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Funding Literacy ... By the Book!

Welcome to the Better World Books Blog! We created this forum to connect you with other members of the BWB community and to help you stay informed. We think this will be a powerful tool for all of us as we continue to grow and expand our support for world wide literacy.

» Thursday, July 31, 2008
Poet Laureate Kay Ryan (part 1)
Posted by Jack Hanlon, CBO & Evangelist



Years ago, stuck in the rigors, both academic and otherwise, of a northeast liberal arts school, I was smack in the middle of much of the delicate world of the modern American poet, particularly that of Poet Laureate (out of the consultants and actual Laureates, 26 of the 39 are from the Northeast, from NYC north to Maine).  Former Laureate, Billy Collins, enticed me originally (via my ex-roommate Matt) both of whom are fellow B.A. from my Alma Mater, Holy Cross.  His quote to me (via AIM of all things) was: "...life is a loaded gun / that looks right at you with a yellow eye" aptly cribbed from Emily Dickinson.

After dabbling in Collins I was drawn naturally to his predecessor, Robert Pinsky, who was (and remains) teaching at my college sweetheart's Boston University.  At the time he was engaged in a fantastic process that I learned about (via Slate), the Favorite Poem Project.  Although his own writings, take At Pleasure Bay for example, were decidedly too "Etudes in Modernism" for me-- the aforementioned poem reeking of the lyrical quality of Eliot but relatively "sexless" in the decidedly non-literal sense (think Pinsky is to Mozartian flute as Eliot is to on the street nighttime tenor sax)--his project had something real and meaningful to it.  It involved famous authors, commonfolk and Pinsky himself reading the favorite poems selected from some 18,000 Americans.

In their ways, Pinsky and Collins each brought something decidedly American to the role of Poet Laureate, Pinsky in the ultra-literal: taking his post and creating a forum promoting both poetry and patriotism in its way, and Collins in the less expansive but more interwoven: investing (and inventing) himself in the tradition of American Poets with a sense of oral tradition-like storytelling.

Since then the (rather silent) tenures of Glück, Kooser, Hall and Simic have gone untested by my eyes and work-feebled brain.  It's time I reentered the field; let's talk about latest Laureate, Kay Ryan.

[to be continued tomorrow]
Book Reviews
Posted by Jack on 7/31/2008 UTC
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» Wednesday, July 30, 2008
Poll Wednesdays!
Posted by Jack Hanlon, CBO & Evangelist

Poll Wednesday
Posted by Jack on 7/30/2008 UTC
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A Pair of Ragged C(itations)
Posted by Jack Hanlon, CBO & Evangelist

We're not going to argue the artistic merits, or lack thereof, of graffiti here, but I think we can all agree that if one is going to advertise their "intelligence" they should in the least make sure to do the research.

In Pittsburgh, a graffiti artist decided to tag the library with the quote "I wish I were a pair of ragged claws scuttling across the floors of silent seas."  Now the careful reader recognizes the lack of a line break after "claws" as the author would have intended.  But the best part is really that the graffiti artist attributed the quote to a "J. Alfred Prufrock." 

The line, cribbed from "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock" is arguably the most famous work (although some would say The Wasteland) of expatriate Modernist master T.S. Eliot.  The question here really, is how do you have the level of education to quote the line exactly, but so grossly botch the attribution thereof?  God forbid someone mismatch his own work with that of Banksy (although Banksy would never be so sloppy).

Oh, and who tags a library, I mean really.

Sidebar (from yours truly, a total Eliot nerd):

For your enjoyment, the full poem is here, but I personally can't stand reading poetry online, in which case you want to pick up any of the following:

-A great copy of The Wasteland (with annotations from Ezra Pound, who was his introduction into London society when the premiere critic of the time read "Prufrock" and said to Pound something to the tune of "Your friend doesn't need a publisher, he needs an asylum."  This is a great text with which you can work through the poem).

-The Complete Poems and Plays (this one is just great, try "Four Quartets")

-Old Possums Book of Practical Cats (this is not good, just don't go here)

-The Sacred Wood or Christianity and Culture (if you like G.K. Chesterton you're going to love these, when Eliot delved into Christianty he did so with restraint and a distinctly intelligensia/modernist tinge, very interesting!)

Book Reviews
Posted by Jack on 7/30/2008 UTC
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» Tuesday, July 29, 2008
Show Us Some Love, Facebook Edition (2)
Posted by Jack Hanlon, CBO & Evangelist

We've already done a "Show Us Some Love" segment, but Facebook just keeps coming up with more good ones.

