, because I have lived in places where what was written, sold and even said was censored, 

There is a particular kind of fear associated with living under that kind of repression that the average American can not even imagine!

When I was younger the prevailing attitude in the US was that censorship as one of those things that happens in Communist countries. Now that Communism is less of a perceived threat, I'm not sure that the average person even thinks much about censorship at all.  Certainly in the age of the "war on terror" most Americans are more concerned with their security than something that seems like a vague ideal.

In this climate it is not surprising that there have been some substantial efforts over the last five years to control bookseller and the books they sell.  Much of this effort is all dressed up in the guise of protecting children which sounds like an eminently good idea.

Let me say, categorically, that I believe that there are books and other printed materials that are wildly inappropriate for children and teenagers. And there is much that is printed that I personally find downright offensive.  I am not an advocate for pornography.  I want to guard the young and innocent in my family as much as anyone does!

It is safe to say that we can all agree that children are precious and guarding their innocence is important.  But how we do that is less clear.  And yet, the how is of utmost importance.  I believe that we need to carefully consider what constitutes protection.

The current cultural norm is that we protect children by guarding them from things that are deemed "harmful to minors".  OK.  So what exactly does the phrase "harmful to minors" mean?

Here is the current legal definition:

"For the purposes of the law, matter is "harmful to minors" if: "

  • it describes or represents, in any form, nudity, sexual conduct, sexual excitement, or sado-masochistic abuse; considered as a whole,
  • it appeals to the prurient interest in sex of minors; it is patently offensive to prevailing standards in the adult community as a whole with respect to what is suitable matter for minors;
  • and considered as a whole, it lacks serious literary, artistic, political, or scientific value for minors"

This explanation sends a little chill down my spine! 

Off the top this means:  No romance novels, no medical or health books, no encyclopedias or dictionaries.  Books on anthropology, sociology, psychology and even law are largely unacceptable.  Under this definition Shakespeare and the Bible are definitely forbidden for teens -- no King No David and Bathsheba or Romeo and Juliet until you are over eighteen.

This started me thinking about my choices in reading material as a teenager. I was a avid reader.  One summer I read the entire Jean Plaidy  series about the royal families of England; something like 40 volumes.  They were full of sex and violence, but I probably still know more about British history and the British royal families than most people do.  I don't think reading those novels harmed me in any way. 

Now, take a look at the New York Times Best Seller list.  Not one of the current fiction titles listed could be sold to a minor under this legal definition because at some point they all include (at the very least) descriptions of sexual excitement.

In order to really follow this legal definition, booksellers should "card" anyone purchasing fiction, health books and as noted before, the Bible. How long will it take until someone or some group compiles a list of acceptable and non acceptable books?

It seems that there is something very wrong when we feel the need for booksellers to protect minors at the expense of creativity, literature and in the pursuit of some vague idea of this protection.

My biggest concern, however, is where does it end?  Where is the line between concern and censorship?  At what point to do we ban and burn books?  At what point do we squelch creativity?

I don't really have answers.  But I do believe that this is something that bears much thought and discussion. Just passively letting it happen is not a good alternative. 

These quiet intrusions will ultimately make huge inroads into our freedom of expression.  The price of ignoring it will be devastating.

 

Thursday, April 10, 2008

Armageddon in Retrospect (eBook edition)

When it comes to Kurt Vonnegut, I am not exactly a dispassionate reviewer.  I admit it, up front, I am a fan. 

Reading Kurt Vonnegut's Cats Cradle was a transformative literary experience in my young (15 years old) life. 

so even if Slaughterhouse Five  was his "break through" book, I have a special affinity for his earlier works:  Cats Cradle and Player Piano.  They will always be my favorites.

Last week, timed to the first anniversary of Kurt's death, Armageddon In Retrospect was released.  This is a collection of never before published Vonnegut stories loosely themed on the horrors of war, the importance of peace and the experience of being a prisoner of war..

The book starts with a wonderful piece by Mark Vonnegut talking about his Dad.  He reminds us of his father's incredible gift as a storyteller and his love and admiration come through in every line.  The introduction all by its self makes the book worth buying.

