Burn Calories by Reading!

Posted by admin on 12.03.2007 at 7:03 am

Just before Thanksgiving, I received a forward that read “The average person consumes 4,500 calories on Thanksgiving Day”.  This got me thinking about what I would need to do to counter all those extra calories.  Hint: it will not include portion control.

With the holidays around the corner, I guess my Christmas wish list could include new running shoes or some sort of ab blaster but why torture myself when I can do something I really enjoy?  Did you know that you can burn Calories just by reading?  It’s true I read it online and I burned a calorie doing it too.  So I crunched the numbers and at my weight, I will only need to read for 2800 hours to offset this past Thanksgiving dinner!  Well I guess my Christmas list just got condensed to just BetterWorld.com and since it is open 24/7, there will be plenty of time for my family and friends to get my Christmas gifts.  Happy shopping!

Have your say » | Tagged Uncategorized, betterworld.com, hilarious posts, reading

Better World Books Announced as “B Corporation”

Posted by admin on 11.19.2007 at 11:41 am

BETTER WORLD BOOKS BECOMES A FOUNDING B CORPORATION

Online bookseller promotes literacy worldwide while benefiting its partners, employees and the environment

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE November 6, 2007

Berwyn, PA — B Lab today announced it has certified online bookseller Better World Books, a leading online seller of new and used books, as a Founding B Corporation™. With the certification, Better World Books joins a growing international network of purpose-driven businesses dedicated to setting a new standard for social and environmental performance, creating benefit for all stakeholders, not just shareholders.

To become certified B Corporations, businesses must meet comprehensive and transparent social and environmental performance standards and amend their corporate governing documents to incorporate the interests of employees, community and the environment.

“Being a successful business and having a social impact are not mutually exclusive,” said Better World Books President and CEO David Murphy. “Through our retail website, BetterWorld.com, customers can find the books they want, enjoy free, carbon-neutral shipping, and help fund literacy with each purchase.”

Based in Mishawaka, Indiana, Better World Books was established in 2003 by three Notre Dame graduates with a simple, yet transformative idea – run a book donation drive, collect as many titles as possible, then sell those books to fund a reading program at a local community center. Entrepreneurs at heart, Better World Books’ founders quickly grew their idea into an online retail presence which integrates social impact into the core of its business model.

By sourcing and reselling used books in a way no major book seller had ever before tried, Better World tapped into a burgeoning new consumer market with a desire and passion for social responsibility. In just four years, Better World Books has raised more than $2.3 million dollars for global literacy programs, while growing quickly from 3 to 130 employees.

“Better World Books is a unique Social Enterprise—a triple bottom line business where creating a nursing library in Somaliland, supporting employees with profit sharing and equity ownership opportunities, and shipping book orders climate neutral are not simply by-products of doing business—it is the business,” said Murphy.

BetterWorld.com carries over two million new and used titles. The company acquires its inventory of used books from two primary sources: a Campus Collection Program organizes regular books drives for world literacy at more than 1200 colleges and universities; and a Library Discards and Donations Program provides more than 800 local libraries a needed outlet for redistributing donated books they can no longer keep or shelve.

“Better World Books is strong and growing business that beats the competition on price and values,” said B Lab co-founder Bart Houlahan. “Not only does Better World Books help customers save money, they also put their money where their heart is by funding vitally important literacy programs around the world.”

Through its partnerships with well established and widely respected organizations working on four continents: Room to Read, Books for Africa, Worldfund, and the National Center for Family Literacy, Better World Books capitalizes on the intrinsic value of books to support literacy initiatives. Support is not limited to dollars, however. Better World Books also works with its partners to ship books to classrooms and libraries where they are needed most. In collaboration with Books for Africa, for instance, Better World Books has delivered more than 550,000 textbooks to resource-starved colleges and universities throughout the African continent.

B Lab helps companies like Better World Books set the new corporate standard for social and environmental performance. Since its founding in 1972, B Lab has certified over thirty companies with a collective market presence of $380 million, all leaders within the green, local living economies, employee-ownership, fair trade, organic, and sustainable business movements and from the food, apparel, home, financial services, building, action sports, technology, business services, telecom, restaurant, marketing, and retail industries.