Here are some highlights from the (latest) posts on our Facebook Fan Page: (currently with 1300 fans!!!)

Rose from Singapore: Bye Amazon :D

Ambassador Tom Amolo: I am an eclectic reader, this is home.

Reika from Australia: Great job! I found old books from my teenage years which I missed. Being so far away from the US, I couldn't get my hands on all the books I want at such a cheap shipping rate. You've really solved my problem on that! Thanks!

James from (my beloved) Ireland: Great job guys I just picked up two books for cheaper from you than from a bookshop in Ireland! Keep it up!

Randy and Sharon: Amazing! Im a phenomenal book addict and just discovered the joys of shopping online! lol... Looks to me that BetterWorld Books will be my new fave site!!!

And Chris from Dupage captures it neatly: I've contributed to the past to non-profit organizations, but nowadays I just can't afford it. I feel like I am indirectly actually doing something for the common good just buying books from BetterWorld. And free shipping!! Awesome!
Show Us Some Love
Posted by Jack on 7/29/2008 UTC
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Better World Books and Peoria = Library in Sudan
Posted by Jack Hanlon, CBO & Evangelist



Taken from PJStar.com, apparently we're doing something good again. You know that we're really doing the right thing when the so-called evangelist can't even keep up with all of them!

From PJStar.com -
Many college students have a hard time committing to weekend plans, let alone a pledge to rebuild a community in Sudan.

But recent Illinois Central College graduate Matt Hoffman vowed to make a difference - one book at a time - in the lives of the "Lost Boys."

Over the past two decades, more than 27,000 boys have escaped villages in southern Sudan during a civil war that has claimed millions of lives. While their parents and sisters were being slaughtered, the young boys banded together for the 1,000-mile walk to refuge.

Though the violence mostly has subsided, the survivors have had little incentive to return to their war-torn villages. But Hoffman and other members of ICC's honor society, Phi Theta Kappa, want to give the Lost Boys a reason to go home.

The fraternity recently partnered with Chicago media company Endless Eye Productions and national bookseller Better World Books to conceive a plan to build and stock a library in Sudan's Punyijiar County. Over the past few months, the effort, called "Walk Sudan," has collected more than 8,000 books, which volunteers loaded onto a truck Thursday to be shipped to Africa.

"We wanted to start with a library because education is a way to empower them," said Hoffman, adding that most of the Lost Boys have seen no more than three books in their lives. "We want to give them something to come back to."

More after the jump!
Read more ...
Campus Division | Impact
Posted by Jack on 7/29/2008 UTC
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» Monday, July 28, 2008
Spell Check Isn't Everything...
Posted by Jack Hanlon, CBO & Evangelist

Some ironclad logic for your Monday:



(Question: Which part is more embarrassing: the views represented, the fantastic irony, or the circled dots above the "i's" that suggest this was actually done by his kid?  ¿Donde esta la educación, amigo?  I sort of love the superfluous hyphen though...)
Posted by Jack on 7/28/2008 UTC
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Field Trip to the Warehouse
Posted by Angela Williams, Account Representative



While speaking with clients I am constantly blindsided with questions such as “what goes on at the warehouse, about how many books are stored in your warehouse”, etc... the list goes on! Before my trip to Mishawaka, I would inform clients that (unfortunately) I had never visited the Better World Books warehouse. So the actual process of picking, shipping, and receiving books was a total blur.  However, since I have actually worked hands-on at the warehouse, I am very comfortable with answering questions about how the work is carried out.  Everyone at the warehouse was friendly and very patient with us newbies (a.k.a the Atlanta office). Also, the Trade Show was awesome!  Everyone received the opportunity to share great facts and ideas about each department. After learning this information, I am able to implement this knowledge into my daily Account Rep. responsibilities. When you know better, you do better!

Let me not forget to mention my community service project! I was able to work with the Literacy Council of St. Joseph County shelving books and toys for kids all around.  This organization is dedicated to breaking the cycle of illiteracy amongst adults and children.  Both this organization and Better World Books hold a lot in common, which is why it was so important to volunteer for this organization and demonstrate my appreciation for their hard work by devoting my time to assist them in any way possible.

Since the field trip to the warehouse, I feel more well-rounded as an employee of Better World Books and as an individual. I can’t wait to see you guys again!!  Woohoo!