The book contains twelve pieces in all:  His last speech, a copy of a letter to his parents, three stories about POWs that explore the thin line between complicity and survival and more.  There is a wonderful story about hunger and food obsessed GIs along with a couple of dark of reflective pieces written about the aftermath of war in times of peace.  The rest of the book covers some familiar Vonnegut territory:  four stories about the bombing of Dresden which are the precursors of Slaughterhouse Five and a piece that is clearly the beginnings of what later because Mother Night.

The thing that struck me most was how serious these pieces are.  The publisher claims that they are written with "Vonnegut's trademark rueful humor."  I disagree.  These pieces are full of raw emotion.  They are certainly funny in places, but it is obvious that Vonnegut has not yet developed his more dispassionate ironic observer persona or rueful voice.

It would have been nice if there had more connective material in the book like information about when these pieces were written.  But that is a minor complaint.

They are, finally, incredibly disturbing, powerful and primitive. I have no idea how a "regular person" would view them but for a Vonnegut fan they are a fascinating study in how a writer develops this voice and his craft.  

Here's the official stuff:

To be published on the first anniversary of Kurt Vonnegut's death in April 2007, Armageddon in Retrospect is a collection of twelve new and unpublished writings on war and peace.

Written with Vonnegut's trademark rueful humor, the pieces range from a visceral nonfiction recollection of the destruction of Dresden during World War II-a piece that is as timely today as it was then-to a painfully funny story about three privates and their fantasies of the perfect first meal upon returning home from war; to a darker and more poignant story about the impossibility of shielding our children from the temptations of violence.

This is a volume that says as much about the times in which we live as it does about the genius of the man who wrote it. Also included here is Vonnegut's last speech, as well as an assortment of his drawings, and an introduction by the author's son, Mark Vonnegut.

Wednesday, April 9, 2008

Discounted eBooks - April 9, 2008

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This week the selections are slanted to current concerns -- the economy, the anniversary of Dr. King's Death and (as ever) Diet. These are balanced by a terrific fantasy title and a riviting thriller.

Use Coupon A9JG4 at check out to get your discounts for the week. Happy Reading!
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The New Paradigm for Financial Markets: The Credit Crash of 2008 and What It Means eBook edition
by Soros, George
Soros, whose breadth of experience in financial markets is unrivaled, places the current crisis in the context of decades of study of how individuals and institutions handle the boom and bust cycles that now dominate global economic activity. "This is a once in a lifetime moment," writes Soros about the scale of financial distress spreading across Wall Street and other financial centers around the world.
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List Price : $22.95
Your price $17.66 (Using your 10% discount and $ .93 points in eBook Reward points)
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Small Favor eBook Edition
by: Butcher, Jim
The new novel in the New York Times bestselling Dresden Files series. No one's tried to kill Harry Dresden for almost an entire year, and his life finally seems to be calming down. For once, the future looks fairly bright. But the past casts one hell of a long shadow. An old bargain has placed Harry in debt to Mab, monarch of the Winter Court of the Sidhe, the Queen of Air and Darkness-and she's calling in her marker.
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List Price : $23.95
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Dr. Gundry's Diet Evolution eBook edition
by: Gundry, Steven R. Dr.
Through his Center for Restorative Medicine, Dr Gundry helps patients avoid cardiac and other surgical procedures by using nutrition to reverse heart disease, diabetes, and arthritis. By bridging the gap between Dr. Atkins and Dr. Ornish and combining the best of the raw-foods and sugar-free plans, Dr. Gundry brings us to the next stage of diet evolution.
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Into the Mist: Falcon Mercenary Group Book 1 eBook edition
by: Banks, Maya
One woman's mission to bring down a sexy elemental shifter turns into a battle of wills.and hearts. Falcon Mercenary Group, Book 1 Hostage recovery specialist Eli Chance has a secret. He was born a shifter. A freak of nature. While on a mission, Eli's men and their mercenary guide are exposed to a powerful chemical agent, and suddenly his secret has become easier to hide.
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List Price : $5.50
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What Would Martin Say? eBook edition
by: Jones, Clarence B.
If anyone would have insight into what Martin would say, it would be Clarence B. Jones, King's personal lawyer and one of his closest principal advisers and confidants. Jones—now seventy-seven, has chosen the occasion of this somber anniversary to break his silence—removing the mythic distance of forty years' time to reveal the flesh-and-blood man he knew as his friend.
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List Price : $18.95
Your price $14.59 (Using your 10% discount and $ .77 in eBook Reward points)

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Monday, April 7, 2008

The HarperCollins Experiment

Bob Miller was restless and frustrated with the same old publishing paradigms.  He was already the founder of a successful publishing company, Hyperion, but evidently he wanted more.  In a surprise move last week it was announced that he would be moving over to HarperCollins to try something new.

