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“In today’s hectic life, where does one find the time to read?” one might ask. Well, for a person who just loves to read, there’s always time at bedtime, the early morning, while waiting at the bus stop, while standing in a queue to buy a rail ticket, or even in the bathroom.

Though television has a lot to offer it is not the answer to every query. Supposing you’re facing a problem with your infant. There is the option of running to a doctor for the answer, but still better is to keep handy one of those books telling you all you need to know about infancy and your baby. Or, let us say you wish to begin teaching your child about the alphabet and animals. Get the child an alphabet book and you’ll be surprised how often your child will open that book and repeat what you’ve taught him. Perhaps your child is a fan of motor cars and airplanes - the best buy would be a book showing pictures of these.

Books will give you all the information and know how about cooking meals that you savored at a restaurant till now. The market is full of recipe books covering a wide variety of tastes from all over the world.

When it comes to hairdos and colors or styles too, all you need to do is open a book on the subject. You do not have to spend hours at the parlor to make that final decision and likewise for fashions and styles.

There is no dearth of gifts too. On an occasion like a birthday, a wedding or an anniversary - there’s just the book to choose for the special person. Many love reading novels and there’s choice enough for every taste. You may wish to express something really sentimental from the depth of your heart to someone as dear as a lover, husband, father, daughter or mother. There are books in the market that will convey just the right sentiment.

If you like to travel, all you would want to know about places to visit and stay at are available in books. Yes, television does offer a lot on various subjects, except that it cannot be carried into bed, unlike a book that you can keep referring to.

Today, with people turning towards spirituality, there is so much that is there to read about on the masters and spiritualism.

Reading is a habit best inculcated at a tender age. Reading helps keep the mind actively engaged well into old age and goes on to create a thirst for more and more knowledge. “Books are one’s best friend” has been so rightly said. They help overcome the lonely times.

Victor Epand is an expert consultant about books. When shopping for books, we recommend you shop only at the best bookstores for used books, autographed books, and vedic books.

As a mother and a science fiction fan, I really hope my children will grow to enjoy it as well. So far they’re too young to read novels, but that doesn’t mean I can’t get them started.

1. Science Fiction Movies

Some science fiction movies appeal to children even at a very young age. Think about the first Star Wars movie, for example. It’s still a generally good movie, and many 5 year olds I know are utterly nuts about it.

2. Comic Books

Whether or not you’re into them yourself, many comic books contain elements of science fiction, especially with many of the super heroes. The vivid illustrations and fast plot lines can be quite entertaining for children not prepared for more challenging stories… and of course the interest can continue for a lifetime.

3. Television

A variety of children’s shows also have elements of science fiction. What you can find will vary tremendously by age, and you may have to search constantly for shows you hope your kids will enjoy. But there are some great choices out there.

And as they get old enough you can show them your own favorite

4. Science Fiction Novels

Ahh, my personal favorite! Even though my kids are too young to read these by themselves, my husband and I are working on building their interest already.

First of all, they of course see us reading them all the time. That’s a great way to build interest in reading in general. If they see you read, children will read.

You can pick children’s books with elements of science fiction in them. Most kids love stories with rocket ships and aliens in them. You don’t have to worry about scientific accuracy much in the early years, of course.

We’ve also always allowed them to look at the books we own. I tried hard one time to get video of my daughter “reading” Riverworld. She was reciting Cinderella, actually, but I still thought it was cute that she picked a science fiction novel to pretend with.

As she learns to read, we’ve encouraged her to realize just how much she can read by picking up a science fiction novel and showing her that she already knows most of the words. Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, for those who are wondering.

And of course, once they’re old enough, pick appropriate books. I remember starting in third grade with Heinlein’s The Star Beast.

Picking appropriate books can be challenging. Fortunately I still own pretty much ever science fiction novel I’ve ever read, so there’s a good selection of juveniles in there. But if you know whether your child likes lots of action, or dislikes violence, or is more into fantasy, you can pick out appropriate titles.

And, I must admit, there’s a certain delight in teaching my kids to enjoy the books my inlaws so disapprove of. They strongly approve of reading, but only of the right sort. Ignoring that is just fun.

Stephanie Foster runs http://www.sciencefictionado.com/ because she really enjoys reading science fiction. Read some of her science fiction book reviews at her site.

