29 April 2010

Do you REALLY read? ;)

Tracey, one of our lovely Regular Contributors, sent us Publish or Parish by Ken Auletta (author of Googled: The End of the World As We Know It) --the second most popular story on The New Yorker's Website yesterday.  I (the Mom) got in a huff over one of Steven Job's (of Apple fame) quotes from the article: 
Jobs, who two years ago said that the book business was unsalvageable. “It doesn’t matter how good or bad the product is, the fact is that people don’t read anymore,” he said. “Forty per cent of the people in the U.S. read one book or less last year.”  
While I don't pretend to understand what is happening in the publishing industry, I have been following the story.  So tell me Mr. Jobs, what are the other 60% reading... 2 books, 10 books, 30 books, 100 books?  A statistic like that just doesn't prove that "people don't read anymore."  In fact there is good news:  people are returning to their libraries (read the report from the American Libraries Association) and they are returning --for books, that's right to read.   And more is available to everyone, online, through libraries --we can ALL afford to go to the library (read all about it here.)

If you don't feel like reading the entire New Yorker story but want an e-book/iPad/Kindle 101, listen to Tuesday's Fresh Air, Teri Gross interviewed Ken Auletta.  Personally, I feel enlightened.  

Henceforth, I will clutch more closely my precious books, like Auletta admits he does, as well...
"I have a Kindle. I'm waiting to buy the iPad... But I prefer to read a book in hardcover. I can mark it, and it's on my bookshelf and I can refer to more easily."
In support of Libraries, Books for Walls Project encourages you to donate used books, become a friend of your local library and/or hug a librarian (or at least thank them)... simple things that are guaranteed to make the world better.  Find your local library at www.worldcat.org.

P.S.  We are working on getting Steve Job's email address to invite him to BFWP's --to show him that not only do people read, people LOVE to read!

P.P.S  Don't forget to take the Bedtime Story Challenge

8 comments:

  1. Appreciation for the Mom’s passion about her love of and the absolute need for books! History informs us if we care to listen. Here are some quotes through the years:

    A book is like a garden carried in the pocket. ~Chinese Proverb

    No man can be called friendless who has God and the companionship of good books. ~Elizabeth Barrett Browning

    The love of learning, the sequestered nooks,
    And all the sweet serenity of books.
    ~Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

    For whatever reason one reads, one learns and appreciates life more. As joylynbarret said, reading is like breathing. Let’s raise our glasses to our freedom of being able to read; for the kindness of the librarian, and to the very goodness of a good book!

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  2. Peter Berlinghof11:49 AM

    “When I get a little money I buy books; and if any is left I buy food and clothes.”

    -Desiderius Erasmus

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  3. Wow, can't wait to hear more.
    We read hundreds of books over here! There are bookshelves in every room, and books are part of the design scheme.
    Cookbooks in the kitchen, Schoolbooks in the living room, storybooks in the bedroom, library books in the studio and a few mags in the bathroom...
    We like to think of ourselves less as dinosaurs and more like literary dragons!

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  4. ahh, books...

    How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.
    I love thee to the depth and breadth and height
    My soul can reach, when feeling out of sight
    For the ends of Being and ideal Grace.
    I love thee to the level of everyday's
    Most quiet need, by sun and candle-light.
    I love thee freely, as men strive for Right;
    I love thee purely, as they turn from Praise.
    I love thee with a passion put to use
    In my old griefs, and with my childhood's faith.
    I love thee with a love I seemed to lose
    With my lost saints, --- I love thee with the breath,
    Smiles, tears, of all my life! --- and, if God choose,
    I shall but love thee better after death.

    by Elizabeth Barrett Browning of course!

    My, what to say, where to begin... first: how to thank ye originators of this project that so inspires on so many levels. Cheers & celebration to you all!

    My books are like old friends and parting with them is difficult. I have hand-me-down furniture, clothes that have been worn, recycled, torn, mended... but my books, so many of them I revisit every year... there are those for special occasions & re-reads; there are those; the passages of which I reflect on, remember and utilize when the moment is right... there are those that were my grandfather's that I cannot imagine letting go of. I do have an iPod but I always buy CD's. I do use email every single day (almost) but I make a point to send hand written letters and handmade cards regularly. I appreciate the innovation of technology and dabble in the realm of social marketing every weekday... but books, like handshakes and hugs and smooches on each cheek can never, ever, never go away completely. Not ever!!

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  5. Hi I am an emerging novelist. But the question I have is this. I love how your comments stay open all the time, instead of having to click on hidden comments. Could you tell me your secret?

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  6. I also love how I can submit a comment in one click. Currently people have to go thru 3-4 clicks to leave a post on my blog. How did you do that? Thanks.

    dwightokita2011.blogspot.com

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  7. Hi Dwight,

    We wish the comments stayed open on all the posts when on the home page of the website too! But it is only when the link to the individual post is selected do the comments remain open. It is the same on your blog, just checked ;)

    For instance: if you click on this web address, our main page, comments must be clicked to open. www.booksforwallsproject.org

    BUT if you click on the web address specific to a post, for example, http://www.booksforwallsproject.org/2011/04/what-are-you-reading-right-now.html (our Challenge to share what you are reading right now!) the comments will be open and ready for a reader to start typing!

    As how many clicks to comment those changes can be made from your dashboard --Click on settings, then comments, and then edit settings to your liking!

    Hope this helps and good luck with writing!! Stop by and take a challenge sometime soon! (We'll post this on your website as well, just in case you didn't subscribe to the comments!)

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  8. Anonymous5:54 AM

    Hello! I love books too and I'm a librarian (always ready to be hugged), but this time I was trying to find out whose work of art is "woman-hugging-book-page"? Greetings from Finland! -Päivi

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