Dispatches from the Green House | Library
Posted by Jack on 7/28/2008 UTC
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» Friday, July 25, 2008
Randy Pausch - Lux Perpetuam
Posted by Jack Hanlon, CBO & Evangelist



Randy Pausch, notable computer science teacher at Carnegie Mellon died today, finally succumbing to the pancreatic cancer that he knew would take his life eventually.  Pausch, perhaps more known for his inspirational Last Lecture, given on September 18th 2007 (and subsequently published), was 47 years old.

From the AP --

The talk was videotaped and subsequently criss-crossed the world via the Internet. More than 3.2 million people had viewed the "Last Lecture" on YouTube alone as of Friday, and according to Carnegie Mellon, tens of millions have watched Pausch's inspirational talk.

"If I don't seem as depressed or morose as I should be, sorry to disappoint you," said Pausch, the married father of three young children, at the start of the lecture.

He focused in his talk not on his illness but on "my childhood dreams; how I believe I have been able to enable the dreams of others; and, to some degree, lessons learned... how you can use the stuff you hear today to pursue your dreams or enable the dreams of others."

Pausch outlined his own childhood dreams, which included writing a World Book Encyclopedia entry, experiencing zero gravity and creating Disney attractions -- all dreams that were fulfilled...

"If you lead your life the right way, the karma will take care of itself," Pausch said. "The dreams will come to you."

The talk spawned a book, called "The Last Lecture," which was translated into 30 languages and topped best-seller lists around the world.

The book was an attempt by Pausch "to put myself in a bottle that will one day wash up on the beach for my children," he was quoted as saying by Carnegie Mellon.

Here we have the hardcover (and large print) + audio CD.

Book Reviews
Posted by Jack on 7/25/2008 UTC
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» Thursday, July 24, 2008
The Destruction of the SF Office
Posted by Jack Hanlon, CBO & Evangelist

We're hiring at the San Francisco office!  With the amazing benefits of working for us and the obvious benefits of how awesome this office is, you'll have to swallow a difficult fact: you're going to get hurt.

I know, it seems ridiculous, who would take a job knowing they would get hurt, and why am I so sure?

Well, you may recall that I'm in a sling due to a torn rotator cuff (hit by motorcycle while riding my bike with coworkers):

IMG_0722.jpg

Geoff was also recently run over by a car on his bike (clearly he's a little more casual about his foot/ankle injury):



Justin just had surgery having hurt his knee saving orphans from a burning building (or at least that's what I'm telling the ladies...):




Xavier is promoting the destruction of the office by being himself:



(I'm the one who boxed his stuff, and yes that is a Santa Claus costume on top)

Meanwhile, Elina is assuredly plotting our destruction, having put up with our boyish antics for too long.

Come aboard, it's an exciting company with nothing but growth ahead of us.  We love to read and hang out and nothing but opportunity awaits, just make sure you take the big insurance plan...
In Our Communities
Posted by Jack on 7/24/2008 UTC
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» Wednesday, July 23, 2008
Poll Wednesdays!
Posted by Jack Hanlon, CBO & Evangelist

Poll Wednesday
Posted by Jack on 7/23/2008 UTC
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» Tuesday, July 22, 2008
Democracy and November
Posted by Jack Hanlon, CBO & Evangelist



G. Norman Collie said, "In free countries, every man is entitled to express his opinions and every other man is entitled not to listen."  Well here in the US of A, we're facing a huge election--involving the first fresh face in our leadership in eight years.  The success of any election in democracy relies on those same platonic ideals as free capitalism: perfect information for all involved.  Well, I don't have that information for you reader, and here's a hint, neither Fox News nor Drudge Report nor Keith Olbermann nor Pat Robertson nor the Daily Show has it for you.  You're going to have to go out there and cull it for yourself from all the myriad places.  There's going to be a lot of opinions, reader, and you're entitled to listen, or not.

On the plus side, we've never had so many different sources of information, but at the same time we've never had so many sources of misinformation at the same time.  One thing you can be sure of however, is that your own thoughts and arguments are infinitely bolstered by knowing those of the other side (little debate tactic for you, yeah, I was in forensics in high school).  In honor of that, it doesn't matter who you think is the best candidate, get out there and educate yourself.  I promise you that there are facts about each presidential candidate that you don't know and may change your view.

Don't let this come down to "I'm a _______ so I'm going to vote for their candidate."  McCain is one of the most liberal Republicans in many years, tempering conservative ideals with an understanding of the problems of the people and Obama is one of most likely to spur on positive change in the political process and to be willing to do whatever is necessary for those in need.