Books make a great companion. However, like any long relationship, it takes efforts to keep it going and strong. Admit it, you tend to ignore them when it comes to their upkeep. A great collection that took time and efforts to build up could end up in unkempt mess and a sorry physical state. Definitely not a welcome feature for your book collection that could contain many a fond memory. Instead, try donating the books.

Donating your books can be done in a number of ways.

1. Donate locally: Books can be donated at the local libraries. However, these days many libraries do not accept such donations. Still, it is possible to find one in your neighbourhood that accepts books in donation. Usually books in electronic form such as audio and video CDs, tapes, videos, or DVDs are preferred.

2. Through various websites: A number of websites deal with book donations.

The following is a list of some such websites:

JustGive: You can get information about the places where you can donate almost anything, including books, for a charity.

BookCrossing: This unique site encourages making books available to anyone interested in reading it, by following a pattern wherein a book is left in a public space for anyone to pick up and read. Your books could thus find a better way to get into circulation and actual reading, than their present solitary confinement.

PaperBackSwap: You can mail the books here and get credits that you can use to get the books you want. Usually a book is charged a little over $2 for the postage. The details are available on the website.

There are other helpful sites as well that support book donating, such as Freecycle, Craigslist, etc.

3. Through various programs: Certain organizations run programs that accept books as donations as part of their charity drive. The following programs are helpful if you want to donate your books for a good cause:

FOLUSA: These days FOLUSA is seeking donations to restore the libraries in hurricane and other natural disaster-hit areas. The books to be donated could be shipped to FOLUSA, the contact details are available on the website.

Vietnam Veterans Association: The additional benefit of this organization is that it provides a pick up and delivery service as well. Of course, this service is available in certain areas only and the maximum number of titles you can donate at a time are limited. They also have a system to collect such books on a monthly basis.

Housing Works in NYC: Primarily, this site works for homeless people and AIDS patients in NYC. You can send your books to this group.

Through book-donating charity NGOs: These organizations accept old or new college, graduate or professional level textbooks or study material in English that are provided to the needy students. You can find out more information on the Internet.

Books Through Bars: You can donate your books to prisoners through this program. It is necessary to make sure the kind of reading material you are donating is acceptable as per the regulations of the particular prison.

Donate your books if they have become more of a liability than an asset. Make way for your hitherto unwanted and isolated collection to bring delight in someone else’s life. Help spread the light of learning and warmth of reading pleasure.

Victor Epand is an expert consultant about books. When shopping for books, we recommend you shop only at the best bookstores for used books, autographed books, and vedic books.

With the cost of college tuition and other college related expenses constantly on the rise with no end in sight, parents and students are becoming more money conscious. Scholarships and student loans are a great way to pay for living expenses and tuition, but students are finding that with the economy as it is today, they are not getting enough to cover the cost of college textbooks.

Any student or parent who has walked into the campus bookstore can agree that college textbooks are very expensive. Of course walking into the campus bookstore before the start of the semester is recommended. Schools will often allow students to purchase books as early as two weeks before the start of the school year. There are two hidden benefits for heading to the campus bookstore far in advanced.

If a student is lucky they will be enrolled in a class that the professor is using the same book as he or she did the semester before. If this is the case, many students from the previous semester may have sold back their books. The books are then labeled as used and stuck on the shelf. The bookstore does an inventory of the used textbooks and the total number of books needed for class, and buys new textbooks for the difference. By going to the bookstore early you could save anywhere from $2.00 to $30.00 on just a single book.

Another advantage of checking out the bookstore early is so that you can see the books and get the ISBN numbers. It’s no big secret that the bookstore is more expensive than online used textbook sites. Check out sites like Half or Amazon, for great deals on used textbooks. Used textbooks are not just limited to those two sites, there are hundreds of websites dedicated to purchasing and selling used college textbooks.

Yes that’s right; there are people who will buy back your used textbook. Most campus bookstores will buy back used textbooks if they are in excellent condition. If your bookstore is not interested in your book, or the professor has changed books for the following semester, there are online sites that will buy them.

As a warning you may not be able to resell your used textbook. Some publishers will change the book a great deal from one and edition to the next and if schools are requiring the new edition of the book, your copy is obsolete. If you are unable to sell back your used textbooks, you may want to consider donating them. There are organizations that specialize in collecting books and shipping them free of charge to schools in other areas of the world.

