Organic Manifesto by Maria Rodale is a deceptively thin book, chock full of imperative information about not only the environment, but more importantly, public health. Her perspective is far-reaching; her grandfather, J.I. Rodale, was one of the first advocates of modern organic agriculture, so it is no surprise that Rodale has written such a thorough book on what “going organic” really means.
Six year old Daniela’s face never used to be clean. Her eyes seemed vacant and she rarely uttered a word. She only ever sketched single colored empty bubbles with the crayons and paper they gave her. Daniela had trouble concentrating and often sought refuge in “no puedo” (“I can’t do it”). When there were group activities she would wander off alone. Daniela spent her days wandering the streets of Quito, Ecaudor. She had no way to discover her own imagination and free her mind to the endless opportunities six-year-olds around the world should be granted. Daniela did not even have one book, let alone a chance to learn the fundamental skill of reading. Read more…
“I have always depended on the kindness of strangers” Tennessee Williams once said.In that spirit, one of my favorite ways to spend a sunny day is by walking around local neighborhoods and taking photos of strangers.
I ask them for permission, of course, and will only take their photo if they are willing to share their face and their story with the world.
Last night 45 Better World Books staff, friends, family and fans gathered together at Atlanta’s City of Refuge. We served dinner to the women and children residents and also out on the streets of downtown Atlanta. After an eye-and-heart-opening shared experience, we ate together from the social enterprise kitchen at the shelter and discussed one of my favorite books (and true stories) “Same Kind of Different as Me”. You can view photos from the event on Facebook.
Below is a guest post by Ron Hall, Co-Author of “Same Kind of Different as Me” and “What Difference Do it Make?”
This is the season when most of the world is focused more on giving than receiving, on blessing or helping those who cannot help themselves. In an excerpt from our book What Difference Do It Make, I’d like to share a story that hopefully will bless you, the reader of this blog, about serving without judging.
After Denver and I struck up our unlikely friendship at the mission, we had a bargain. I was going to show him how to get along with the country-club set, and he was going to show me how to get along in the ‘hood. When Deborah first dragged me down to serve at the mission, my biggest worry was catching a disease or some kind of creepy-crawly infestation. But after a while, my heart toward the homeless softened up to the point where I actually started going out into the streets with Denver to reach out to the homeless. Read more…
I am so impressed with the most “liked” resolutions our Facebook fans shared. Not that I was expecting tons of people to encourage going to the gym and eating less candy over doing good in our world, but nonetheless, I am pleased to share this list with you.
1. Listen more, talk less.
2. Less time on the iPad, more time interfacing with a real book!
3. Now that I’ve moved closer to a city, I plan to volunteer again for an adult literacy program.4. My goal is to read at least 50 books in 2012, not including college textbooks. I’m going to donate books to places and people in need and get more of my friends and family to read. Every gift I give in 2012 will be a book!
5. To manage our energy consumption more responsibly and efficiently!
6. Read the Bible in one year. Increase my volunteer work.
7. Buy more organic foods, eat less processed stuff!
8. Never buy a nook or a kindle.
9. Self sufficiency, survival and faith in good over evil.
10. Start reading poetry!
11. Read more books this year!
12. To be more active.
What is your New Year’s resolution? Hope this inspires some meaningful ideas to spur in your head and heart!
Have you read any of the books listed above? Are you excited to read any of them? Or is your top choice for 2012 not on the list – what is it and why? Thanks for sharing your thoughts below and cheers to 2012!
What did you do with your college textbooks when you graduated college?
I sold mine at the University of Virginia Bookstore and took the fresh cash to a cute boutique for a new dress and to Harris Teeter for a bottle of cheap champagne to celebrate.
Too bad I had not yet become aware of Better World Books. I sure hope I would have sold, or even given, my books to them. I still could have used the extra cash on silly splendors but others, who could barely dream of a shiny new dress or enjoying a bottle of bubbley, would greatly benefit too.
Here’s just a glimpse of what our student partners have been able to support in 2011 with their used textbooks:
Many students’ efforts on campus generated funding for Books For Africa. Books For Africa recently shipped its 25 millionth book to Africa, and was given a Charity Navigator 4 star rating for the 5th consecutive year, which means you can feel well assured that the funding and books raised by our wonderful book-drivers are being put to great use.
Others chose to support Room To Read through their campus book drives. Room to Read recently distributed their 10 millionth book, and they have opened more than 12,000 libraries and 1,500 schools to date. They’re currently opening libraries in South Asia and Africa at a rate of 6 per day. If you have not yet read the story of how Room To Read got started, it’s very inspiring and available here. Two lucky, passionate, hard-working college book drive leaders will win the trip of a lifetime this summer to come with Better World Books and Room To Read to visit their projects in the developing world!
With Worldfund’s 10th Anniversary quickly approaching, they have already invested more than $12 million in Latin America, with a focus on intensive training programs for public school teachers. Worldfund is currently impacting 340,000 children every year with their teacher training efforts in Mexico and Brazil. The top-generating book drive leaders from last school year were awarded a trip with Better World Books and Worldfund to South America this summer. Check out their life-changing experience in this video.
Guest post from Kyle Kondik, a political analyst for the renowned election predictor, Larry Sabato
In American politics, electoral future is oftentimes illuminated by electoral past.
With the 2012 presidential election season now in full swing, President Barack Obama faces two paths, each symbolized by one of his recent Democratic predecessors.
The happy outcome for Obama would be to emulate President Harry Truman, who won one of the most remarkable electoral upsets in American history when he defeated New York Gov. Thomas Dewey in 1948. Zachary Karabell ably describes the campaign in his book, The Last Campaign: How Harry Truman Won the 1948 Election, and he reminds us that Truman did not just have to defeat Dewey; he also was challenged in the South by “Dixiecrat” candidate Strom Thurmond — who ran as a protest candidate after Truman and the Democratic Party embraced civil rights — and Progressive Party nominee and former Vice President Henry Wallace, who ran to Truman’s left. Indeed, throughout the year Obama has been trying to adopt a harder tone with congressional Republicans, much like Truman did in assailing the “Do-Nothing Congress.”
Post by Mary Olson, BWB Outlet Store ManagerHas the textbook-buying season got you down? Let us help. Here are a few tips and tricks you can use to save up to hundreds of dollars on your textbooks each semester.
1) Always get the ISBNs for the textbooks you need. This helps you get the exact edition so that you don’t have to worry about returning books if you accidentally order a wrong edition. Also, especially when ordering used books, read the seller’s comments about condition. They could include important pieces of information like, “Instructor’s Edition,” or “First Canadian Edition.” Be sure you know what you’re ordering.
TED, a non-profit dedicated to sharing innovative and thoughtful ideas around the world, has launched an “Ads Worth Spreading” campaign which they describe as an “initiative to recognize and reward innovation, ingenuity and intelligence in advertising – the ads that people want to see, and share with their friends.
We have just thing for this campaign! Recently, we have created a series of short films which highlight the impact that folks like you make every time you donate books or shop with Better World Books. We’ve entered six videos into the contest and would love for you to view and vote for them to be shown at the TED conferences this year.The videos
A homeless 9th grader who got his first book through the BWB/Feed The Children teacher store tells his story. The spot ties buying and donating to impact like Zachariah’s story.
From the age of 5, Agnes had to sleep in the Ugandan jungle to hide from rebel soldiers. Today, she is a proud university graduate thanks to BWB and Invisible Children.
Hello and welcome to the Better World Books Blog. Here you'll find author interviews, book reviews and general ramblings from employees of the "Online bookstore with a soul." But we didn't make this blog as a soapbox... talk back!
