Posted by admin on 11.06.2009 at 12:23 pm
Saturday November 7th is the first annual National Bookstore Day. We here at Better World Books are proud to support literacy, books and a love of reading in any way we can.
Join us and the hundreds of bookstores across the country who are celebrating the day, by browsing the shelves, walking the aisles and finding a new treasure or an old favorite to add to your collection. Visit our brick and mortar locations:
Better World Books Goshen
118 E. Washington Street
Goshen, IN 46528
Phone: 574-534-1984
Better World Books Outlet Store
55740 Currant Road
Mishawaka, IN 46545
Phone: 574-968-9701
Or get a great deal online with this National Bookstore Day Coupon Code. Just enter BOOKSTOREDAY09 at checkout for 15% off 3 books or more. Offer is good now through Sunday!
Posted by Dana on 11.03.2009 at 4:01 pm
Byron Pitts is a gifted broadcast journalist, an engaging and talented speaker, a published author and force for good. But that wasn’t always the case. As his book STEP OUT ON NOTHING details, Byron started out a skinny kid with the nickname “Pickle” who didn’t talk much and was often bullied. But worse than that, Byron was hiding and working hard to keep his secrets. He couldn’t read and had a debilitating stutter.
If it wasn’t for his faith and the people who “stepped out on nothing” for him, Byron doesn’t believe he would have made it to the place he is today. When his mother was told he was “stupid” she wouldn’t accept it. When his best friend in college
noticed his limited vocabulary he stepped in to help. And a when a professor he had never met before found him dejected an about to drop out, she believed in him. Read more…
Interview with Byron Pitts [17:25m]:
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Posted by admin on 10.26.2009 at 11:32 am
by Paul “Paco” Miller
On October 2nd and 3rd I had the opportunity to represent Better World Books (BWB) in Minneapolis/St. Paul at several events put on by our partner Books For Africa (BFA). Those two days were jammed packed with events that made me find my way around the twin cities, but were well worth the trip. My biggest take away is that BFA is a great partner for BWB. Everything about the trip reaffirmed how reputable an organization it is and made abundantly clear the important role it plays in the great task of confronting the obstacles to literacy and education in Africa.
The events ranged from breakfast with Dr. Augustine P. Mahiga, the Tanzanian Permanent Representative to the United Nations; lunch with Johnnie Carson, the Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs; a conference on Literacy and Education in 21st Century Africa co-hosted by the University of Read more…
Posted by Dana on 10.07.2009 at 11:14 am
Did you ever have one of those days? The kind where everything comes together and you know you are doing what you are meant to be doing?
That’s how I felt when I finished reading OUTCASTS UNITED and knew that I would have the opportunity to meet and interview author Warren St. John and help get the word out about this great book.
The book tells the story of coach Luma Mufleh the soccer team of refugee boys she founded and the town of Clarkston, Georgia that wasn’t sure they wanted them… or their families.
Once I finished reading the book, I knew it would be a perfect fit for The Better World Book Club. And once again that perfect day stuff starting happening. I think they call it serendipity. When I called Warren to let him know his book had been chosen for the December 2009 read for The Better World Book Club – now going live at Whole Foods Markets in Atlanta, he let me know how perfect that was, as he had written a good bit of the book IN the Whole Foods Market at Ponce. I think I actually got chills. Read more…
Interview with Warren St. John:
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Posted by admin on 09.24.2009 at 2:02 pm
It’s always great to meet with our partners face to face and to show them around our South Bend, Indiana warehouse so they can really get a feel for what’s we’re doing.
Just last week we had a visit from Shaun Skelton, Executive Director of Visions In Action and Pat Plonski, Executive Director of Books For Africa where we discussed ongoing collaborative opportunities.
Visions In Action is shipping seven containers of books to South Africa, Uganda, and Tanzania, with Books For Africa providing the books and Better World Books and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) providing funding.
“Better World Books is our number one funder, our number one source for college textbooks, and our number one source of visibility on some 800 college campuses across North America,” Plonski noted. “Their support has been critical to our success, and it was great to tour their facilities and meet their staff.”
