Archive for September, 2008
This week (Sep. 27-Oct. 4) is the American Library Association’s annual Banned Book Week, which celebrates our freedom to read—and say—whatever we want to without fear. You may not have time for all of the ALA’s action points, but it’s easy to get in on the freedom of speech party. Stick it to the censors by reading a book on DailyLit that’s been challenged or banned (or even burned).
Here are some ideas (and they’re all FREE):
-The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn or The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, both by bad-boy author Mark Twain, a fixture on banned author lists for years.
-Ulysses by James Joyce, which was burned in the U.S., Ireland, and Canada and banned and burned in England (sheesh).
-The Jungle by Upton Sinclair, which is perfect if you really want to stick it to big brother. It was burned in Nazi bonfires because of Sinclair’s socialist views in 1933 and banned in East Germany in 1956 as inimical to communism. It was also banned in South Korea in 1985.
-The Call of the Wild by Jack London, banned in Yugoslavia and also burned in Nazi bonfires in 1933.
-Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad, which was banned for its use of a racial epithet.
-Sons and Lovers or Women in Love, both by D.H. Lawrence, who is just as bad as Twain. Indeed, in 1961 an Oklahoma City group called Mothers United for Decency hired a trailer, dubbed it the “smutmobile,” and displayed books deemed objectionable, including Sons and Lovers.
Whether you sail on the Mississippi with Mark Twain or take a ride on the “smutmobile,” make sure to practice and celebrate our freedom of expression this week. It’s important. Supreme Court Justice William O. Douglas said it best, I think:
“Restriction of free thought and free speech is the most dangerous of all subversions. It is the one un-American act that could most easily defeat us.”
Amen, William.
All information in this post comes from the lists on ALA’s website. The cool image above comes from newprotest.org.
September 30th, 2008
You only have one day left to read College Knowledge: 101 Tips for free on DailyLit! Our giveaway of the book–made possible by our sponsor–ends when September does, so hurry up and get schooled before October 1!
September 29th, 2008
We’re excited to announce the addition of a new publisher to the DailyLit program. We just launched our first titles from Oxford University Press. The books cover a range of categories but all are thoughtful and thought-provoking additions to our collection. Brush up on your bon mots with Erin McKean’s Weird and Wonderful Words, or learn about the original relationship between God and country in The Faiths of the Founding Fathers. Other titles available include What Everyone Needs to Know About Islam, The New Faces of Christianity, Lawyers’ Poker, and Infotopia.
September 23rd, 2008
Our second tip was about managing your DailyLit emails in Outlook. Gmail users, now it’s your turn. Learn how to easily manage your DailyLit emails in Gmail using filters and labels. (And check out our first tip here.)
To set up a filter that will label your installments:
-Click on “Settings” in the upper right, then click on “Filters.”
-To filter all emails from DailyLit, fill in “books@dailylit.com” in the “from” field.
-Or, to filter installments of a single book, write the book title in the subject line.
-Click “next.”
-Now you can apply a label (either “DailyLit” or an individual title) to filtered emails as well as select other options: have the emails skip the inbox, always be marked with a star, and so on. When you’re happy with the settings, click “Create Filter” and voilà—your filter is ready to use.
If you’d rather not use a filter, you can create a DailyLit label to apply after you read emails. Click on the “More Actions” drop down menu, create a DailyLit or book label, then use the check boxes and drop-down menu to apply the label to individual emails.
Other Gmail tips:
-You can retroactively apply filters to all the emails you’ve received from DailyLit.
-If you set your emails to skip your inbox, they’re easily accessible by clicking on the DailyLit or book label in the “Labels” box to the lower left of the inbox.
-To file away emails after they come into your inbox, after you’ve read the email, apply the DailyLit or book label, then click the “Archive” button in the upper left. You can access your archives in the “Labels” box.
If you have any trouble getting your folders set up email us at support [at] dailylit [dot] com. We’re happy to help.
Have a tip of your own? Send it to support [at] dailylit [dot] com.
September 16th, 2008
We’re excited to announce the new BookLists feature on DailyLit. Create a To-Read queue, a list of your Favorites, or a customized list on any topic you want—the options are endless. There’s more info on the About BookLists page, and you can see lists our Members have already created here.
Like many of our Members, I’ve started a Favorites list. But with Halloween coming up, I also started a Best Halloween Books list—check it out here. What am I missing? And what’s your #1?
Or, how about a list of great books that have been turned into awful movies? We all know there are plenty of those. (Think: Homer’s epic The Iliad, which became 2004’s “Troy.” Didn’t see it? Don’t.)
Other ideas? Great. Embrace your creativity and get started!
September 10th, 2008
We’re excited to announce that DailyLit has just added Kumon’s Train Your Brain to its collection. Developed by a neurologist, Train Your Brain is designed to give the brain daily exercise using a series of simple calculations, which has been shown to improve brain function and stave off the effects of aging. Each week readers take a short test to check their progress and chart their improving mental fitness. True to DailyLit style, each worksheet and test takes fewer than five minutes to complete.
The book comes just in time for Grandparents’ Day—this Sunday, September 7. What better way to show your grandparents you care than by giving them a gift subscription to Train Your Brain? Grandma’s got enough doilies already.
Even if you’re not part of the AARP set, you can still benefit from the program. Think about it: we all know about the benefits of working out regularly. Don’t you think your brain could use a little exercise too? Plus, with DailyLit, the program comes to you every day. You don’t even have to get up or get sweaty (woo-hoo!).
September 5th, 2008