Educate yourself, reader.  Besides, everyone knows that "reading is sexy" and as Oscar Wilde would quip "You can never be overdressed or overeducated."

To get you started, the latest texts from the preeminent candidates:

Book Reviews
Posted by Jack on 7/22/2008 UTC
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Find Me at the Beach
Posted by Geoff Schwarten, Brand Manager

I just found out about this series of waterproof summer readings that debuted in 2005 (yep that’s right – waterproof books!). With Beach and Poolside you could get some goggles and read the pages of great writers like Garcia Marques, Hemingway, and Updike underwater. Try doing that with your Kindle...

P.S. – for the eco-inclined, Cradle to Cradle is also waterproof.

Book Reviews
Posted by Jack on 7/22/2008 UTC
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» Friday, July 18, 2008
Read This
Posted by Geoff Schwarten, Brand Manager

Read this:



Not that:


For the hundreds of our BetterWorld.com customers who are still buying James Frey’s book, A Million Little Pieces, and the hundreds more thinking about it, I have one suggestion: you deserve better.

If you’re looking for a memoir about addiction, scrap Frey’s book and check out An Officer and a Junkie.  Here you’ll find a well-documented story about a humble guy named Mike Winder going through the horrible realities of addiction.

The story begins as his parents drop him off for his first day at West Point Military Academy and chronicles how he became addicted to various drugs. His drug use at first is reminiscent of a Hunter S. Thompson dope journey but changes course as the years of drugs take serious toll on his body, his mind and his relationships with family.

Mike and I grew up together and he was one of my first friends when my family moved to a new town.  We often played hoops together, caused trouble here and there, but also stayed up late occasionally doing homework or studying for physics tests.

The fact is that An Officer and a Junkie simply has more value for people and society. Chances are that, whether you are aware of it or not, you know someone that is an alcoholic or a drug user and functions in his or her everyday life. Some people can even achieve at the highest of levels while simultaneously stuck in the snare of addiction (some examples – Ernest Hemingway, Jack London, and Mickey Mantle).

I saw my friend Mike during most of the stages of his book, from his acceptance to the Academy, his drug abuse, graduation, addiction and recovery. He lives with the physical and mental repercussions of his drug use everyday – his doctors assure him a lifelong sentence of antipsychotic and mood-stabilizing medication – but he is committed to sobriety and living a healthy life.

We all know about the James Frey Oprah debacle. If you think it’s important for a memoir to be true and want to read a good book, check out An Officer and a Junkie.

Which is more important in this case: the story or the truth?
Book Reviews
Posted by Jack on 7/18/2008 UTC
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» Thursday, July 17, 2008
FYS (For Your Shrine)
Posted by Jack Hanlon, CBO & Evangelist

For your Better World Books shrine (or for your dartboard if you're the person that keeps vandalizing our Wikipedia page (I promise we weren't named after a planet in a video game and we're not an off-shore publicly traded company... sigh)), here is the latest photo of all the Better World Books employees at the Green House (save my boss, who was gallivanting about Florida or some such thing (just kidding, please don't make me clean the office again)):

Dispatches from the Green House
Posted by Jack on 7/17/2008 UTC
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» Wednesday, July 16, 2008
You Are What You Eat
Posted by Jack Hanlon, CBO & Evangelist

Whilst perusing one of my fave websites: PostSecret (you send in the anonymous secret bearing postcard, they post in online.  They also have raised $500,000 for Suicide Prevention Hotline, kudos!).  In any event, the following distressing bit was posted today:



Ack, dear reader!  Don't go any further!  I realize that a book may be awesome, and it may even look delicious, but going so far as to digest it's blank final page is a bridge too far!

I know "you are what you eat" but perhaps content yourself with "you are what you read" and have a graham cracker or nilla wafer (mabye a plain rice cake?) for that papery taste.

(find the PostSecret Collection books here)

In addition, also please don't use our bookmarks to start the teething process, I promise that the previous prescribed Nilla Wafers or rice cakes will work way better in taste and execution.