Always count the cost of textbooks into any scholarship or student loans that you may get. Even if you get enough to cover the cost of brand new textbooks, it’s still a smart idea to go to the book store early and get your hands on used textbooks. That extra cash can come in handy at the end of the semester when there’s only water to drink and noodles to eat.

FreeStudentListings.com is a school specific resource where you can sell and buy used textbooks to other students. Not only can you find used college textbooks, by school, you can locate internships, jobs for students and graduates, and student housing. Visit us today for great student listings!

Literacy is driven by the habit of reading and not just by writing well or learning how to write well. Reading is a habit that drives you on from one book to another in search of knowledge. Reading does not bore one if pursued endlessly. Right from grade one, it may be recollected, that at the end of the year we had to report on the number of books we had read in the course of the whole year. Somehow one book led to the reading of another and yet another. No boredom and no strain - just a thirst for more and more of those books. That is what reading is supposed to do to you, if you keep at it continuously.

Even though writing contributes to our growth as a person, it is reading that makes us what we are. There’s so much to learn from books.

Reading improves Your Mental Aptitude

Reading helps develop a stronger mental aptitude. How then will a novel help when it is not related to any of the subjects at school? In fact how can it increase mental aptitude?

Keeping the brain active helps it remain alive and thinking. This is what reading does to you. Scientists have stated that we use so little of our brains - what with all the equipment around us - that our brains are not as sharp, and slow to function. At the drop of a hat, we reach out for that calculator rather than exert the brain to work out a small mathematical problem or calculation.

Reading helps keep our brain thinking and imagining. The words out there staring us in the face as we read, help put the brain into the action surrounding the thoughts and ideas projected. So doesn’t this make you smarter?

Does Reading Help You Earn More?

It’s true that earlier people worked hard and earned well too without the education that is available today! But that is how life was earlier, and they made a success of it in spite of little or no education at all.

Some people succeed without a formal education but, is it not better to make a position in life with education than to make it well in life without education? Would you rather be the sales man in a car store or be the owner of the car store? This is what you have to decide for yourself. Reading helps you rise in life by creating dreams for yourself and helping yourself progress by the day.

Reading helps you gain knowledge in subjects which you have not been introduced to at school. Learning never comes to an end and books help you pursue this thirst for knowledge.

Victor Epand is an expert consultant about books. When shopping for books, we recommend you shop only at the best bookstores for used books, autographed books, and vedic books.

A new trend for recycling textbooks is to trade them online. There are several programs that making a space where students can trade. These websites are like bulletin boards where various websites list their ability to trade and students can choose where to go. Students can list books on their campus and can find them from anywhere in the country.

Most sites have been created to help students save money on the cost of new textbooks. When you list your books other students who haven’t taken your classes yet can find the books they need. Generally, you will need to give your campus site and name for your local site or you may find it somewhere in your community. All this is available when you list your needs online.

One of the reasons it makes sense to trade books is that publishers of new textbooks bring out a new edition about every three years. Usually professors will go with the newer edition but in reality, the publisher doesn’t change much from one edition to another. If you purchase it new, you’re going to pay a higher price.

There area many different ways to cut the cost by trading. You can ask around to other students as well or you can look for them at a variety of social sites. For instance, MySpace, Craigslist, and Facebook have people who want to get rid of their used textbooks. Ask around at these places. Bookswaps at Campusbookswap is another organization that allows students to trade their books online.

Another idea that is new and that will probably catch is to rent your textbook. You can find sites online that will actually rent books for a very nominal fee. As an example, Chegg allows you to rent the book for the entire semester and they have an easy way to get your books and send them back. Their site looks a little like the Netflix site for videos.

One of the areas where most students may not think to look is their college library. Often there will be a copy or two of a current textbook that will be on display for students who don’t have access to the book within the first couple of weeks. This is great way to find them too.

As more students find ways to get used textbooks some of the publishers are having challenges because they make most of their money through new books sales. In some situations they are asking college bookstores not to sell used copies of their textbooks and some college bookstores are asking professors not to tell students to buy books online. However, with the rising cost of new textbooks something has to be done. Each student has a right to get their books wherever they can find the best bargains.

