Eco-Libris blog

What we can really learn from Booklr comparison between the top 100 Kindle and Nook lists

noreply@blogger.com (Raz Godelnik) — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 00:05:00 +0000

Booklr just released an interesting comparison between the prices of the top 100 sold ebooks on BN.com and Amazon. It's an interesting comparison, although it might have reached the wrong conclusion.

"With the Kindle Fire, Nook, and e-readers constantly in the news, Booklr took a look at the prices in the Amazon Top 100 Kindle List and the Barnes & Noble Top 100 Nook List over the past week. The results might surprise you. The price of ebooks from each retailer is not always uniform. Consumers should consider this important factor since once you choose a device, you’re locked in to that retailer."

As you can see from the comparison below, the average price of a book on the top 100 list on Amazon is $6.48, while the average price of an ebook on the top 100 list on BN.com is $8.94. As you can also see from the comparison below the main reason for the difference is that cheap ebooks, with a cost between $0-2, are 35 percent of the top list on Amazon.

What we can learn from this data?
1. Readers like cheap ebooks.
2. Amazon offers many cheap books.

What we can't learn from this data?
1. ebooks have different prices on Amazon and BN.com - it might be the case, but you can't learn it from this compassion.
2. Amazon is cheaper than B&N - to reach this conclusion, you need to compare apples to apples (the same books), not apples and oranges.

Yours,
Raz @ Eco-Libris

Eco-Libris: Plant a tree for every book you read!

Levi's is implementing a new paper policy and cutting its ties with APP

noreply@blogger.com (Raz Godelnik) — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 21:14:00 +0000

Rainforest Action Network blog reported yesterday on another company that says goodbye to Asia Pulp and Paper. This time it's Levi's, following a new paper policy the company implemented.

"Levi Strauss & Company has become the latest major brand to ban business with Asia Pulp and Paper (APP). This comes on the heels of a major public cancellation with APP affiliate Mercury Paper at the end of December by Kroger, America’s largest grocery chain."

In an email I received from Robin Averbeck of RAN, who provided more details on this story:

In the fall of 2009, Levi’s received a letter from RAN asking it to cut any ties with notorious Indonesian rainforest destroyer Asia Pulp & Paper (APP) and its affiliates. This was one of a hundred letters in RAN’s campaign to convince global fashion companies to stop buying from APP and choose responsible alternatives like recycled paper instead.

The Levi’s team called us and immediately began working with us to create a comprehensive paper policy that maximized recycled fiber and barred paper suppliers connected to rainforest destruction, like Asia Pulp & Paper.

We are pleased to announce today that Levi Strauss & Co. has implemented its new paper policy in its operations around the globe. This makes Levi’s the latest company in an ever-growing list of major corporate customers to exclude Asia Pulp & Paper for its human rights abuses and blatant rainforest destruction, and to take a stand to protect forests and the rights of communities that depend on them.

Kudos to RAN for its ongoing commitment to stop unsustainable logging and to Levi's for implementing a paper policy and walk the talk!

My guess is that until APP will get itself truly committed to sustainable logging practices (not just to 18% cut in energy and water use until 2015), the number of companies that cut the ties with them will keep growing.

More articles on APP:

Asia Pulp & Paper (APP) - good or bad? ITS is saying APP is good and actually Greenpeace is bad!

Asia Pulp & Paper (APP) - good or bad? Rolf Skar of Greenpeace is replying to Ian Lifshitz

APP - good or bad? An interview with the sustainability manager of the world's most controversial paper company

Photo credit: Rainforest Action Network blog

Yours,
Raz @ Eco-Libris

Eco-Libris: Plant a tree for every book you read!

Top 100 green apps - GreenITers for the followers/members of GreenITers.com

noreply@blogger.com (Raz Godelnik) — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 00:36:00 +0000

GreenITers.com is the fastest growing Asia CleanTech / eco-innovations community. GreenITers App delivering mobility capability to all of our GreenITers.com (+70,000 and counting) followers/members.

Like most online communities you must register to take part in, Signing up for GreenITers.com is FREE, and takes 30 secs at max and can be done after downloading this app. You can easily sign up by going to GreenITers.com and clicking on the Sign Up button or click on the sign up icon in the app.

GreenITers Community Introduction:

GreenITers provides an online green community, where everyone from top academics to the average person with an interest in preserving the planet through eco-friendly technology, can get together online and share ideas, new gadgets, scientific news and break-through.

As a member, people can join groups, existing groups cover topics such as solar power, wind energy, ocean wave power Electric Vehicles, Green IT, Green Building, biofuel, Nature Protection, Climate Change and Green Innovations. These are great areas to post images, video, discuss ideas and collaborate on projects.

Other features include news share, photo library, and blog. Whether members are interested in green motoring technology or solar powered gadget re-chargers, or even how to generate energy from trees, this is a great place to whet your appetite, and work with or read posts from other GreenITers`s members.

It is going to take a global team effort to have an impact on climate change, and GreenITers.com provides a place where global green like-minded individuals can come together and progress into real clean technology solutions to the world.

GreenITers.com are for people who want to "Green it!" the world we are living in via eco innovations & technology.

You can check top 100 green apps at http://www.ecolibris.net/greenapps.asp. As you'll see, this list is in work, but we promise to update it every week until we'll have all 100 green apps.

Last week's green app - Seafood Watch.

Yours,
Raz @ Eco-Libris

Eco-Libris: Plant a tree for every book you read!

How green is your iPad? Update 1: Apple introduces the iPad Textbooks

noreply@blogger.com (Raz Godelnik) — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 01:46:00 +0000

We talked earlier this week about how green is the iPad, and we have two interesting updates about it. Here's the first one - Apple announced earlier today on a new software aimed at revolutionizing the way teachers teach, students learn and publishers create educational content.

Apple said, according to Mashable, that the iBooks store’s new textbook category will eventually include “every subject, every grade level, for every student.”For now, however, Apple is starting with high school textbooks from partners McGraw-Hill, Pearson and Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.