Book Reviews
Posted by Jack on 7/16/2008 UTC
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» Tuesday, July 15, 2008
Extremely Loud, but Incredibly Wrong?
Posted by Jack Hanlon, CBO and Evangelist

***The following represents the views of the author, and not those of Better World Books in any way shape or form, (but sometimes a guy who writes about books has to speak his mind about them)***

It is not my nature, or perhaps the nature of any blog that attempts to be linked to a company and based on fact, to approach subjects that are more dire than say, an indictment of modern lit or the praising of a book about a political topic.  However, sometimes, amidst all the noise, one hopes for a clear sound to ring out, to wade through the incessant chatter of people bent on getting their opinion heard and media engines looking to hock the latest wares.  Sometimes a person needs to stand up and at least say "Now hold on a second..."

I've heard plenty about Jonathan Safran Foer's latest book: Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close and I'm saying "Hold on here...".  On one hand, he is an author praised for his very well respected Everything is Illuminated (even thrown the fincky label of "genius" by the New York Times) and perhaps there is something to be said, some type of Pirsigian "Quality" to his latest text that creates such a stir amongst the reading public about it.

However, by nature I hate the book.  I am inherently biased against any book that looks to use 9/11 as a vehicle for its story, and even moreso when it comes from the hand of a writer who wasn't there.  Those of us who were closer--those of us who were in New York--realize that the disaster was global, but the suffering is still uniquely ours in its way and affects many everyday on a conscious or subconscious level.  So a book that wants to take me through a story about it is not exactly inspiring me the way, say, something about the Black Sox would or even something grittier about the Troubles in Ireland.

I'm sure you can tell, but I have a distinct distaste in my mouth about it, one akin to getting so hungry that you can taste your stomach.  I realize that the story undoubtedly looks to add an element to people's understanding rather than capitalize on the infamy and confusion surrounding the event, but this seems to fail on the "too soon" meter, falling flatly while approaching some type of addendum to Godwin's Law (which Foer already breached having discussed the Holocaust and Antisemitism in Everything is Illuminated).  It's hard, however, to swallow a sense of trying to convey emotion over some capitalizing kitsch when Foer has sold the rights to this latest book such that it be made into a film (on that note, Everything is Illuminated will actually be out soon, I suppose he's two for two).

Perhaps I'm making an error; only I will lose if I restrict my reading list, especially should I cut out books that have been lauded to whatever degree and credence that we are willing to offer the Public, but I will no sooner tell my Japanese roommate about a love story across internment camps in the West than I will have someone traipse through the memories of such a day, be it with stream of consciousness or with a 14 page flipbook or some "Pearl Harbor"-esque abomination filling theatres.

Please, no political commentary below, but feel free to tell me why I'm wrong about this book.  It's time we stopped talking about if Oprah likes it and started talking about if it's a worthwhile read and why.

Book Reviews
Posted by Jack on 7/15/2008 UTC
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» Monday, July 14, 2008
Community Outreach Day!
Posted by Maura Varian, (Queen of) Acquisition Support

On June 19th, BWB wrapped up their week of annual meetings. This is a time where all employees meet at the warehouse and review the past fiscal year and make plans and goals for the following year. It is a long week of collaboration, discussion, learning, and sharing.

We wanted to do something that would sum up all the wonderful things we discussed throughout the week and emphasize our spirit of team work, and community involvement. In an effort to follow our hearts and do something that makes a difference but at the same time challenge us and be enjoyed, we decided to spend the 19th as the first ever company wide BWB Community Outreach Day!

(Casey, head of Pricing, taking "Outreach" a little too seriously)

Locally, our offices in NY, GA, and CA have done things in their respective communities. We here at the warehouse have also become more involved with the community through green festivals and literacy groups, but we had never done something to this large a scale. We opened up the activities to anyone that wanted to join. With over 100 employees and 5 different destinations, it was a logistical challenge to say the least. However, we had the most perfect weather, local school buses to transport us around, and wonderful organizations to join. It is amazing what you can get done, when everyone pitches in!

Over 100 employees from the warehouse, Georgia, California, New York, Texas, North Carolina, Minnesota, Illinois, and Pennsylvania joined in the fun (full story and photos after the jump)...
Read more ...
Campus Division | Dispatches from the Green House | In Our Communities | Library
Posted by Jack on 7/14/2008 UTC
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How Reading Inspires
By Willie A. Eaton, Account Representative



In reading Black Voices for the second time, I am even more inspired to walk into my destiny versus the first time I read it as an undergraduate student. This book is a compilation of great short stories, and poems of some of the worlds most famous African American writers and poets including Zora Neale Hurston, Langston Hughes, Countee Cullen, Lorraine Hansberry, Gwendolyn Brooks, James Baldwin, and Richard Wright just to name a few. The substance of this book really deals with some of the most complicated, and also the simplest issues that African Americans have faced since the beginning of American history. Even if you only gain some of the knowledge that this book offers, it's an excellent read for all book lovers, as well as any aspiring writers.