FreeStudentListings.com is a school specific resource where you can buy and sell used textbooks to other students. Not only can you find used textbooks by school, you can locate an internship, jobs for students and graduates, and student housing. Visit us today for great free student listings!

Ernest Hemingway is one of the all time greats of American literature, whose style was a stark contrast (if not complete polar opposite) of his literary rival, William Faulkner. Hemingway’s direct and precise style of writing is still often cited to aspiring writers across universities everywhere as the model for them to follow.

What’s interesting is the unconventional way in which Ernest Hemingway got his literary career started. If you’re an amateur book collector looking for the very first Ernest Hemingway novel, you’re going to have a hard time finding it. Ernest Hemingway had to pay his dues like most famous writers, and when someone refers to “Hemingway’s first novel” they might be referring to one of three works:

“Three Stories and Ten Poems”
“In Our Time”
“Torrents of Spring”

These are the earliest works of Hemingway. Technically the very first one published was “Three Stories and Ten Poems,” which is the rarest, and was actually self-published because no one else wanted it.

Only 300 copies were printed in 1923, and a perfect copy of the first edition of “3 stories and 10 poems” would now sell for $65,000. Even a copy in beat up rough shape is worth $3,500 minimum. Since there were only 300 original copies printed, you can imagine how hard it is to find a copy.

Ironically, “In Our Time” was supposed to be Hemingway’s first novel and was accepted by a French publisher, but publishing was delayed, so this novel wasn’t printed until 1924. There were only 170 copies made of the first version, released by William Bird Press of Paris.

A perfect first edition of “In Our Time” is worth $50,000, while a 1925 New York printing is worth about the same, but only with a dust jacket.

“The Torrents of Spring” was printed in 1926 and is often mistaken for Ernest’s original novel because it was the work that really gained national and international attention for the young author. A “Torrents of Spring” first draft with dust jacket is worth around $20,000 in excellent condition. The same novel is in worn, but good, condition, is worth about $3,000.

Ernest Hemingway’s early works will always be really popular among collectors, which can also make these more difficult to find. Hemingway’s later classic novels like “The Old Man and the Sea,” “For Whom the Bell Tolls,” and “The Sun Also Rises,” are all collectible, and far easier to get a hold of since far more printings of these works were made.

That makes them less valuable money-wise, but the reading experience can’t be beat.

If you’re interested in both Ernest Hemingway and his works, please feel free to visit my page at:
http://www.squidoo.com/Ernest-Hemingway-Antique-Books

Thanks for reading!

On the average college campus one student can have a bill for textbooks that is $600 or more because they will spend an average of $120 per book per class. If they have more than one book in each class, the price can be astronomical.

One of the best ways to cut the cost is to buy used textbooks instead of buying them new. This way a student can more comfortably take a class and use some of that extra money for other things. A question may come to mind as to where to purchase used books.

Most students are buying them online because it is faster and easier than hunting for them at the bookstore or other local bookstores. Going online can be daunting though because there are so many choices. Here are five places that you can go for best value, and these are in no particular order. However, they all have at least a four star rating (out of five stars):

1. Amazon — most people will start at Amazon because they always have books discounted. This is true for some textbooks, but not for all. You can start here and use them to comparison shop other places.

2. BestBookBuys — this is a great site for finding books because they have a search feature that allows you to comparison shop some of the major stores. The comparison tells you things like the condition of the book, the rating of the store and how long it will take.

3. Half — this is a site from eBay and the information reads pretty much like Amazon. At this sight however you can save between 20% and 90% depending on the book you need.

4. TextbooksRus– If you want used textbooks really cheap, try this site. In a search for Philosophy or Psychology (without a particular book) we were able to find books between $1.00 and $5.00.

5. Powells — Powell’s discounts all of their new books so they are less than the market value. You can find books for about half the price as the new price.

When you are purchasing used textbooks it is important to get them before your class starts if possible. Many professors are now putting their syllabi on their personal pages or on college pages listed by class. Used textbooks can take up to two weeks to arrive when they are in stock, so you will want to have them when classes start.

Usually when you look at the information on these books you will be told the condition which can be fair, good or excellent. You will have to decide how much damage you are willing to take for the price you are willing to pay.

Used textbooks are a great way to find the books you need and let’s face it, when gas and food prices are high; it’s nice to know you can save money somewhere!

