awesome gift idea for bibliophiles
Posted by LucidAnne on Dec 13, 2007 · Member since Jun 2006 · 1564 posts
anyone hear of this?
its like netflix for booklovers!
https://www.bookswim.com/gift.html?ref=goodreads_adword&gclid=CID3tLvwppACFQwsOAodnjAJfw
although, we could just use that archaic "library" building in our towns.... but maybe its good for the elderly, or lazy... ;D
i DID hear about this. someone told me about it and i said "uhhh... isn't that like the library?"
Maybe they have more options than some libraries? :-\
I dunno. I heart libraries.
i love them too. and i love the little ole ladies in their 80s still working there. we have several, and one who was JUST forced to retire in her 90s!! the library itself is only just over 100 years old! they are virtual history books in themselves, they know all about our town.
BUT... the selection here isnt so great, and the hours suck. meh.plus it takes me forever to get thru some books, i dont want to hog em all. :)
The library is my best friend! We have a huge selection and a lot ofon line resources--really saves me when I have to do research for papers!
I loooooove my local library and how I can order books online from other branches, or even other library systems!! I could see myself using this company if I were living in a really remote place though...
anyone hear of this?
its like netflix for booklovers!
https://www.bookswim.com/gift.html?ref=goodreads_adword&gclid=CID3tLvwppACFQwsOAodnjAJfw
although, we could just use that archaic "library" building in our towns.... but maybe its good for the elderly, or lazy... ;D
This is great. I'd never heard about it before.
I cannot believe that I'm going to endorse an Amazon product, but even I have to admit this is SUPER COOL:
http://www.amazon.com/Kindle-Amazons-Wireless-Reading-Device/dp/B000FI73MA
It's called a Kindle, and it's basically a portable, easy-to-carry device that allows you to buy and download books from anywhere (it's got wireless connectivity...but you don't need to be near a wifi hotspot in order to recieve it). You pay a one-time fee (no monthly fees) and you can buy a book at any time, anywhere...and you get it there on the spot. The interface is supposed to be easy on the eyes, and very "print like" using something called "electronic ink." And you can also download newspapers and magazines and blogs. It includes a dictionary. You can bookmark pages...blah, blah, blah. AND it even has access to Wiki! (Of course that's the biggest selling point for me! ;D) Oh, and you can download Word documents as well.
Bad news? They are pretty expensive. And they're out of stock currently. But I so want one. For reasons that Amazon doesn't even go into...NO MORE PAPER WASTE. Imagine all the trees that will be saved if so many people buy this. Libraries are still cool, but libraries also still have lots and lots of paper.
I guess the test is to see if the text really is easy on the eyes. Though I've gotten used to reading text on the Internet...I still have difficulty adjusting my eyes to the sharp text. I wonder if that "electronic ink" really makes you feel like you're reading a book.
I think if this generation is not the be all, end all...successive generations of the product will eventually get it right. This is the way to go...in terms of the ecological friendliness of literature and media in the future.
Unless of course you carry your laptop everywhere and enjoy reading on it...which I do not. Too unwieldy for me.
But I so want one. For reasons that Amazon doesn't even go into...NO MORE PAPER WASTE. Imagine all the trees that will be saved if so many people buy this. Libraries are still cool, but libraries also still have lots and lots of paper.
I still don't know how I feel about that. I mean, is it really using less resources to be constantly using electronics... or making a few books and sharing? I don't know.... does anyone have figures?
i just heard on NPR this weekend about how the electronics used by one person is actually worse, in terms of energy, than driving an SUV.... most all of us use technology daily, but dont drive an SUV, and yet the SUV is what gets demonized. they didnt say anything about concrete numbers though.
plus, i love the feel of a real book...something i can curl up with. ::)
if they are second-hand, its even better, i always think about where the book has been and what type of person read it before me.
maybe im weird. :-\
i just heard on NPR this weekend about how the electronics used by one person is actually worse, in terms of energy, than driving an SUV.... most all of us use technology daily, but dont drive an SUV, and yet the SUV is what gets demonized. they didnt say anything about concrete numbers though.
plus, i love the feel of a real book...something i can curl up with. ::)
if they are second-hand, its even better, i always think about where the book has been and what type of person read it before me.
maybe im weird. :-\
aha! i knew it (not really... but i figured...)!
I cannot believe that I'm going to endorse an Amazon product, but even I have to admit this is SUPER COOL:
http://www.amazon.com/Kindle-Amazons-Wireless-Reading-Device/dp/B000FI73MA
It's called a Kindle, and it's basically a portable, easy-to-carry device that allows you to buy and download books from anywhere (it's got wireless connectivity...but you don't need to be near a wifi hotspot in order to recieve it). You pay a one-time fee (no monthly fees) and you can buy a book at any time, anywhere...and you get it there on the spot. The interface is supposed to be easy on the eyes, and very "print like" using something called "electronic ink." And you can also download newspapers and magazines and blogs. It includes a dictionary. You can bookmark pages...blah, blah, blah. AND it even has access to Wiki! (Of course that's the biggest selling point for me! ;D) Oh, and you can download Word documents as well.
I
by bro-in law has worked w/ technology and student/education marketing...and a few years ago this type of technology was being thought up and they were planning on taking it to students for textbooks. it would be easier for students to carry around thier blackberry-type gadget and less waste, b/c the textbooks are hardly ever used again...either by the same students or by future students b/c the info is obsolete after a year.
i dont know if this is out there or not, but i think it would be a great idea for students.
i just heard on NPR this weekend about how the electronics used by one person is actually worse, in terms of energy, than driving an SUV.... most all of us use technology daily, but dont drive an SUV, and yet the SUV is what gets demonized. they didnt say anything about concrete numbers though.
plus, i love the feel of a real book...something i can curl up with. ::)
if they are second-hand, its even better, i always think about where the book has been and what type of person read it before me.
maybe im weird. :-\
I'm a book person, too! I LOVE the way they feel in my hands and even the way they smell. ::) Especially OLD books.
But I used to be a "cheese" person, and a "diet coke" person, and a "use fifty paper towels a day" person, etc., etc. as well. I always try to be open to change if it means that I will be conserving or doing something good for the planet, animals, or even myself.
The Kindle runs on batteries and takes two hours every so often to charge up...doesn't seem like it's taking up that much energy. And for someone who buys books on a weekly or monthly basis, seems like a great way to conserve on paper. I don't know...I'm bad about figures like this as well.