–Always a pleasure Pat! We’re so glad you do what you do. Thanks for stopping by!
Posted by Dana on 09.21.2009 at 12:20 pm
I met Mary Kay Andrews for the first time in 2006 when BLUE CHRISTMAS first came out. She came to my little bookstore to do a signing and could not have been more supportive or gracious. Already a New York Times bestselling author she could have been a total diva – but she was exactly the opposite.
Since then I’ve gotten to know Mary Kay through various events and saw her again at the Decatur Book Festival earlier this month where I had the pleasure of introducing her and Haywood Smith at their very well attended talk. This time Mary Kay (whose real name is Kathy) had her daughter and adorable first grand-baby in tow and was proudly introducing them around. I guess my point is Mary Kay knows who she is and is Read more…
Better World Books Author Podcast:
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Posted by Dana on 09.17.2009 at 12:34 pm
September has been a very busy month here at Better World Books. Our warehouse is busy processing and shipping loads of textbooks to all the students gearing up for fall and we have been unplugging ourselves from our computers to get out into the real world and meet some of you.
The beginning of the month found CEO David Murphy, Co-founder Xavier Helgesen and myself at the SOCAP09 Conference in San Francisco. 
David spoke on a panel called SELLING WITHOUT SELLING OUT with Read more…
Posted by admin on 09.08.2009 at 2:39 pm
As you undoubtedly know, we are all about literacy here at Better World Books. But you might ask, why literacy? And what does it mean to promote literacy? That’s why we thought in honor of International Literacy Day we’d share our views on why literacy is so important to us and to the world.
Those of us who can read and write sometimes take that ability for granted, but think of all the things you couldn’t do without those skills, from navigating your way in a new area to knowing what medication to take to being able to understand and communicate with the world around you.
Being literate is not just about the ability to read a story and enjoy good books, it is about being empowered. United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon said it best: “Literacy is not just about reading and writing; it is about respect, opportunity and development”.
There is a correlation between literacy and poverty. This is why empowerment through literacy is so important. Literacy presents new opportunities and brings the marginalized onto equal footing enabling them to lift themselves out of poverty. Literacy is foundational to education which in turn is foundational to development.
To celebrate International Literacy Day, we’re discounting all used books in our warehouse 15%. As always, you’ll be helping one of our amazing non-profit literacy partners with every purchase. (Note — that means used books from our warehouse, not from the Marketplace.)
Just use this code at checkout: 4LITERACY
One Day Only – Good on Sept. 8, 2009!
Posted by Dana on 08.27.2009 at 4:30 pm
Healthy Child Healthy World is an easy to use guide for creating a safe, green and clean home for your babies and children (even the ones who haven’t been born yet – and the ones that are grown up but just act like babies!).
Complete with a shopping guide, recipes for cleaning products and expert opinions, this is a great resource for parents and parents to be (and would make a great baby shower gift…I’m just sayin’).
The best part about the book to me was the celebrity “Parentblog” entries that gave some great insight into how Read more…
Interview with Christopher Gavigan:
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Posted by Dana on 08.20.2009 at 11:44 am
Don’t forget to sign up for the Better World Book Club. Discuss the monthly pick with us here on the blog or take it back to your neighborhood book club. We set you up with everything you need for your meeting…. a synopsis of the book, discussion questions and even a great recipe. Sign up by going to manage subscriptions now.
Our Latest Pick
THE SHADOW OF THE WIND by Carlos Ruiz Zafón
If your book club has ever read a book where you struggled to find something to talk about, you will really appreciate THE SHADOW OF THE WIND. There is so much to talk about with this book, I barely know where to begin.
From its Russian doll – book within a book style to its use of religious imagery to the often parallel lives of two seemingly unconnected characters you will not run out of conversation. I promise.
Our book, THE SHADOW OF THE WIND is about a book that Daniel Sempere finds in the Cemetery of Forgotten Books Read more…