Apple’s Phil Schiller said that 1.5 million iPads are already in use at schools, including more than 1,000 one-to-one development programs.

How will textbooks look on the iPad? Check this report from Engadget:

What's our take on this move? We think it definitely helps in making the iPad a greener device. Textbooks are very wasteful given the fact that they're updated very often, many times only with minor changes. Then more copies are been printed and students can't use used copies anymore and need to buy new ones. This system doesn't make any sense from an environmental and social perspectives and is far from being sustainable.

Now, on the iPad, they have not only more features and added value, but also an option to be updated without wasting paper or other resources. So kudos to Apple and hopefully other and cheaper tablets will provide similar options so students who can't afford paying $499 for the iPad would still be able to reduce their textbooks' footprint and read them on a tablet.

For more information on how green is the iPad visit our iPad webpage at http://www.ecolibris.net/ipad.asp

Yours,
Raz @ Eco-Libris

Eco-Libris: Plant a tree for every book you read!

How green is the iPad? Ask Mike Daisey

noreply@blogger.com (Raz Godelnik) — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 01:00:00 +0000

Although Mike Daisey describes himself as a lifelong Apple super fan, he'll probably say not so much, at least when it comes to the social impact of the iPad (as well as other Apple products). Why? Listen to the opening episode of the year of This American Life (see below) and receive the answer.

I also wrote about it today on Triple Pundit. Here's a paragraph from the article:

Mike Daisey describes himself as a lifelong Apple super fan. One day he saw some photos from a new iPhone, taken by workers at the factory where it was made and started wondering who makes his Apple gadgets. He decided to investigate and traveled to Shenzhen, where the main factory of Foxconn is located. Foxconn is the largest contract electronics manufacturer in the world with clients including Apple, HP and Microsoft. The manufacturer’s factories were also home to at least 12 workers suicides last year. Daisey wasn’t the first one to investigate what happens in Foxconn, yet his report is different and will probably trouble you more profoundly than written reports.

For more information on how green is the iPad visit our iPad webpage at http://www.ecolibris.net/ipad.asp

Yours,
Raz @ Eco-Libris

Eco-Libris: Plant a tree for every book you read!

Top 100 book apps - Weird But True by National Geographic Society

noreply@blogger.com (Raz Godelnik) — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 02:40:00 +0000

Since we believe in the digital future of books as a way to reduce eventually the footprint of books, we also believe in apps. Book apps are integral part of the digital age of books and we want to share with you some great book apps we find and thus we are assembling a list of the top 100 book apps.

In order to get into our list apps need to both book/ebook related and affordable - we choose only apps that are either free or cost less than $2.

So every Monday we will update you with a new app on out list of top book apps. Today we're happy to introduce you the first iPad book app to redefine the experience of reading 19th century poetry. Our app today is Weird But True by National Geographic Society. This app is for iPhone and iPad and it costs $1.99.

Here are more details about the Weird But True app:
The first offering from digital book studio, Honeybee Labs, "Chasing Fireflies" is an interactive poetry experience, featuring over 150 classic Japanese haiku, complemented by elegant collage-style artwork and a cinematic original score. Readers can interact with the backgrounds, calling lightning in a storm, or conjuring fireflies at night. Readers can also share their favorite passages with friends via Facebook or Twitter.

Features:
* Over 150 hand-selected haiku poems by Basho, Buson, Kikaku, Issa and others
* Cinematic original score by composer Colin Wambsgans
* Book’s cover changes through time to display a new landscape each week
* Every page can be rotated to give four different perspectives
* Easily post your favorite passages to Twitter and Facebook
* Foreward by Caley Vickerman, founder of the Guerrilla Haiku movement

Last week's book app - Chasing Fireflies: A Haiku Collection

You can check top 100 book apps at http://www.ecolibris.net/bookapps.asp. As you'll see, this list is in work, but we promise to update it every week until we'll have all 100 book apps.

You're also welcome to check our list of 100 green apps.

Yours,
Raz @ Eco-Libris

Eco-Libris: Plant a tree for every book you read!

Where print books still beat ebooks?

noreply@blogger.com (Raz Godelnik) — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 10:22:00 +0000

Apparently at the public library. Washington Post reported on Saturday on the growing lines (e-lines?) for ebooks in libraries, where the supply is far from meeting the demand.

"Want to take out the new John Grisham? Get in line. As of Friday morning, 288 people were ahead of you in the Fairfax County Public Library system, waiting for one of 43 copies. You’d be the 268th person waiting for “The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo,” with 47 copies. And the Steve Jobs biography? Forget it. The publisher, Simon & Schuster, doesn’t make any of its digital titles available to libraries."

Another problem is that publishers still don't make many books available to libraries. Why? The article explains that "wary of piracy and the devastation it has caused the music and film industries, Penguin recently put its new e-book titles off-limits. Like Simon & Schuster, Macmillan doesn’t make its e-book content available to libraries. And last year, HarperCollins announced that it would require libraries to renew licenses for e-books after 26 checkouts, outraging some librarians."

I guess this balance of power will change eventually, but at least for now, the print book is still the king of the public library!

To read more of this interesting article, click here -As demand for e-books soars, libraries struggle to stock their virtual shelves.

To read more news and updates on ebook lending please visit our ebook lending webpage.

Yours,
Raz @ Eco-Libris

Eco-Libris: Plant a tree for every book you read!

Top 100 green apps - The Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch: Your Guide to Sustainable Seafood

noreply@blogger.com (Raz Godelnik) — Sat, 14 Jan 2012 02:45:00 +0000

Description
Seafood Watch recommendations help you choose ocean-friendly seafood at your favorite restaurants and stores. Our app brings you the most current recommendations for seafood and sushi along with complete information about how each item should be fished or farmed. Our new Project FishMap feature lets you contribute to the app, adding the names of restaurants and stores in the U.S. where you’ve found sustainable seafood and locating what other users have found at businesses near you.