His new (and as yet unnamed) venture is conceived of as more of a studio than a publishing venture. He is proposing some revolutionary (for the stodgy publishing industry) ideas:

  • 50/50 profit share with authors (and minimal advances)
  • selling everything on a non-returnable basis
  • taking full advantage of the internet for sales, marketing and distribution
  • selling hardback books at around $20 per copy
  • experimenting with selling other formats
  • releasing eBook and Audio book for free when you buy the hardback edition (this is very speculative)
  • publishing books that might not otherwise emerge because new authors find it harder and harder to be published at all

The Wall Street Journal, New York Times and every publishing blog spent most of last week commenting on how unique and wonderful his idea is. 

Hmmmm -- seems to me that there are many independent and eBook publishers that have been doing all these things for quite some time.  So what's the big deal?

Aside from my cynicism, there is one big deal in all of this -- the selling things on a non-returnable basis.  The most shocking thing to me as a new publisher was the whole returns/remainder thing. 

Did you know that when a bookstore orders 20 books if only 2 of them sell that the bookstore can just ship them back to the publisher for full credit?  How strange is that!  I do not know of any other business where a retailer can stock inventory at virtually no risk -- if it doesn't sell you send it back. 

All costs associated with returns and destruction of the unused books is the publisher problem. This is like consignment selling on steroids. 

And you wonder why the the cost of books is so high!

Ending the practice of returns would go a long way towards putting money in the authors pockets. 

And speaking of the high cost of books, another big offender is the advances.  Millions of dollars get paid to a Bill Clinton or Carl Rove but the ordinary author is lucky to get his book published, never mind the advance!

I would love to know what percentage of the advance money is actually realized and how much of it is "wasted" on books that don't make the anticipated sales.  

Even the authors who get big advances have to "pay back" advances from books sales using an accounting system that no one really understands.  The point at which an author actually pays back the advance is a moving target . And then to add injury to insult an author will typically only receive 15% of sales in royalties. 

Although I would argue that Miller's "revolutionary" publishing concept has been used for years by ePublisher and small presses, I do applaud his stand against "Big Publishing." 

Here's to you, Bob.

Friday, April 4, 2008

Fat Envelope Frenzy eBook Edition

I grew up in a solidly middle class family.  I honestly did not know that NOT going to college was an option.  On the other hand, it never occurred to me (or my parents) to apply to an Ivy League college -- too expensive and way to Eastern. 

Even so, I have always had this secret fascination with the idea of Harvard or Yale -- kind of like a sociological study in how the other half lives.  Fat Envelope Frenzy gave me a whole new perspective on education in the 21st century and the Ivy League.

Joie Jager-Hyman followed five high school seniors in their quest for admission to Harvard.  These kids are remarkable (and a little intimidating).  All but one of them has achieved more in their short lives than most of us will achieve over the course our fifty years.  And believe it or not, the "under achiever" is something of a relief in this line up of super achievers:

  • Felix, the child of Chinese-American doctors who grew up in Philadelphia.  He achieved perfect scores on all seven of his Advanced Placement tests, has toured internationally , and edits and online science magazine.
  • Nabil, son of a Memphis gas-station attendant, is a math wiz who takes multivariable calculus at the University of Memphis, just for fun.
  • Andrew , a New Orleans native who survived Hurricane Katrina is a tennis-playing class valedictorian and does charitable work at his church.
  • Lisa, is an internationally ranked gymnast who is weighing college against the Olympics.  She got a B-plus once -- in Driver's Ed. 
  • Marlene, the daughter of impoverished Dominican immigrants.  She is the "underachiever" with excellent test scores but a less than perfect school attendance record.   

Jager-Hyman does a good job of making each one of the characters vibrant and real.  I got very involved in their ups and downs and couldn't help but routing for them. 

She could have been less "academic" about the process -- there were lots of detours through her experience.  She also has lot of ideas and opinions about the admissions process. 