About B Lab B Lab, a 501(c)(3) non profit organization, supports B Corporations by: certifying B Corporations who achieve a minimum score on the B Ratings System; disseminating a legal framework to institutionalize stakeholder interests within existing corporate law; promoting B Corporations through a unifying brand; and helping B Corporations access mission-aligned capital markets.

Founding B Corporations to date, with a collective market presence of about $350 million, include: A-1 Builders, Blueprint Research & Design, Inc., BBMG, Benchmark Asset Management, BeOn, Better World Telecom, Better World Books, Blueprint Research & Design, Comet Skateboards, Culinary Collective, egg, Give Something Back, Good Capital, Green Harvest Technologies, Indigenous Designs, King Arthur Flour, Lateral Line Fishing Gear and Apparel, Learning & Vision Partners, Mal Warwick Associates, Matiz Espana, Method Products, Inc., Moka Joe Coffee, New Leaf Paper, Pura Vida Coffee, Seventh Generation, Uncommon Goods, Untours, Village Books, White Dog Caf

Have your say » | Tagged Dispatches from the Green House, Impact, b corporation, betterworld.com, Impact, Our Partners

BetterWorld.com Featured in Hallmark Magazine

Posted by admin on 11.15.2007 at 1:49 pm

BetterWorld.com is featured in the “Let’s All Get Merry!” December/January 2008 Issue of the Hallmark Magazine.  Check out the “Shop for a Cause” section on page 23 to read more.

Have your say » | Tagged Uncategorized, betterworld.com, hallmark magazine, press

“Write a Book…” Check!

Posted by admin on 10.31.2007 at 1:04 pm

We’ve all got them, you know – the list you have with all the things you want to do in your life. For example:

1. Swim with sharks
2. Write a book
3. Learn to break dance

This month we’ve recruited some help for you and your list. Our friends at National Novel Writing Month (NaNo WriMo) have created a grass roots event with over 100,000 people getting together to write novels.

No Plot? No Problem! NaNoWriMo will keep in touch with you throughout November to give the emotional support and coaching to write a 50,000 word novel in 30 days. A novel concept indeed. Next month we’ll work on number 3 on life’s to-do list – all $100 dollar orders will get a cardboard head spin mat FREE with purchase.

Have your say » | Tagged Book & Author News, Book Reviews, betterworld.com, NaNoWriMo, No Plot No Problem

Health Literacy

Posted by admin on 09.24.2007 at 10:41 am

September 8th was the 42nd celebration of International Literacy Day. There are now close to 4 billion literate people in the world and Better World Books applauds those achievements.  There is still much to be done to promote literacy and while we strive to every day, September 8th gave us a special opportunity to try to do more.

The 2007 theme was “Literacy, key to good health and well-being”.  In conjunction, the Atlanta office sent two representatives to visit one of the new Wellness Information Zones developed in partnership by Libraries for the Future and The Humana Foundation.  These physical stations located within select libraries are aimed at reducing the number of people who have difficulty obtaining, understanding and acting on basic health information.  Through the Wellness Information Zones and www.wellzone.org people will have access to reliable health information that they can use to make positive decisions about their health.

In addition to the continuing education of our staff, Better World Books had organized a number of initiatives to commemorate the day.  From offering tips to promote literacy and discounts on purchases at www.BetterWorld.com, Better World Books hopes to bring necessary awareness to the global pandemic that is illiteracy.  As an added measure, the Library Division of Better World Books distributed a press release to targeted cities.

I encourage all of our readers, staff and supporters to think about the impact that literacy has on your own lives.  Thank those who have contributed to this gift and yourself for sharpening this tool.

“The man who does not read good books has no advantage over the man who can’t read them.” –Mark Twain

Have your say » | Tagged Uncategorized, betterworld.com, health literacy, International Literacy Day

International Literacy Day

Posted by admin on 09.07.2007 at 2:31 pm

Tomorrow, September 8th, is International Literacy Day! The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) is dedicating this year to the vital relationship between literacy and health – including general health care, nutrition, family and reproductive health and health-related community development. The slogan for International Literacy Day 2007 is “Literacy, key to good health and well-being.”