Features:
• Provides free, up-to-date recommendations at your fingertips with detailed seafood information
• Uses your phone’s GPS to load the right regional guide for your location
• Enables you to search for seafood quickly and easily by common market name
• Allows you to sort seafood by "Best Choice," "Good Alternative" or "Avoid" rankings
• Sushi guide lists fish by Japanese name as well as common market name
• Provides alternatives to seafood on the “Avoid” list
• New Project FishMap feature lets you contribute to the app by adding the names of restaurants and stores where you've found ocean-friendly seafood and locate businesses where others have found sustainable seafood
• Highlights our list of “Super Green” seafood that’s good for you and the oceans

You can check top 100 green apps at http://www.ecolibris.net/greenapps.asp. As you'll see, this list is in work, but we promise to update it every week until we'll have all 100 green apps.

Last week's green app - Green Power Free battery saver.

Yours,
Raz @ Eco-Libris

Eco-Libris: Plant a tree for every book you read!

Don't be an iPhoney, buy where you shop!

noreply@blogger.com (Raz Godelnik) — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 23:09:00 +0000

Here's Harvard Bookstore's reply to Amazon's evil app (thanks to GalleyCat for the link):

Yours,
Raz @ Eco-Libris

Eco-Libris: Promoting sustainable reading!

A new report find that kids prefer ebooks on print books - should parents encourage that?

noreply@blogger.com (Raz Godelnik) — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 12:13:00 +0000

I just saw an update on eBookNewser about a new report from the Joan Ganz Cooney Center at Sesame Workshop that found that kids prefer to eBooks to print books.

"The Center observed 24 families with children ages 3-6 for this “QuickStudy” in the summer and fall of 2011. The kids were given both print and eBooks to read and according to the research children preferred reading an eBook to a print book though comprehension was equal."

The sample group used by the center was relatively small - only 24 families, but if you have kids in this age you would probably a similar conclusion. Yet, at least from my personal experience, these findings would probably be more accurate looking 5 or more years ahead. Many kids kids right now still enjoy and prefer print books, but they will probably switch in some point in the near future to e-books because they grow up with so much exposure to digital formats and its easier for them to do it compared to older generations.

One thing I'm not sure I understand is the following quote from the original report on Digital Book World - “If we can encourage kids to engage in books through an iPad, that’s a win already,” said Carly Shuler, senior consultant for industry studies at the Joan Ganz Cooney Center. Why do we need to encourage kids to engage in books through an iPad and not through print book? They'll have enough time when they grow older to engage with digital formats, but in the meantime they could lose some valuable lessons from converting too early to ebooks.

I'd just like to quote Junko Yokota, a professor and director of the Center for Teaching Through Children’s Books at National Louis University in Chicago, who explained on the New York Times last November what is lost by taking a picture book and converting it to an e-book. She said that the shape and size of the book are often part of the reading experience. For example, wider pages might be used to convey broad landscapes, or a taller format might be chosen for stories about skyscrapers. "Size and shape “become part of the emotional experience, the intellectual experience. There’s a lot you can’t standardize and stick into an electronic format,” she said.

What do you think? What does your kid prefer? Are you happy with his or her choice? Drop us a comment and join the discussion.

Image credit: Tundra Books, Flickr Creative Commons

Yours,
Raz @ Eco-Libris

Eco-Libris: Promoting sustainable reading!

Top 100 book apps - Chasing Fireflies: A Haiku Collection

noreply@blogger.com (Raz Godelnik) — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 03:46:00 +0000

Since we believe in the digital future of books as a way to reduce eventually the footprint of books, we also believe in apps. Book apps are integral part of the digital age of books and we want to share with you some great book apps we find and thus we are assembling a list of the top 100 book apps.

In order to get into our list apps need to both book/ebook related and affordable - we choose only apps that are either free or cost less than $2.

So every Monday we will update you with a new app on out list of top book apps. Today we're happy to introduce you the first iPad book app to redefine the experience of reading 19th century poetry. Our app today is Chasing Fireflies: A Haiku Collection by HoneyBee Labs. This app is for the iPad and it costs $1.99 (regularly it is priced $3.99, but it will be available for $1.99 on the App Store through January 31st, 2012).

Here are more details about the Chasing Fireflies: A Haiku Collection app:

The first offering from digital book studio, Honeybee Labs, "Chasing Fireflies" is an interactive poetry experience, featuring over 150 classic Japanese haiku, complemented by elegant collage-style artwork and a cinematic original score. Readers can interact with the backgrounds, calling lightning in a storm, or conjuring fireflies at night. Readers can also share their favorite passages with friends via Facebook or Twitter.

Features:
* Over 150 hand-selected haiku poems by Basho, Buson, Kikaku, Issa and others
* Cinematic original score by composer Colin Wambsgans
* Book’s cover changes through time to display a new landscape each week
* Every page can be rotated to give four different perspectives
* Easily post your favorite passages to Twitter and Facebook
* Foreward by Caley Vickerman, founder of the Guerrilla Haiku movement

Last week's book app - Subtext

You can check top 100 book apps at http://www.ecolibris.net/bookapps.asp. As you'll see, this list is in work, but we promise to update it every week until we'll have all 100 book apps.

You're also welcome to check our list of 100 green apps.

Yours,
Raz @ Eco-Libris

Eco-Libris: Plant a tree for every book you read!

Winners of the Angel Esmeralda audiobook giveaway

noreply@blogger.com (Raz Godelnik) — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 19:55:00 +0000

We have winners on our giveaway of The Angel Esmeralda: Nine Stories by Don Delillo, a great audiobook with a collection of 9 short stories of Delillo.

We asked you to tell us who your favorite short stories author is and got great replies. And our winners are Heather (her favorite author - Charles de Lint) and JenBreesmom (her favorite author - O. Henry).

Thank you to all the participants and to Simon & Schuster Audio who provides the copies for the winners!

The audiobook is available on Amazon: http://amzn.to/nvNYNe and on iTunes: http://bit.ly/rLYYoA

Yours,
Raz @ Eco-Libris

Eco-Libris: Promoting sustainable reading!

