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Free as in Books?
donkeyDevil writes "Forget free software, contribute to free books! The Chronicle has an interesting story about bookcrossing.com's effort to track feral books through their captors. Read about it, then do it.
(Although the focus of the story is on Bay Arean book releasors, it looks like you'd have a better chance of snagging a free book here.)"
I thought about some how starting sumthing like this while traveling abroad, I would stop at many hostels and read whatever books were laying around or swap one i had for one there. I always wondered how far certain books had gone or where they had come from.
;)
But on another note.. tagging the book's with ID's!! thats horrible! don't the books have a right to not just be a #!!! maybe they wanna have words identify themselves
This seems to just be Where's George for books.
Neat idea though. Now, if they could combine GeoCaching with this I think we'd have something: exercise, travel, and good literature!
In Soviet Russia...michael would be rotting in Siberia!
Think about it. Buy a chart CD and then register it on a site and release it. Persuade people to listen to it and then pass it on (Remember kids, copying is bad).
Everyone can then listen to the latest CDs without having to buy them first.
Then sit back and wait to see how long it will be before the RIAA makes giving away your personal property illegal.
But I have found that pressing the "down" key on my Palm device is easier than flipping a page, and a Palm's lighter and more portable than most books. This makes it great for reading on the subway, at lunch, or in the bathtub (just don't drop the Palm in the bath water).
Fonts can be added to the Palm to make reading easier, "Tall Fonts New Euro" is especially good for reading. The Weasel Reader will allow you to use any font; for Plucker, get Font Hack 123 and just set New Euro as your default font. The biggest problem, with a monochrome Palm, is the lack of contrast between letters and the background, which makes reading for extended periods less inviting.
Despite that, I've read several of Dr. William Calvin's popular science books on the Palm using Plucker (Calvin provides the full text of all his books on his web site, thanks much, Dr. Calvin!), some fiction (Moon and Sixpence; Psmith, Journalist; etc.) and am currently reading the Project Gutenburg Moby Dick. So it's do-able, and it's do-able even for longer works, and with Plucker it's do-able even when you need different fonts and illustrations. And to reiterate, it's more convenient in some ways that a "real" book.
Check out the Book Thing of Baltimore if you're around Charm City some weekend. Russell just gives away books. You show up to the "free book place" and take as many as you want. The minimum is ten (he really won't let you leave) and the maximum is 150,000 books per person per day. Corner of 27th & N Charles St, look for the Free Books signs. Open Saturday & Sunday 9 AM - 6 PM.
This isn't an ad, but honestly a post from someone who knows & loves books -- especially those at the Book Thing. I was turned on by a friend, and I've introduced my friends and so on. Probably 95% of the books I've gotten in the past two years were from the Book Thing.
No really, they're free
It's surprising just how long books can stay in circulation.
20 odd years ago I sold a large part of my Moorcock "Eternal Champion" Series to a local 2nd handbook dealer. Last year my son discovers those I hadn't flogged of and decides he likes them enough to pursue the series.
He sets off for the 2nd hand bookstores in the next suburb and turns up several of the originals I sold - my name in the cover removes all doubt.
Approximately 20 years in circulation, all within a couple of suburbs radius. The original bookshop has long gone - (Cory & Collins in Melb, Aust., they were good for Sci-Fi)
So draw your own conclusions but I still find it amazing, believable only because it was first hand experience.
I've often bought inexpensive books from the remainder bin before or during a trip. I've lost books that I really want to keep, and generally want something entertaining to offset work, so this works well.
On the way home I usually give the volume away or just leave it. It might be interesting to see who finds the books I just leave, and this'd be a great way to keep in contact with folks -- like the lovely young lady that I shared a seat with recently. A great flight, had a wonderful time, and we traded SF volumes as we got off in Philly.
"Glory is fleeting, but obscurity is forever." --Napoleon Bonaparte
While we're waiting for Bookcrossing to share CDs and DVDs, you can already donate and borrow movies and music by the carload from your library. I donate every manga and anime I buy to the library.
This article reminded me of something my buddies and I have been doing for some time.. We will buy a book (normally a "subversive" of thought-provoking one) and paste a piece of paper inside which reads something like "This book has been given to you as a gift, but you can't keep it. When you finish reading it, you must give it away to somebody else so information can keep flowing". Then we give the book to someone, or leave it at a public place. Thus we don't infringe any laws, because giving away your own purchased stuff as a gift is perfectly legal, and many people can benefit from a single book. Besides, we find it quite inspiring.. ;)
one thousand blank journals are traveling from hand to hand through the world http://www.1000journals.com/
i'm addicted now