Upon arrival we were immediately thrown into the action.  Pre-production took place at the Pacific Coliseum, which hosted the 2010 Olympics figure-skating and short-track speed skating events.  I shared a cab to the venue with Stephanie and Leslie from Togoware, whose reusable stainless steel food containers and bamboo utensils promote sustainable living.  We were introduced to Annie and Casey from i4C who are sponsoring Better World Books, Togoware, and AlterEco at the Fair.  It was a surreal moment standing out in the parking lot: Olympic signage still intact, snow-peaked mountains in the distance, speckled by over-priced and trendy urban houses on the way up.  Vancouver is a far cry from northern Indiana.

Thursday was a calm day for the most part.  Most of the hard work had been done and everyone was prepping for a small preview show with Sarah McLachlan.  Her band had been practicing all week inside the Coliseum, but on this night they opened the final dress rehearsal to the crew.  A crowd of no more than 150 afforded a transparent, intimate concert filled with last minute changes and conversations between band and artist.  It was a perfect kickoff to the tour.

The buses… the buses are immaculate.  These aren’t your standard “school trip to DC” charter buses.  They have lounges in the front and back, full kitchens, bathrooms, and 12 bunks complete with bedding and drop-down DVD players.  That being said, it’s still a bus.  It’s been interesting adjusting to such a small space with so many people, but it’s slowly starting to feel like a home-on-wheels.

The road to Calgary took us out of the mountains and into “cowtown”, perfectly named as there are cows everywhere.  The Olympic luge track and ski-jump were unexpected sites, hoisted up on a small hill-side together right on the highway.  They seemed much taller in person and nowhere near the snowy mountainsides the television makes you believe they are.

The first show went off without a hitch.  John Ujda our VP or Marketing came to meet me and it was nice to have a familiar face in the booth!  The venue was sold out with 9000 tickets purchased.  We had a great time introducing people to BWB.  People were excited about what we were doing and eager to get in on the action.  I can’t say that I blame them; our company’s pretty rad.  OK, enough of the intro stuff.  More meaty “backstage life” blogs to follow!

Are you still wondering what you can do to celebrate Earth Day?

Well for starters, you can buy used books at www.BetterWorldBooks.com AND save 20%!  Just use the coupon code EARTHDAY09 at checkout.  And on Earth Day, we’re doubling all carbon offsets!  In addition to being a great deal, by shopping Better World Books our customers have (as of today):

• diverted 24.4 million pounds of books from landfills
• saved 284,500 trees from being cut down
• saved 12.2 million pounds of carbon dioxide from being released into the atmosphere
• and saved 58 million Kwh of electricity from being used

Need some good green reading?  Check out the great deal on Daniel Goleman’s new book:  ECOLOGICAL INTELLIGENCE and learn how knowing the hidden impact of what you buy can change everything.

Need more?  Check out all of our Earth Day recommendations from green books and podcasts to our Earth Day Reader’s checklist and more!

You can also help by voting for Better World Books for the Business Week Social Entrepreneurship Award!

-We referenced an outside post about Emerson
-We gave a ton of books to the NCFL
-We laid out some strategery
-Chip tested The Secret
-Dana interviewed Marion Nestle
-We wanted to know how you felt about books cum movies this year
-We wordle’d
-We peeked at the latest MENSA word list

-Publishers got a stern talking to
-Chip lamented musically diffused moments
-Karl Rove claimed some major reading by President Bush and himself
-We asked if you believe Karl Rove‘s claims
-TechCrunch showed us some love
-After months of suggesting it, Xavier finally broke and is on Twitter
-We spilled our Top 10 Favorite Books of 2008
-I rolled my eyes at the term “whatev”

-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

-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

-King reviewed “Inherit the Land”
-We figured out how to store a finite amount of books, infinitely
-McSweeney’s spoofed Howard Zinn and Noam Chomsky via Lord of the Rings
-We asked about buying from the airport bookstore
-We talked Stephenie Meyer’s leaked manuscript from Twilight
-Dana interviewed Herve Kempf, podcast style
-I talked about what I love about Better World Books
-I bemoaned the term “totes”