FreeStudentListings.com is a school specific resource where you can buy and sell used textbooks to other students. Not only can you find used textbooks by school, you can locate an internship, jobs for students and graduates, and student housing. Visit us today for great student listings!

Many students may not know that they can take their used textbooks to a variety of places and get cash back for them. In most colleges, universities and community colleges textbooks are recycled all the time. Generally speaking, if a class is going to go from one semester to the other, there will be a great need for used textbooks.

One of the first places to start is the college bookstore where the textbooks were first purchased. There will be several times during the year that used textbooks will be bought back by the bookstore and depending on their need a student can get half of their money spent or more. It really depends on the book. At other times, they may only get a few dollars back but it is a good idea anyway.

Another way to get money for used textbooks is to advertise on a bulletin board. Around most colleges and universities there are students who need to find textbooks for undergraduate and graduate classes. Let’s face it. With new textbooks costing anywhere between $100 and $150 or more per course, it is a wise thing to advertise those you don’t need anymore. Often you can get more for your textbooks by advertising them; you can also advertise in the school newspaper.

There are a variety of online sites now that allow you to sell your books online. They will either buy your books or you can offer your books for sale. You can also purchase used textbooks at these sites. A Google search for used textbooks will bring up more sites than you can imagine.

Some of the things to keep in mind when you have used books for sale:

1. Make sure they are in good condition.

2. If you think you are going to sell them back or sell them to someone else at the end of the term, don’t mark in them. Also, don’t use highlighters. You will get more money for a book in perfect condition than one that looks used.

3. Check the bookstore to see when they are going to sell it back.

4. Some bookstores have a way that you can check to see whether the book is being used. For instance, with some websites you can actually check the ISBN number to see the amount you can get in buy back.

5. Be sure to include your email or phone number if you are selling them on a bulletin board.

6. Go online and check out the various places that buy used books and post yours for sale.

You may not make a big profit from selling your used textbooks, but you will save on the cost of new ones for yourself.

One other way that you can be of help with used textbooks is to send them overseas. There are many programs that ask for textbooks of any kind as long as they are new. If you can afford to let yours go, this is a worthwhile cause.

FreeStudentListings.com is a school specific resource where you can sell used textbooks. Not only can you find cheap used textbooks by school, you can locate an internship, jobs for students and graduates, and student housing. Visit FreeStudentListings.com to get started today!

Books are a treasure for which there is no measure. Literally, I mean you cannot weigh the value of books in terms of money. They are just too precious. They are a great source of information, whether hardcover or online. Books create a world of their own; a world of knowledge and enlightenment.

From a very young age, children are basically inquisitive by nature. They want to search and look and ask a thousand questions. Their questions are not always foolish, and yet we cannot always satisfy their curiosity. At these times, books are very helpful in feeding this curiosity and answering their millions of questions.

Remember, it is important that children learn about animals that live in the wild, as much as they know about Tommy the Labrador or Polly the Parrot. Domestic animals are ones that surround them and are a part of their everyday life. But there are also wild animals that kids need to know about. They need to know the lifestyle and habits of the tiger as well as the crocodile. God has created all things, and they all have their own unique role to play on earth. Children need not be filled with fear or any wrong notions, but should be given the facts which will assist them in making a right assumption concerning wild animals.

Books are one of the best methods of introducing animal life to children. They have a lot of colorful pictures, appealing to the senses of kids and they tempt them into wanting to see more and read more. Books have a way of opening up a whole new world to them; a world that they understand and learn to appreciate with time. Rather than acquiring a fear for the wild, it is better they learn to understand how animals live and are a part of their habitat, into which they are born.

Wildlife books have a lot of information on the lifestyle and eating habits of all animals living in the wild, be it elephants, hyenas, tigers or the crocodile. They cover each and every aspect in detail, like their daily schedules, how they hunt, what they eat and other things. This helps a child to imagine what the real thing is like, without really being physically present there. Some kids get so fascinated that they actually take such an interest in wildlife, that when they grow up, they choose the study nature as a career option.

Books play a big role in conditioning a child’s thoughts and opinions in a positive manner, towards wild animals. It would really be difficult to live our lives, and even more difficult explaining to a child, the positive aspects of the WILD, without a BOOK.

Victor Epand is an expert consultant about books. When shopping for books, we recommend you shop only at the best bookstores for used wildlife books, autographed books, and vedic books.