What you missed while traveling in time on your bicycle…
-We’ve raised over $5 million for global literacy!
-We wanted to know if you keep your resolutions
-Jack wrote about 2008
-Chip talked functional gifts
A wise man once told me “people dramatically overestimate what they can accomplish in a day, and dramatically underestimate what they can accomplish in 5 years.”
When this crazy ride started, in 2003, no one knew what they would be able to accomplish. They often had to scan hundreds of books in given days (there’s the overestimation bit), but no one could have imagined that 5 years down the road Better World Books would have raised $5.2 million for global literacy.
It’s taken hard work, it’s taken commitment, and it’s taken time, the payoff couldn’t be any sweeter. What started as an effort between friends to raise money for a local community center transformed into something bigger than anyone could imagine. Proceeds from every book you buy go towards making that number even bigger and more effective, in turn getting money and books to those who need it.
But this is no time to rest on our laurels. No, this is the moment in which we make our commitment again (think of it like restating your marriage vows). $5 million is great, $5 million exceeded dreams, but until illiteracy is conquered no amount is enough to give up the quest. I know, now you’re thinking “Jack, that’s a pretty tall order. How will you take on such a challenge? Do you really think Better World Books, even with it’s partners can combat illiteracy when it’s so pervasive?”
Do I really think that we can do it?
Give us 5 years, I think you’ll be surprised what you find…
“I want to read more in 2009.”
“I want to lose 10 pounds.”
“I’m going to get up earlier.”
“I’m going to work so much harder this year.”
“This is the year I write my novel.”
Ah, New Years resolutions… we’ve all been down that crooked path to “self-betterment” and the optimism of another fresh start. So, simple question: do you make resolutions and do you keep them?
2008 was a crazy year.
On the plus side, we saw history being made left and right: Barack Obama elected as the first black president of the United States. There’s nothing I can write about this that hasn’t been said already, but wow, what a spectacular event that was. It’s nice to see that your fellow citizens have the ability to surprise.
Before that Michael Phelps (yes he has a book) was on TV 24/7 as he dominated swimming in a way I haven’t seen since Flipper. And on the plus side his voice was MUCH less annoying. But seriously, the Olympics came and captured us like no other event really can, with everything from table tennis, to archery, to US gold in basketball, to the ever spectacular running (Usain Bolt anyone? Have you Read more…
What you missed while getting rich from your hors d’oeuvres…
-We had a proclamation, kinda about boxing
-We smelled Chip’s fear
-We suggested that you celebrate. A modest proposal really.
-We wished you Happy Holidays
This year my mother gave me a keychain for Christmas. The keychain is designed to beep when it detects a whistle. My mom knows that I spend a lot of time searching for my keys. The main reason for this reoccurring dilemma is the fact that I own a pair of pants with extremely shallow pockets. Whoever designed these pants must have ever sat down. They are great pants… as long as you never sit down while you have you keys in your pocket.
Recently, I have discovered I spend a lot of time whistling. So I feel like I am in whistle rehab. Every time I whistle I am punished with annoying beeping sounds coming from my pocket.
[Perhaps this concept could be used to help people quit smoking. Think: a smoke detecting keychain. Every time someone smokes they will be forced to listen to the annoying beeps coming from their smoke detecting keychain.]
I have not lost my keys since I have owned the key finding key chain but I have become more aware of my keys presence then ever before. The keychain works. I am down to two whistles Read more…
Happy Boxing Day (British nations, such as our Canadian neighbors) and St Stephen’s Day (to my beloved Ireland, my former roommates’ Czech Republic, Italy, Austria and Hong Kong) and happy Proclamation Day in Australia and happy first day of Kwanzaa!
As your celebrations continue, and for many of us our four-day weekend rolls on, we hope you have a great time with your family and friends and stay warm (or cool as the case my be, for all you lucky southern hemisphere/equator dwelling folks).
One question for all you folks out there: did you give or receive a book for Christmas/Hanukkah/whatever you’re celebrating?
I am an animal lover.
I especially love animals that do not live with me. I have 6 roommates: 3 human roommates, 2 feline roommates, and a 100 pound pit bull roommate. Each roommate comes with their own unique set of rules.
-Don’t leave towels on the bathroom floor or the cats will pee on them.
-Don’t talk during VH1 reality television programming or the female humans will be upset.
-Don’t talk during the football games or the male roommate will be upset.
-Don’t show fear or the pit bull may attack you.
What a bummer. I have lost my basic freedom to fear. Yesterday, I was watching The Shining and I had to turn it off out of fear that I would be attacked by my canine roommate. He can sense fear and apparently he doesn’t like it. Currently, Duke (the pit bull) is home for the holidays. In celebration, I watched a bunch of scary movies and felt comfortably terrified. Living with an animal that has the ability to kill me makes life more exciting. Nothing brings more joy to my heart then seeing Duke’s tail wag. With each wag I become more certain that I will live to see another day.
I think the rush of survival is addictive. I am considering buying a motorcycle. I imagine it would be a rush. A drive to work would turn into a death defying feat. Every time I climbed off the bike I would celebrate life “I did it, I survived!”
Have you checked out the Betterworld.com $5 Challenge? Going on over at our facebook fan page (search for Better World Books) and our twitter account (@BWBooks) you can win a $5 Gift Certificate everyday to betterworld.com! Just in case your family forgot to get you the books you wanted, get some money towards what you really were looking for!
“Friends, Readers, Customers, lend me your eyes”
It’s not often you take the time to tell someone how important they are to you. So first things first, we’d like to say thanks for all you do. Literacy has been recognized as a human right for over 50 years, yet 1 in 7 people is still illiterate. Illiteracy is at the heart of poverty, hunger and war from the Congo to California. Six years ago, we were just two recent college grads running a single book drive, and we didn’t think we’d have much impact past the community center in South Bend. Since then you’ve taken us from Sudan to Brazil to Mexico, showing us the incredible power that social entrepreneurs can have in building a more literate world.
Since that first book drive, you have raised over $4.6 million for literacy by making the conscious choice to buy from Better World Books. Each book bought has been another book in the hands of someone like William from Malawi, (see attached picture) who built a windmill in his village solely based on a picture in a donated engineering book! Each book bought is another day that a girl in Vietnam goes to school (see other picture). Who knows what will she be capable of? There are too many more stories to tell and people to thank.
They say the best part of the holidays is giving, so this is the part where we ask you for a favor. It’s now, in these crazy economic times, we need your support more than ever. Anyone can help when times are good, but it’s these times of adversity when those who are without need us most. It’s hard to ask any more of you, so we’ll make this part easy with three things you can do to make an even bigger impact for those in need:
1. Watch the new video from Invisible Children to see why it matters where you buy your books.
2. Forward this e-mail to at least 10 friends & family. You’re our marketing department. Help us spread the word.
3. Buy BetterWorld.com gift certificates as gifts for your loved ones this Christmas. They get to choose from millions of new and used books while funding literacy. It’s the simplest way you can support our movement.
Without you, none of this would be possible. We wish you well these holidays and just wanted you to know that we’re thinking of you.
Thanks for all you do,
Xavier & Kreece, Founders of Better World Books
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