Top 100 green apps - Green Power Free battery saver

noreply@blogger.com (Raz Godelnik) — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 15:34:00 +0000

Unlike other battery savers that require regular user manual actions, Green Power is fully automatic: Once configured, it runs and saves your battery by itself. It does so by smartly managing Wifi, Mobile data & Bluetooth (*): Turning them off when you don't need them, but ensure minimum disturbance: Automatic turned ON when needed by you or by other apps (e.g retrieving mails).
Similar but easier cleaner and faster than JuiceDefender!

"Green Power mainly does one thing, but does it so well and so flexibly that the benefits reaped are considerable." (InfoWorld)

"Green Power is a simple and easy to use power and network management software" (Engadget Chinese edition)

"Green Power Premium is a remarkable tool. Battery saver, time saver, top notch!" (AndroidPit)

HIGHLIGHTS
- Handles WIFI, Mobile Data (2G, 3G, some 4G) & BLUETOOTH
- Supports most phone types (both GSM & CDMA) and most carriers
- Supports Android ICE CREAM SANDWICH, HONEYCOMB, GINGERBREAD & FROYO
- Mobile Data toggling using clean Internal API or APN renaming (you can chose)
- Most features below available in Free version unless marked with (*)

INSTALL AND FORGET
Or take time to configure to get the most out of it!

FEATURES
- Wifi mgmt: Based on schedule, screen state, power connected, signal level...
- Mobile data mgmt: Based on schedule, screen state, power connected...
- Mobile data mgmt: Either Internal API or APN renaming
- BLUETOOTH (*) mgmt: Based on devices connected or in range, screen state, power etc
- Traffic check: Configurable to prevent disturbing other apps
- Apps Whitelist (*): To keep data on when using specific apps (like music streaming)
- Simple WIDGET (*): To quickly pause or resume
- NIGHT (*) mode fully configurable, Airplane mode...
- Tasker & Locale Plug-in (*)
- Compatible with Cerberus 2.0
- Very lightweight and fast app
- Easy and clean interface
- Fully configurable settings
- Settings backup / restore
- 20 Languages (changeable at run time)
- And more...

You can check top 100 green apps at http://www.ecolibris.net/greenapps.asp. As you'll see, this list is in work, but we promise to update it every week until we'll have all 100 green apps.

Last week's green app - GasHog: The Fuel Economy Tracker for iPhone.

Yours,
Raz @ Eco-Libris

Eco-Libris: Plant a tree for every book you read!

Businesses rewarding environmental behaviour

noreply@blogger.com (Raz Godelnik) — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 15:00:00 +0000

This is a guest post.

As both customers and businesses become more environmentally aware, more and more companies are incorporating "green" measures into their everyday operations. When you consider the advantages to going with such a strategy - including cutting costs, increasing profits, gaining new business opportunities - it isn't difficult to understand why. You may also find that it boosts the collective morale of your employees, especially if you choose to reward their environmental behaviour in the workplace.

Some eco-printing businesses, including Flyerzone, have taken a rather innovative approach to maintaining the environment, as well as the satisfaction of their staff. Flyerzone is not only founded on green principles, but it also actively encourages its employees to behave in the same way. It offers rewards to its production staff for reducing wastage and pays bonuses to those who bring a new idea to the table that could get the company working even more efficiently.

You might also want to take inspiration from Flyerzone's office waste-reduction methods. For example, it only uses paper from well-managed forests and 99 per cent of its paper volume is certified under FSC's Chain-of Custody programme. The very little paper that is wasted is, of course, recycled or reprocessed, while Flyerzone also uses vegetable-based inks in its printing.

If you want to use eco-printing with such a philosophy at its core, a great way to do so is by investing in promotional materials and stationery from such a company. For example, there is a wide range of business cards, leaflets, flyers, posters and notepads on the market that prove there is such a thing as eco-friendly, functional and attractive printing.

In a world of social and corporate responsibility and growing eco-friendly opportunities, there has never been a better time to go green and reap the benefits.

5 reasons why the Nook spin off gets B&N closer to bankruptcy

noreply@blogger.com (Raz Godelnik) — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 19:13:00 +0000

Barnes & Noble announced this morning it is beginning “strategic exploratory work” to separate its rapidly growing Nook digital business. If you follow our blog, you're probably not that surprised - as we reported again and again on the B&N Bankruptcy Index series, B&N behaves for a long time like the Nook is its core business and not its 703 bookstore.

So you're probably wondering - would this spin-off will help B&N to avoid bankruptcy? Actually, I believe it only gets them closer to this unfortunate faith. Here's five reasons why:

1. B&N bookstore business is declining and B&N has no clear strategy how to transform it back from a liability to an asset. Frankly, this announcement only demonstrates that B&N is giving up on the brick and mortar stores and putting all its energy and resources just into the Nook. Don't believe me? Just count look how many times B&N mentions its bookstores in its press release from today (hint: less than one).

2. B&N is focusing all of its resources on one egg - the Nook. It's a good egg, but even if it will have a bright future as B&N is expecting it's still too risky, especially in a market where your competitors are are Amazon and Apple.

3. B&N doesn't have the deep pockets Apple and Amazon have. Just look at the balance sheets of these three and compare how much cash each of them has - Amazon has $2.8 billion, Apple has $9.8 billion, while B&N has $23 million in cash and cash equivalents (latest figures available). Now, who do you think has a better chance to develop better tablets and e-readers in the near future?

4. Bad management - B&N would have a much better chance if it would have spun off its management instead of the Nook. Why it's a bad management? How else you can call a management that takes an asset like 700+ bookstores and makes almost zero efforts to save it from bankruptcy?

5. "Mr. Lynch said Barnes & Noble doesn't see itself as a competitor with Apple, as it focuses more on digital reading, but said internal research shows customers prefer the Nook over the Kindle." (Wall Street Journal) I wish I have a faith in a company that this is the worldview that directs its strategy and this is the quality of research data it uses. Unfortunately I really can't.

To learn more on our B&N index series visit Barnes and Noble Bankruptcy Index on our website.

You can find more resources on the future of bookstores on our website at www.ecolibris.net/bookstores_future.asp

Yours,
Raz @ Eco-Libris

Eco-Libris: Working to green the book industry!