If you are interested in applying to the Ivy League or have a child who wants to apply this is arguably valuable information.  For the rest of us -- just skim over those and follow the storyline.   

The most profound sentence in the whole books is near the end:  "Past experience suggests that the particular college a student attends is far less important than what the student does to develop his or her strengths and talents over the next four years."

This is a great "bedtime book"; you can read a little every night for several weeks and not lose the storyline.

Here is the Harper Collins synopsis:

A former Ivy League admissions officer, Joie Jager-Hyman follows five bright and eager high schoolers—students from diverse ethnic, social, and financial backgrounds—as they each put their best foot forward on the road they hope will lead them to the hallowed halls of Harvard University.

At once a remarkable true story of dedication, achievement, and heartbreak and a guide for success in an ultra-competitive environment, this important work deserves a place in the home of every family that has ever dreamed of receiving that coveted “fat envelope” in the mail. Jager-Hyman also offers a startlingly frank appraisal of the college admission process and the important roles race and class continue to play in a student's efforts to attend the best school possible.

Wednesday, April 2, 2008

eBook Discounts for April 2, 2008

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Work seems to be on everyone's mind: from productivity to open source computer software and wating tables. All balanced out by God and Murder. Very eclectic mix!

For your 10% discount on thise items add coupon code DH59Y. Happy reading!
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Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity eBook edition
by Allen, David
Fast Company's Personal Productivity guru delivers powerful methods that vastly increase your efficiency and creative results-at work and in life In today's world, yesterday's methods just don't worrk. Veteran coach and management consultant David Allen shares the breakthrough methods for stress-free performance that he has introduced to tens of thousands of people across the country. Allen's premise is simple: our productivity is directly proportional to our ability to relax
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List Price : $15.00
Your price $11.54 (Using your 10% discount and $ .61 points in eBook Reward points)
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Turning Tables eBook Edition
by: Macdowell, Rose, Macdowell, Heather
Downsized from her boutique firm, Erin panics as she watches her career ambitions plunge into free fall. Why else would the savvy twenty-eight-year-old take a job as…a waitress? A favorable word from a family friend gets Erin in the door at Roulette, Madison Avenue’s newest exclusive haunt and home to a celebrity chef with a talent for cutting-edge cuisine and spotting the weakest link. Identical twins Heather and Rose MacDowell waited tables for five years in Manhattan before penning this novel.
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List Price : $18.95
Your price $14.59 (Using your 10% discount and $ .77 iin eBook Reward points)
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The Reason for God eBook edition
by: Keller, Timothy.
For years, Tim Keller has compiled a list of the most frequently voiced "doubts" skeptics bring to his Manhattan church. And in The Reason for God, he single-handedly dismantles each of them. Written with atheists, agnostics, and skeptics in mind, Keller also provides an intelligent platform on which true believers can stand their ground when bombarded by the backlash. The Reason for God challenges such ideology at its core and points to the true path and purpose of Christianity
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Your price $19.20 (Using your 10% discount and $1.01 in eBook Reward points)
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Killer Heat eBook edition
by: Fairstein, Linda
It’s August in New York, and the only thing that’s hotter than the pavement is Manhattan D.A. Alex Cooper’s professional and personal life. Just as she’s claiming an especially gratifying victory in a rape case, she gets the call: the body of a young woman has been found in an abandoned building. The brutality of the murder is disturbing enough, but when a second body, beaten and disposed of in exactly same manner, is found off the Belt Parkway, the city’s top brass want the killer found fast, before the tabloids can start churning out ghoulish serial killer headlines.
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Your price $14.54 (Using your 10% discount and $ .73 in eBook Reward points)
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The Definitive Guide to the Xen Hypervisor eBook edition
by: Chisnall, David
The Definitive Guide to the Xen Hypervisor is a comprehensive handbook on the inner workings of XenSource’s powerful open source paravirtualization solution. From architecture to kernel internals, author David Chisnall exposes key code components and shows you how the technology works, providing the essential information you need to fully harness and exploit the Xen hypervisor to develop cost-effective, highperformance Linux and Windows virtual environments.
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List Price : $39.99
Your price $34.19 (Using your 10% discount and $1.80 in eBook Reward points)

Our guarantee: If you have bought one of these titles from eBooks About in the last 15 days -- we will gladly offer you a rebate on the book; just contact us.

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