-Jack talked book industry, and about the Nobel Prize
-Dana chatted with Governor Madeleine Kunin
-We want you to “get selfish”.
-We wanted to know, is it ok to give a used book as a present?
-WalkSudan showed us why we should keep getting books to Africa
-We found an awesome way to store your growing collection 
-Better World Book Club is here!
-Jack bemoaned the vernacular, and the poll proved him wrong
-We took a peek at the Top 10 Green Books

-We started a $5 challenge on Facebook and Twitter.  Everyday this week at noon PST, 3pm EST check both to see what the question is.  Be the first to respond and get a $5 gift certificate to betterworld.com!
-We talked about World AIDS Day and why you should have it on your radar
-Chip was Flabbergasted by Thanksgiving
-ARC is on eBay!
-We wanted to know what your word of the year(s) is
-Our podcasts are growing up and moving out!
-Invisible Children makes awesome videos
-We talked the Top Ten Most Influential Books

-Dana interviewed NYT Bestselling author Barbara Ehrenreich
-We mused about the change of seasons here in the USA
-We wanted to know the most serious of answers
-We showed you our supersweet Thanksgiving email
-Chip was flabbergasted by curious food mixtures

-We had a big week, and so did National Book Award Winner (for non-fiction) Annette Gordon-Reed (did you listen to our interview with her yet?)
-We embraced the new Google Books
-Tara described “The Obsession” of Antiquarian, Rare and Collectable books
-We polled you about comics and movies
-Destinie dabbled in DC and Delta Airlines.  Oh alliteration and Greenfest!
-Chip was flabbergasted by dating sites
-Dana interviewed Karen White, maybe she’ll win an award now(!)
-We showed you the Top 10 bestsellers of all time… in 1978.

-A podcast with National Book Award Nominee Annette Gordon Reed
-The Great American Book Drive rocked Boston (or perhaps Boston rocked the GABD?)
-Better World Books + Eagle Scout = Library
-We ascertained what is Kurt Vonnegut’s best book
-Xavier gave you the inside info on the SF Green Business Conference
-We had a full page in GOOD Magazine
-We laughed aloud reading these ten books

-The world lost consummate storyteller Michael Crichton
-We wanted to know what you thought was Crichton’s best work
-Geoff opened your eyes to the top ten books about Africa

-We delved into the morality of new age philosophy… ok, there’s sex and drugs involved, is that better?
-We highlighted the greatest piece of British Lit of the Year
-Jack continued harping on eReaders
-We had some news for you, because we’re teasers at heart (we mean well)
-Geoff got all NaNoWriMo on you (don’t worry, it’s less messy than it sounds… actually it’s quite fun!)

-We rolled out the red carpet for ambassador and representative alike
-It was all Greek to us
-We got down with the “World’s Biggest Book Drive”
-We got down again, this time with the Great American Book Drive
-Everyone loves Biblioburro! (except my boss who banned me from saying it again at work…)
-We love good Scotch, especially the Better World Books variety
-Can the movie ever live up to the book?
-Dana poured through Vince & Joy
-We listened to some economics a la Steinbeck
-We rd bks in txt, lols!
-We had our first Top Ten List.  “Best movies based on books.“

-Dana digs The Almost Moon
-Chip likes giving out books… but doesn’t get geysers
-Xavier and David spoke at the Social Market Conference, liveblog
-Slate is talking “The Night of the Gun”
-We’re wondering, how do you feel about e-readers?
-Jack wrote for Blog Action Day
-Geoff previews a book about the 50 states
-Sales Support packs 20,000 books for Cambodia. Impact!

-Xavier, our “Man Behind the Curtain” knows about the black arts (of marketing)
-He also knows a thing or two about Green Collar jobs
-Now he also knows that he should space his posts apart more
-Mallory Meuninck is down with dragon slaying
-We have realised* a Better World Books Centre* where those spellings are appropriate
-We found out where you get your election info from
-”No sleep til Brooklyn” …Public Library as the Great American Book Drive kicks off

-Obama related books sell well, just not through everyone
-Some people have too much time on their hands
-BWB Alpharetta Office: Get Out of My Dreams, Get Into My Car
-Better World of Good, now selling books
-Readers are digging the First Amendment (go figure)
-Pronouns, like you, are important (see what I did there?)
-Seeing (rare books) is believing
-Stephen Colbert isn’t the only one who can make new words