Top 100 book apps: Subtext - It's a community in the pages of your book

noreply@blogger.com (Raz Godelnik) — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 04:05:00 +0000

Since we believe in the digital future of books as a way to reduce eventually the footprint of books, we also believe in apps. Book apps are integral part of the digital age of books and we want to share with you some great book apps we find and thus we are assembling a list of the top 100 book apps.

In order to get into our list apps need to both book/ebook related and affordable - we choose only apps that are either free or cost less than $2.

So every Monday we will update you with a new app on out list of top book apps. Today we're happy to introduce you with a book app that believes that reading together is better. Our app today is Subtext by Subtext Video. This app is for the iPad and it's free.

Here are more details about the Subtext app:
Reading together is better—especially with access to the world’s largest collection of books! Subtext powers the first community in the pages of ebooks. With Subtext, you can engage in conversations with friends, authors and experts and access all types of information and multimedia—right in the margins of your books. It’s like sitting in your living room reading a book surrounded by your friends, the author and, if you’re up for the extra company, the most interesting people in the Subtext community. A totally new reading experience!

“...the app is just lovely to use.” —Gizmodo ‘App of the Day’

“...Subtext goes beyond the ‘enhanced ebook’ to actually offer an enhanced reading experience...” —VatorNews

“I love context when I’m reading, and if there is author commentary to be found, I’m not above scouring the Web to find it. Subtext pulls in this kind of supplementary information automatically...” —TechCrunch

Subtext from Subtext Video on Vimeo.

Last week's book app - Beatles Yellow Submarine

You can check top 100 book apps at http://www.ecolibris.net/bookapps.asp. As you'll see, this list is in work, but we promise to update it every week until we'll have all 100 book apps.

You're also welcome to check our list of 100 green apps.

Yours,
Raz @ Eco-Libris

Eco-Libris: Check our special holiday offer!

10 ways to green your reading on 2012

noreply@blogger.com (Raz Godelnik) — Sun, 01 Jan 2012 19:22:00 +0000

We're joining the long list of 2012 lists, but hopefully you will find our list valuable. This is a list of 10 simple things you can do to make your reading more sustainable. If every reader will do even just one thing of this list, we'll have a much more sustainable book space by the end of the year. If you have more ideas, please feel free to offer them!

10 Ways to Green Your Reading in 2012:

1. If you read more than 5-6 books a year and don't throw away gadgets after one or two years to get a newer version, buy yourself an e-reader or a tablet.
2. Buy (at least) one book at your local independent bookstore.
3. Get a book or an ebook at your local library.
4. Download an audiobook.
5. Join the sharing economy, using BookMooch for worldwide book swapping or an ebook lending service.
6. Buy from publishers with meaningful environmental policies.
7. Buy book from a self-publishing author.
8. Read your child (nephew/cousin/grandson) a green book (you can start with the great Little Green Books series).
9. Educate yourself and buy one book or ebook on a green topic.
10. Plant a tree with Eco-Libris for every book you read, now part of the Earth Day Network's A Billion Acts of Green campaign!

Happy New Year!
Raz @ Eco-Libris

Eco-Libris: Plant a tree for every book you read!

Fourth Year assessments of Eco-Libris planting partners are available now online

noreply@blogger.com (Raz Godelnik) — Sat, 31 Dec 2011 10:39:00 +0000

This is our last post for 2011 and just like we did in 2008, 2009 and 2010 we dedicate it to announce that the annual assessments (2010-11) of our planting partners are now available online!

Here's a little bit more about these assessments: As part of our pledge to quality service to our customers, we decided at the beginning of our operations to conduct annual assessments of our planting partners.The two main goals of these assessments are: 1. to verify the quality of the planting operations and to make sure the high standards we promise to our customers are kept and 2. to provide our customers with details on the tree planting operations they support to balance out their books.

This is the fourth year we're conducting these assessments. Right now, two of them (SHI and AIR) are available online, and the third one (RIPPLE Africa) will be available within couple of weeks.

You are invited to read them (see links below) and also visit our planting partners' websites to learn more about them. Links to past assessments for each of our planting partners, as well as links to their websites, are available on our planting partners page.

Here are links to the two reports that are currently available:

AIR's assessment

SHI's assessment

We will keep you posted of course with more data, photos and videos from the planting operations! Thanks again to our planting partners and to everyone that was involved in the work on the assessments.

Photo credits:

Photo 1: SHI, Panama

Photo 2: AIR, Guatemala

Happy New Year!
Raz @ Eco-Libris

Eco-Libris: Promoting sustainable reading!

Top 100 green apps - GasHog: The Fuel Economy Tracker for iPhone

noreply@blogger.com (Raz Godelnik) — Fri, 30 Dec 2011 12:05:00 +0000

We are creating a list of the top 100 apps that will help you go green as part of our effort to promote a more sustainable lifestyle. Apps become an integral part of our life and a valuable tool and we believe we should also take advantage of them when it comes go greening up our life.

Every Friday we update you with a new app on the list, and today we're happy to introduce you with an app that will help you to track the fuel economy of your vehicles.

Our app is GasHog from Adair Systems. This app is for iPhone and iPad and it costs $0.99 (we only include in our lists apps that cost less than $2).

Here are more details about GasHog App:
GasHog is a utility for iPhone and iPod Touch to track the fuel economy of your vehicle. GasHog allows you to enter the odometer reading and the amount of fuel added every time you add fuel, and it automatically calculates the fuel economy of your last tank, as well as historical averages. Additionally, GasHog offers tips for improving the fuel economy of your vehicle.

GasHog's features include:
- Simple and quick entry of odometer reading and fuel added
- Support for multiple vehicles
- Fuel cost tracking
- Support for English and Metric units, separate units for distance, fuel and economy
- International support with numbers and dates formatted to local custom
- Integrated tips for improving fuel economy
- Historical fuel economy statistics (last tank, last 30 days, last 6 months, all time)

GasHog does not require Internet connectivity for any of its features, and operates in areas with no mobile or WiFi coverage.