Library
Posted by Jack on 7/14/2008 UTC
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» Friday, July 11, 2008
On the Shelf
Posted by Jack Hanlon, CBO & Evangelist

You probably know Larry McMurtry from his writing.  From having penned the Lonesome Dove series and Terms of Endearment to his hand in writing the screenplay for Brokeback Mountain, he is both prolific and consummate professional.  His latest release, Books: A Memoir sounds right in line with the arc of his writing... but doesn't touch it for a moment.

Books: A Memoir is the story of how McMurtry has gathered 7 buildings worth of books "creating what he calls a book town in Archer City, Tex., modeled on the Welsh village of Hay-on-Wye."  The story, a paltry 272 pages in comparison to his heavier tomes, blows through 109 chapters, frequently asking questions without offering much by way of answers.

I haven't gotten through the full text yet, but as someone fascinated by books and the people who hoard/love/loathe them, it's a must read.  In its way, the story also offers a side of McMurtry that his writing would never tell you, of journeys and a subtle humanism that his distinctly western writings, in many facets, belie. 

If nothing else read it to see what kind of rope that a master storyteller, hand steadied in epic tales, can make from a hundred tiny strings.

Book Reviews
Posted by Jack on 7/11/2008 UTC
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» Thursday, July 10, 2008
On Loneliness
Posted by Jack Hanlon, CBO & Evangelist

As you may recall, I moved out here from working solo on acquisitions to now being in an office with the other SF lads.  Little did I know that they would all go on vacation simultaneously and leave me here alone.  Even Elina has left back to her home country of Ukraine.  Being that I'm feeling a bit Wall-E (the movie was awesome, seriously), left here alone amidst the wreckage of Xavier's desk and Geoff's "filing system" as I scoop up assorted info and spit it out in a neat form for you, I'm going to fight this by going up to the couch and reading my lil brown eyes out.

I've just picked up Tom Robbins' fantastic Jitterbug Perfume and the following is the "Prologue" of sorts, which he calls aptly "Today's Special."  If this doesn't get you to read the book I simply don't know what will...

The beet is the most intense of vegetables. The radish, admittedly, is more feverish, but the fire of the radish is a cold fire, the fire of discontent not of passion. Tomatoes are lusty enough, yet there runs through tomatoes an undercurrent of frivolity. Beets are deadly serious.

    Slavic people get their physical characteristics from potatoes, their smoldering inquietude from radishes, their seriousness from beets.

    The beet is the melancholy vegetable, the one most willing to suffer. You can't squeeze blood out of a turnip...

    The beet is the murderer returned to the scene of the crime. The beet is what happens when the cherry finishes with the carrot. The beet is the ancient ancestor of the autumn moon, bearded, buried, all but fossilized; the dark green sails of the grounded moon-boat stitched with veins of primordial plasma; the kite string that once connected the moon to the Earth now a muddy whisker drilling desperately for rubies.

    The beet was Rasputin's favorite vegetable. You could see it in his eyes.

    In Europe there is grown widely a large beet they call the mangel-wurzel. Perhaps it is mangel-wurzel that we see in Rasputin. Certainly there is mangel-wurzel in the music of Wagner, although it is another composer whose name begins, B-e-e-t—.

    Of course, there are white beets, beets that ooze sugar water instead of blood, but it is the red beet with which we are concerned; the variety that blushes and swells like a hemorrhoid, a hemorrhoid for which there is no cure. (Actually, there is one remedy: commission a potter to make you a ceramic [expletive]—and when you aren't sitting on it, you can use it as a bowl for borscht.)

    An old Ukrainian proverb warns, "A tale that begins with a beet will end with the devil."
   
That is a risk we have to take.

Book Reviews
Posted by Jack on 7/10/2008 UTC
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» Wednesday, July 09, 2008
"We Made it! Barely..."
Posted by Jack Hanlon, CBO & Evangelist

We're live at Rothbury Music Festival! Our hi-jinx will be (roughly) recounted and hopefully you'll get a (clean) image of what's going on here.