Betterworld.com has a special feature on Five Things That You Can Do To Support Literacy – visit the site for an extra 10% off book purchases through September 12th, 2007.

Have your say » | Tagged Impact, betterworld.com, International Literacy Day

Room to Read Newsletter

Posted by admin on 08.13.2007 at 11:20 am

Room to Read’s summer newsletter is now available online! It’s packed with articles about the launch of their Room to Grow girls’ scholarship program in Laos, a local lanuage publishing conference in Nepal, a panel on traditional African storytelling and Room to Read’s plans for International Literacy Day, coming up September 8th.

There’s also a great article about the Better World Books/Room to Read partnership – from now till the end of the year, $5 from the sale of every Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows book on www.BetterWorld.com will go to funding the establishment of libraries in Nepal and Sri Lanka! Our goal is to raise $15,000 to construct 5 libraries, so if you haven’t picked up a copy yet, click here to get one today!

Have your say » | Tagged Impact, Our Partners, betterworld.com, harry potter, Impact, International Literacy Day, Our Partners, partner updates, room to read

Better World Books In the New York Times

Posted by admin on 07.03.2007 at 9:03 am

Last week Better World Books received a visit from the New York Times. The reporter wrote an interesting piece on different ways to part with beloved used books.

Here’s an excerpt: “…Better World Books offers a different option. Started by some freshly minted Notre Dame graduates in 2002, it collects used books and textbooks from about 1,000 campuses and 700 libraries nationwide.

As an individual, you can donate if you pay for shipping yourself; but you can buy anything off its Web site and shipping is free anywhere in the country.” Click here to read the full article…

One of the pictures taken on our warehouse floor – the photographer even bought a book for his book club!

Have your say » | Tagged Dispatches from the Green House, betterworld.com, new york times, press

Show Us Some Love: Customer Testimonials Edition

Posted by Xavier on 03.13.2007 at 8:46 am

We ran a customer survey yesterday for BetterWorld.com, and have been amazed by some of the responses:

“I live in South Africa and my text books for this year would have cost me the equivalent of a months salary. At better world I literally paid a fifth of that for all my books and the quality was excellent.”

“As soon as I found out about BWB I began telling my friends to order from you in the future. If our money can not only purchase books but encourage reading programs, why wouldn’t we support that?”

“ The Better World Books philosophy matches several of my personal ethics very closely. I hate waste, I support recycling, I love books/reading/literacy and I support pragmatic, intelligent aid systems, especially those where the purchaser gains something of value as well as feeling they’ve helped others. Keep it up, folks. Peter Bryenton www.brypix.com”

“I would recommend Better World Books, because your prices are good, you send orders out quickly; I love to read and feel strongly that everyone should have the opportunity to discover reading, so I love knowing that by buying from you I am helping that happen.”

Have your say » | Tagged Show Us Some Love, The Man Behind the Curtain, betterworld.com, customers, Xavier Helgesen

Show Us Some Love: Happy Customer Edition

Posted by admin on 02.02.2007 at 4:52 pm

Jill from our customer service department sent this on and suggested we blog it. We never get sick of fan mail, so here’s Josephine from Missouri’s e-mail:

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Hi there

I have just got to tell you folks…..I have ordered many books in that last
4 years from Marketplace sources and Amazon since I began my theology
studies and you are BY FAR the most efficient and thorough and dependable. When you
are working on heavy duty research like they expect of us in graduate
theological education, you usually need your “source” like, oh, “yesterday” once
you figure out what the “all important source” is. And many of them are older
and hard to find. SO, THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU for being THE BEST service
I have found. I wish I had found you back in 2003 when I started my studies,
BUT I HAVE FOUND YOU NOW and I am incredibly grateful.

Do you have a website that I can access that will get me to you directly to
check and see if you have any text(s) I am particularly looking for in the
future to make sure I can deal with you?

Thanks again and PLEASE keep up the great work….we depend on you.

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We sure do have our own website, Josephine – check out BetterWorld.com for free shipping on every order.

Have your say » | Tagged Show Us Some Love, Uncategorized, betterworld.com, customers, Show Us Some Love