You can check top 100 green apps at http://www.ecolibris.net/greenapps.asp. As you'll see, this list is in work, but we promise to update it every week until we'll have all 100 green apps.

Last week's green app - Green Schools Revolution -The Game.

Yours,
Raz @ Eco-Libris

Eco-Libris: Plant a tree for every book you read!

Audiobook for the holidays - part 4: The Angel Esmeralda: Nine Stories by Don Delillo (and a giveaway!)

noreply@blogger.com (Raz Godelnik) — Thu, 29 Dec 2011 20:16:00 +0000

Today we end our December series 'Audiobook for the holidays'. In the lasteeks we introduced you to Boomerang by Michael Lewis and Our Choice by Al Gore and Rin Tin Tin by Susan Orlean. Today we're excited to introduce you to a collection of beautiful nine short stories written by the award-winning American author and playwright Don DeLillo between 1979 and 2011.

Our last audiobook on this series is:

The Angel Esmeralda: Nine Stories by Don Delillo, read by Mercedes Ruehl, Heather Lind, Aaron Tveit, Michael Cerveris and Peter Friedman.

The audiobook is published by Simon & Schuster Audio. Here's an excerpt from the audiobook:

Here's more about "The Angel Esmeralda":

From one of the greatest writers of our time, the first ever collection of brilliant short stories, written between 1979 and 2011; chronicling—and foretelling—three decades of American life.

Set in Greece, the Caribbean, Manhattan, a white collar prison, and outer space, these nine stories are a mesmerizing introduction to Don DeLillo’s iconic voice, from the rich, startling, jazz-infused sentences of his early work to the spare, distilled, monastic language of the later stories.

In “Creation,” a couple at the end of a cruise in the West Indies can’t get off the island. In “Human Moments in World War III,” two men orbiting the earth hear American radio, a half century ago. In the title story, nuns working the violent streets of the south Bronx, confirm the neighborhood’s miracle, the apparition of the dead child, Esmeralda.

Nuns, astronauts, athletes, terrorists, and travelers, the characters in The Angel Esmeralda propel themselves into the world and define it. DeLillo’s sentences are instantly recognizable, as original as the splatter of Jackson Pollock or the luminous rectangles of Rothko. These nine stories describe an extraordinary journey of one great American writer—and are a perfect introduction to the author whose prescience about world events and ear for American language changed the literary landscape.

The audiobook is available on Amazon: http://amzn.to/nvNYNe and on iTunes: http://bit.ly/rLYYoA
GIVEAWAY ALERT!!

We're giving away two copies of this audiobook, courtesy of the publisher, Simon & Simon audio!

How you can win? Very simple. All you have to do is to add a comment with the name of your favorite short story author. We will have a raffle on Wednesday, January 5, 2012, 5:00PM EST between all the readers that will add their comments by then. The winners will be announced the following day.

Yours,
Raz @ Eco-Libris

Eco-Libris: Promoting sustainable reading!

My article on Triple Pundit about the help SFI certification gets from Maine Governor Paul LePage

noreply@blogger.com (Raz Godelnik) — Thu, 29 Dec 2011 19:55:00 +0000

Here's an update on a new article I published today on Triple Pundit with the latest news on the new battleground between SFI and FSC certifications.

This time it's Maine, where Governor LePage signed an executive order directing that that “any new or expanded state buildings shall incorporate ‘Green Building’ standards that give certification credits equally to forest products grown, manufactured, and certified under the Sustainable Forestry Initiative Standard, Forest Stewardship Council, American Tree Farm System, and Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification systems.”

The article is entitled 'Maine’s Governor Helps SFI Win an Important Battle Over FSC'. Here's the first part of the article:

I have to admit that I got it wrong. Last September, I wrote here about the battle between the competing forest products certification Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) and Forest Stewardship Council (SFI). I thought that the fact that seven large companies decided to reject the SFI certification meant that SFI is going to lose this battle, unless it worked with environmental organizations to improve its credibility. I didn’t take into consideration one factor that can change this balance of power and help SFI swiftly recover: friendly politicians.

To read the full article go to http://www.triplepundit.com/2011/12/sfi-wins-battle-fsc-maine-timber-friendly-governor/

Links to other articles I wrote for Triple Pundit can be found at http://www.triplepundit.com/author/raz-godelnik/

To read more on the fight between FSC and SFI, visit our website at http://www.ecolibris.net/SFI_or_FSC.asp

Yours,
Raz @ Eco-Libris

Eco-Libris: Plant trees for your books!

Interview with Eric Lowitt, the author of The Future of Value

noreply@blogger.com (Raz Godelnik) — Wed, 28 Dec 2011 18:14:00 +0000

Today I'm happy to introduce a great book that should be of interest to anyone who is looking to better understand the business case of sustainability, or in other words, how companies use sustainability to create business value for their stakeholders.

The book is: The Future of Value: How Sustainability Creates Value Through Competitive Differentiation by Eric Lowitt.

I read many books on green and sustainable business, and this is one of the best ones I have read in the last couple of years, presenting the business case of sustainability in a clear and structured way. The book is full with great examples that Eric Lowitt gathered through years of research, making it an invaluable tool to practitioners who want to help their companies become more sustainable but just don't know how to do it.

I wanted to learn more about the book and had the opportunity to conduct an interview with the author, Eric Lowitt over the email. Before we get to the interview, here are just few more details about the book and Eric.

About the book: What if you were able to help your company grow faster and become more profitable than its rivals? Would you benefit as a result? Of course you would. What if your approach required little cash, caused nominal disruption, and was easily understandable by all your colleagues? What reason would you have for not helping your company outperform the competition?

Enhance business performance by using sustainability for competitive advantage The Future of Value reveals what it takes for companies to grow and outperform the competition in today's growth-constrained, sustainability conscious world. The author, Eric Lowitt, shows leaders and students alike how to use sustainability as a powerful, pragmatic lens to enhance business performance. The Future of Value explores how to craft and oversee a portfolio of effective tools, develop competitive strategies, and adjust value chain activities, talent management practices, and corporate policies to help organizations execute powerful sustainability strategies.