The trip started with insane rain and wind, why wouldn't it end in a lightning storm?  As we sat, white-knuckled grabbing sleeping bags (or in Aaron's case the "borrowed" couch cushions...) as the deafening thunder and blinding lightning came down quite literally right around us, it wasn't easy to sleep, but it was easy to think "Good Lord I hope that we live through this.  Do I seriously want to be remembered dying on a work trip at a music festival in northern Michigan?" (quick answer: no).

However, we would make it through the ridiculousness.  There were no locusts, frogs or taking of first borns, just some crazy lightning and some people who thought that fireworks during a massive storm would be a good idea.  We cleaned up the booth and got on the road, facing the fact that every single road in Michiana and Illinois is currently under massive construction and that sometimes NPR reaches for content.  The plane was delayed, luckily for Geoff and me, so we made it and at 1 am that night, 14 hours after the beginning of the day's journey, we were home.  I've got some conclusions and updates for you:

-The shower is a great modern invention.
-The crowd that appreciates this kind of festival is quick to embrace our mission (but quicker to embrace the free books we had(!))
-Hunter Lovins is an awesome woman!
-Michael Franti is legit
-Gary Braasch takes a mean photograph
-I should never be allowed to not shave

Posted by Jack on 7/9/2008 UTC
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» Saturday, July 05, 2008
Making a Splash at ALA in Anaheim

Posted by Rudy Reyes Jr., Director

For those who were there, you caught the Better World Books team making quite the splash at the recent annual meeting of our nation's librarians and library professionals. For those who weren't, you missed a rare opportunity to see us at our best, relaxed and basking in the glow of the best jobs in the world: taking books which were either donated to or discarded by libraries and creating opportunities for literacy and success on nearly every continent of our small globe.

(L-R, standing: Phil Sorberg, Client Support; Christopher Johnson, Director, Community Outreach; Rudy Reyes Jr., Director, Sales and ARC; Dustin Holland, Vice President; Walter Sears, Director, Library Services; kneeling: Christian Blue and Jacob Fu, Account Representatives.)

We enjoyed seeing so many of our old friends and meeting some new ones. We also bumped into a number of our closest collaborators including Emily Kirkpatrick, Sr. Vice President at the National Center for Family Literacy. She insisted on getting a photo that she could put on her desk -- we take no responsibility for the office rivalry that is sure to ensue.

Thanks to all who stopped by to say hello. We look forward to seeing you next year (theme to-be-determined; suggestions welcomed)!

Library | Our Partners
Posted by Rudy on 7/5/2008 UTC
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» Friday, July 04, 2008
"We're Not Used to Author Huggings..."
Posted by Jack Hanlon, CBO & Evangelist

We're live at Rothbury Music Festival! Our hi-jinx will be (roughly) recounted and hopefully you'll get a (clean) image of what's going on here.

Author signings. First things first Hunter Lovins, author of landmark Energy Unbound and most recently Natural Capitalism (we have signed copies and gave us a Top 10 Reading List!) came by followed by Winona LaDuke, author of Recovering the Sacred. But the storm was building, and it wasn't for our first two ultra-respected authors...

A large black man, lanky but confident moving slides into the bookstore, not around the back to the signing table but straight to the front and asks for a Sharpie. A line of 75 has formed and more are being snagged by the antics of one Aaron King. He is Michael Franti He has put out DVDs, he has sold myriad CDs, and now he's drawing hundreds of people for not just a book signing, but individual conversations, photos, and for every single person, a hug. His manager was concerned about how the line was moving and I responded, "Sorry, D'Arcy, admittedly we're not quite used to author huggings."

Used to it or not, it would go on for an hour followed by the man himself laying some knowledge on us to the tune of a top 5 book list and signing Ryan's (real) guitar (I say real because earlier I won a Guitar Hero contest on stage, because I am that big of a nerd. I also just got in a discussion with an author about the merits of double dash vs. semicolon). Not too bad, I'd say.

The night will be punctuated with a movie in the tent, re-sorting the books (gotta make it look like we have more after we've pushed so much stock!), and rocking out to Diplo to the wee hours. Then tomorrow, more signings and more sales!
Posted by Jack on 7/4/2008 UTC
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"We Made It... but We Might Not Make it Home"
Posted by Jack Hanlon, CBO & Evangelist

We're live at Rothbury Music Festival! Our hi-jinx will be (roughly) recounted and hopefully you'll get a (clean) image of what's going on here.

