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Originally Posted by LivinLOS
Thats exactly my idea...
I was thinking to make a site called wanderingbooks or something.. Then when you finish a book you have to give it away.. The person you give it to is asked to continue the thread and if they can say where they got it, where they left it, if they liked it etc.. They could come onto the web or have an email address or set up a efax number or SMS to make it as easy as possible..
At first it would be interesting to track a small sample of books to see if and how it works but the idea is a good one and a forum could start with a thread for each book with people starting thier own wandering books through the site..
I think being a 'booky' community the click through on amazon banner ads etc would be much higher than normal.. Plus you would have a book club atmosphere for talking about books.. Perhaps the site could have a amazon direct sales link to create a revenue flow...
Theres variations on the theme..
If you have a Thai book does it stay in Thailand.. Or perhaps interestingly would it return to Thailand ?? Would a 'Lucky 7 agogo' or nightlife style book only go male to male ??
Also I wondered about the idea of saying this book is trying to get to xxx person in xxx place.. Simply by handing it person to person with the instructions in the front (no posting it) could the book be engineered to go from person to person around the world ???
I have sort of thought of a 'manifesto' to put in the front, including such things as this book should be given to you freely and passed on freely.. This books should be given to a stranger.. If found in a second hand bookshop please donate it as a gift after use.. Then include that you can find out about this book and its travels on this web address please report the following info to us by any of the above methods.
I have been meaning to discuss this on here for a while.. I get loads of books and get a fair few second hand.. I remember picking up a book in english with arabic (I think) writing in the cover / dustjacket.. It struck me that I wonder who had given this book to who and what the message was and since then have turned this idea around lots of times..
I am really curious if certain types of books and authors get different types of readers naturally.. I mean I wouldnt expect the type of person who reads a Kurt Vonnegut to be the same kind that reads a Jilly Cooper but you never know..
Being in a tourist place means that this can spread them very easy.. However after that.. would they stagnate in one place ?? Or whould they move ?? I personally would enjoy passing them on in train stations and airports.. Give them that boost.. I guessed a lonley planet style book might live more in a country than other type...
I just really like the possibilites of monitoring the migrations of them passed from person to person and then also the people study (I should have been an anthropologist !!) of who reads em..
Cant be too tough to knock up a CMS with Nuke and PHPBB.. Hell the vbullitin portal page would be enough homepage really..
I just think its a fun little idea..
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It's a top idea, but you lost me right her -
Cant be too tough to knock up a CMS with Nuke and PHPBB
I have some unused space and free access to phbb message boards. I thought exactly the same format as it gooes too, a forum with a thread for each book.
I will PM you an e-mail address if you want to flesh the idea out.