About the author: Eric Lowitt is a consultant, speaker, and author. A seasoned business leader and management consultant, Eric helps organizations grow their revenue and profitability by connecting sustainability and competitive strategy. His work has been featured in the Wall Street Journal, The Guardian, and The Harvard Business Review, among tier one publications worldwide.

Raz Godelnik: What brought you to write this book in the first place?

Eric Lowitt: I’ve watched companies fail by not taking the environment or society – both the challenges and opportunities within – into account. I’ve also witnessed companies avoid sustainability because they mistakenly view sustainability as solely either ‘green’ or ‘philanthropy’. I wrote The Future of Value to counter these two issues.

When you read The Future of Value, you’ll learn that sustainability is synonymous with strategy, not just self-limiting terms like green or philanthropy. You’ll see how your company can reduce costs today, increase revenue tomorrow, and become more agile well into the future by embracing, not avoiding, environmental and social responsibility. As an example, consider my most recent Harvard Business Review contribution, as seen here.

RG: Your book, The Future of Value, brings many great examples of what you call 'Sustainable Market Leaders' - why these companies are still the exception and not the rule?

EL: Sustainable Market Leaders overcome three mental blocks which prevent other companies from ascending into the ranks of the business elite. The first mental block is the decision not to prioritize sustainability, mainly because companies mistakenly view sustainability as not being central to their business success. In reality, this could not be further from the truth. The second mental block is the flawed belief that sustainability isn’t worth investment. If your company suffers from this mental block, consider this – do you believe energy, commodity, and labor prices will decrease or increase in the next decade? Sustainable Market Leaders know these prices will increase, and in some cases increase dramatically. As a result, they are proactively investing in alternative sources of fuel and materials because they have concluded these sources will ultimately cost less.

The third mental block is to answer uncertainty with paralysis. That is most companies are uncertain how to proceed in order to achieve sustainability. As a result, they choose the easy path – no action at all. The Future of Value provides an actionable alternative, one that will repay its investment instantly and many times over in the long-run.

RG: Why so many companies have hard time in integrating sustainability into their corporate strategy?

EL: All too often, companies stop after crafting and documenting a sustainability plan. They rest on the misguided belief that the plan is in actuality a strategy, one which will carry itself out within the organization. Sustainable Market Leaders understand that only the future actions which get into their company’s strategic plan will get into the operating plan and thus get funded. One practical action you can take today is to schedule time with your company’s strategic planning and financial management teams to discuss not only your sustainability plan but also uncover the natural linkages that were always there between your sustainability, strategy, and operating plans.

RG: You provide in The Future of Value many examples of companies and their efforts to embrace sustainability - which one impressed you mostly?

EL: There is no one perfect company; rather every company has its strengths and flaws. The companies I most admire exhibit modesty, are fueled by a sense of urgency to act, and are guided by an unwavering commitment to continuous improvement in order to achieve sustainability. Companies in this category range from Unilever to Monadnock Paper Mills to Australia and New Zealand Bank. When you read The Future of Value you’ll learn the secrets behind these companies’ long track records of success and develop the same time tested skills that will lead your company to becoming a part of this group of elite companies – Sustainable Market Leaders.

RG: KPMG released a report earlier this week claiming that U.S. companies are “scratching the surface” of corporate responsibility, as a whole concentrating on communication more than performance - do you agree with it?

EL: Absolutely! There’s a continuum companies travel along during their journey to a state of sustainability. Companies begin by ‘toe dipping’ – taking a small action to get a sense for accomplishment and what’s to come. All too often, companies turn to ‘communication’ as a way to show others their company is braving the rough waters of sustainability. This is a problem in part because we as a group of companies and members of society have become accustomed to instant gratification. We’re eager to show others our new tool, our new skill, our new accomplishment. Within the sustainability realm, too often this translates into showing others the ‘sizzle’ without the complete cooking of the ‘steak’ – thus exposing companies to the backlash of ‘greenwashing’ accusations.

Eventually companies learn they need to perform and not merely promise. Society, with its voices amplified by social media, does not suffer fools for long. Companies will either act on their promises or face society’s backlash. Then companies evolve into sector-level advocacy for systemic change in order to facilitate sustainable development within industry. Few companies have achieved this state, though more and more are on the cusp of doing so!

RG: What is the most important element in the process of creating and maximizing the value of sustainability?

EL: Recognizing sustainability equals profitability. The Future of Value will equip you with the ability to challenge your incomplete views of sustainability’s connection to strategy and financial performance. By the time you finish reading and working through the questions within The Future of Value you will be able to see new customers waiting services – customers that will lead to revenue and profitability.

Here’s a teaser - these customers come in the form of environmental and social needs currently going unmet…

RG: You started the work on The Future of Value with a great knowledge of sustainability, yet I'm sure you had interesting findings through your research - what was the one that surprised you mostly?

EL: I was surprised to learn just how clear the link is between sustainability and strategy and also how few companies have consciously made this connection. As a result of their shortsightedness, they’re allowing billions of dollars – yes billions! – of revenue and market value pass right under their nose. This is shocking to me! The Future of Value will help you claim your rightful portion of this cash flow and market value.

RG: Do you think there's a problem with sustainability metrics and companies' ability to transform their success stories into a language that investors and other stakeholders understand? How much of an obstacle is it?

EL: Metrics are certainly a challenge – more so on the social side of sustainability than on the environmental side. There are two problems which serve as roadblocks in the path of measurement success. First is the individual self-interest. That is, business leaders and other executives receive a significant portion of their annual compensation in the form of performance bonuses. Typically these bonuses are based on the leader’s performance as measured by his or her scorecard of annual goals.

Over time, leaders learn how to manage their investments and expenses in order to achieve their quantitative goals and to receive their maximum bonuses. In this context, it’s easy to understand why leaders resist adding new goals to their performance bonus evaluations…new goals such as environmental and social performance. As a result, they argue the addition of such goals to their scorecards ‘would be detrimental to the business’s best interests.’ In actuality, these leaders are preventing their company – and their department – from growing and becoming more profitable.