"PARK THE NOSE HERE! WE HAVE 50 FEET! 50! 50 FEET! THE NOSE GOES HERE!"
*We're awoken at 6 AM to the sounds of the "yeah dude!" type guys next to us. They've pulled in at 5 and are trying to navigate a gigantic RV*
"YOU CAN'T MOVE IT WITH THE THINGS ON! THE THINGS, BRO! TH... **** IT NOW, THE THING'S BROKEN!"
*One of us leaves their tent*: Guys, it's 6 AM, come on with the yelling.
(White hat brigade): WHATEVER DUDE, WE'RE GONNA BE PARTYING ALL WEEK! COLLEGE, WOOOO! [end not actually said, just implied]

So 6 AM it is. We stagger over to our area and setup our supersweet bookselling area. We're 8 strong (Me, Geoff, David, Kelly, Jaime, Aaron, Jesse, Ryan) and we're ready to move some books and engage in the nebulously metric'd activity that is "brand awareness and customer outreach." We're not exactly sure how that's going to work, but dammit we've got a lot of shirts, buttons and stickers and a case of Diet Coke and I'm pretty sure the mixture is going to work.

On the other hand, our nutritional sustenance was hand selected by an architect from Chile and the head of Customer Service and they've decided that we need (actual numbers, keep in mind this is 8 people for 5 days):
48 Hamburger/Hot Dog Buns
16 Cans of Baked Beans (no can opener)
60 Red Bulls
Two boxes of Cheerios
60 packets of Instant Oatmeal

Seriously.

The first day we come out strong, books are being sold, shirts are being worn, hula hoops are being... hula hooped(?)... and necks are being sunburned while hippies and college lads and lasses of all shapes, sizes and ages mill around the store taking our awesome selection of books (thanks Shannon and Kelly!) while we run around handing out discounts and put in 9 hours of in yo face marketing. The workday ends at 8 PM, Disco Biscuits begin and the rest is left for another blog but I'll tell you that many more stickers were given out and many a friendly discussion continued.
Posted by Jack on 7/4/2008 UTC
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"We're Not Gonna Make It..."
Posted by Jack Hanlon, CBO & Evangelist

We're live at Our hi-jinx will be (roughly) recounted and hopefully you'll get a (clean) image of what's going on here.

We begin our journey by driving due north from the Green House in South Bend. We're driving for a ways when Jesse and Aaron decide it's time for some food, so we GPS the nearest place and in our attempt to wade through the McDonalds and Burger Kings of the world we see "Sidetrack Bar and Grill." Now you would think that the "Sidetrack" might not be the most convenient place to go eat, per se, but at this point collective hunger reigns and after the previous night of Taco Bell owning my stomach, Sidetrack it is.

We're 10 miles off the highway and we still haven't reached our destination but we're definitely the residential area of the farmland boonies. At this point I believe we're in a suburb of Muskegon, Michigan, so yeah, it's a little Deliverance-esque. We roll up to the "restaurant" (actually a gutted house with a "patio" that's the backyard) and go in. The only three people in the restaurant laugh aloud and say "You're not from here, are you?" and we take a seat. There's Poison on the jukebox, Jean Claude Van Damme (and not even Bloodsport, some other random one that starts with a semi-pornographic introduction and I think ultimately had to do with child slavery?) and when Jesse asks "Do many people come here from the highway?" the waitress looks at him like he's crazy. He might be, but that's not going to help us here.

We pay our bill, take a photo and it's time to roll out. We wade through crazy storms and a system of registration that's running like a well-baked [sic] machine and finally pull up to our campsite. Tuckered out from the excitement of unloading books and setting up tents in the rain we crash like a plane out of fuel. Rothbury has officially begun.
Posted by Jack on 7/4/2008 UTC
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Happy 4th of July!

Posted by Jack Hanlon, CBO & Evangelist

Hey all, writing to you from the Rothbury Festival, a phenomenal collection of artists in Rothbury Michigan with a dash of eco think-tanking and camping.  I already have numerous stories to tell, from book buying to grooving to some poor choices on a place to stop for food, but those are to come.

In the meantime, Happy 4th of July, folks.  Take this time to appreciate all the people making sacrifices so that you can live the way that you do.  My shout out goes to 2nd Lt. Thomas P. Cahill, currently in Fallujah.  Besides being a literary and book smart monster (fitting in with our crowd), he's been stationed in Iraq for several months in the Marines and we can't wait for him to come home.

Happy 4th to you and yours!  Go watch some fireworks!

Posted by Jack on 7/4/2008 UTC
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