The second metrics roadblock comes in the form of companies’ failure to connect sustainability to actions and metrics the investment community truly understand and value. When you view sustainability as altruism, not profitability, you relegate sustainability to the backburner in the minds of the investment community. Instead you need to help analysts see how your sustainability strategy is opening new markets, increasing cash flow by removing inefficiencies, and sharpening your competitive advantage you have developed over your rivals.

RG: If a CEO of a company reads The Future of Value and would like to transform his company into a sustainable market leader, where should she start? What's the first step?

EL: I encourage each of my clients to start with this question – what does sustainability mean to you and your organization? Sadly, many clients stop at ‘green’ or ‘philanthropy’ – but both are self-limiting concepts. Once a definition of sustainability is clear, then you should ask yourself to objectively document where you currently are in relation to your sustainability definition. Next, challenge your organization to measure its sustainability management efforts versus its peers.

You can use a free tool on my website – www.ericlowitt.com/tools. The CLEAR Model - the model The Future of Value develops and brings to life through company case studies – will help you to compare your company’s sustainability management and performance to date versus specific companies within your Global Fortune 500 peer set. Finally be bold – sett unattainable targets and get on with it!

RG: When you finished writing The Future of Value were you more optimistic or pessimistic about the future of sustainable business compared to what you felt when you began working on it?

EL: I’m more optimistic, because The Future of Value translates sustainability into business language and business actions. In this way, The Future of Value serves as a sort of Rosetta Stone which helps companies transition from the unclear – sustainability – into the desirable – greater prosperity for all involved. Thus properly motivated, companies will spearhead the global pursuit of sustainable development!

Thank you, Eric! If you want to learn more about Eric Lowitt and his book, please visit his website - www.ericlowitt.com. The book is available for sale on Amazon in hardcover and electronic formats.

Yours,
Raz @ Eco-Libris

Eco-Libris: Plant a tree for every book you read!

Top 100 book apps: the Beatles Yellow Submarine by the Beatles

noreply@blogger.com (Raz Godelnik) — Tue, 27 Dec 2011 03:39:00 +0000

Since we believe in the digital future of books as a way to reduce eventually the footprint of books, we also believe in apps. Book apps are integral part of the digital age of books and we want to share with you some great book apps we find and thus we are assembling a list of the top 100 book apps.

In order to get into our list apps need to both book/ebook related and affordable - we choose only apps that are either free or cost less than $2.

So every Monday we will update you with a new app on out list of top book apps. Today we're happy to introduce you with a great musical book app. Ladies and Gentlemen, The Beatles! Our app today is the Beatles Yellow Submarine by the Beatles. This app is for iPhone and iPad and it's free.

Here are more details about the Beatles Yellow Submarine app:

This enchanting illustrated book captures the same magical spirit found in the film. The Beatles’ journey to save Pepperland from the music-hating Blue Meanies is filled with surrealistic humor, wit, and clever references to The Beatles’ song titles and lyrics. In this iTunes exclusive, clips from the movie have been included throughout and can be viewed either embedded in the page or at full-screen. The book also contains interactive animations as well as sound effects and music clips. Download the book for free right here and enjoy it on iBooks on your iPad, iPhone, or iPod touch.

Last week's book app - iStoryBooks

You can check top 100 book apps at http://www.ecolibris.net/bookapps.asp. As you'll see, this list is in work, but we promise to update it every week until we'll have all 100 book apps.

You're also welcome to check our list of 100 green apps.

Yours,
Raz @ Eco-Libris

Eco-Libris: Check our special holiday offer!

Happy Holidays from Eco-Libris!

noreply@blogger.com (Raz Godelnik) — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 21:40:00 +0000

Whether you celebrate Christmas, Chanukah or Festivus, we wish you a happy holiday!

Yours,
Raz @ Eco-Libris

Eco-Libris: Plant a tree for every book you read!

Top 100 green apps - Green Schools Revolution: The Game

noreply@blogger.com (Raz Godelnik) — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 10:34:00 +0000

We are creating a list of the top 100 apps that will help you go green as part of our effort to promote a more sustainable lifestyle. Apps become an integral part of our life and a valuable tool and we believe we should also take advantage of them when it comes go greening up our life.

Every Friday we update you with a new app on the list, and today we're happy to introduce you with a fun app for kids!

Our app is Green Schools Revolution: The Game from the Co-operative Group. This app is for iPhone and iPad and it's free.

Here are more details about Green Schools Revolution: The Game:

Have you got what it takes to be the ultimate Eco Warrior at home and at school? GREEN SCHOOLS REVOLUTION: THE GAME, from The Co-operative, is your chance to show off just how green you can be! Put your green knowledge to the test, saving water and energy as you go. Can you unlock the secret bonus round and make it to the top of the leaderboard?

Packed full of exciting levels, it’s a race against time to harvest carrots before the rabbit, turn the taps off to save the duck and save energy by turning the lights off. Can you do this faster than your friends, get the highest score possible, unlock the secret bonus level and become an Eco Warrior?

GREEN SCHOOLS REVOLUTION: THE GAME – play your part in the Green Schools Revolution!
Find out more about The Co-operative’s Green Schools Revolution programme at www.greenschools.coop

Features:
• Fun quizzes about energy, water and healthy living unlock 4 levels of green games
• Energy saving game – turn of the lightbulbs to save energy and gain points
• Be a water watcher – can you turn off the taps to save water and keep the ducky afloat?
• Harvest carrots on the farm, but be quick before the rabbit beats you to it!
• Unlock a secret round to boost your green points even further

Play against your friends and see your top scores on the Game Center leaderboard.

You can check top 100 green apps at http://www.ecolibris.net/greenapps.asp. As you'll see, this list is in work, but we promise to update it every week until we'll have all 100 green apps.

Last week's green app - Every Body Walk!

Yours,
Raz @ Eco-Libris

Eco-Libris: Plant a tree for every book you read!