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To: Elsewhere who wrote (13760)	10/25/2003 5:35:18 AM
From: LindyBill	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 793848

This could get very interesting. If you are able to refine your search, It would be an on-line world research library. ____________________________________________________ Publication: The New York Sun; Date:2003 Oct 24; Section:Front page; Page 1 PUBLISHERS LUNCH A Giant Step Forward By Amazon By MICHAEL CADER Special to the Sun Amazon.com launched its long-anticipated overhaul of its online book browsing capability yesterday, under the new banner “Search Inside the Book.” Of course, you could think of it more informally as one step toward “Google for books.” The e-tailer claims that more than 190 publishers are participating, allowing complete text searching of 120,000 books. Each of those publishers may have cut somewhat different deals with the site, so not all books are browsable to the same extent. Four of the five major publishing conglomerates are part of the new program — Random House, Harper, Time Warner, and Simon & Schuster. Penguin is the biggest holdout. For the last few months, there’s been some nervousness in the publishing community about security concerns. There have also been objections from authors that publishers don’t have the right to allow such full-text searching under standard contracts. Initial reaction to the launch seemed broadly positive. Time Warner Book Group’s president, Maureen Egen, is quoted in Amazon’s statement,saying,“The customer in me loves this.” A Simon & Schuster spokesman, Adam Rothberg, said, “We think it’s great,” indicating that the publishing house has “made a substantial commitment to participating,” beginning with backlist titles and now cycling in frontlist nonfiction. Publishers hope the new feature will stimulate more sales by overcoming the primary obstacle to buying books online — it’s hard to browse, and compare similar titles. They also hope it will underscore books as a primary source of quality information for a whole generation of literate people who have become accustomed to using the Web as their first stop when looking for something. Even the Authors Guild’s executive director, Paul Aiken, was moderate in his first reaction. “It is a question of whether publishers have the right to put up these works in full text form, and our view is they don’t,” he said.“We do have assurances from some of the major publishers that if the authors object, however, they will take the books down.” Mr. Aiken did see how the new feature “might be effective marketing, especially for some types of books.” As one publishing executive told us, “We need something out there for readers. Amazon has been very reasonable and careful and prudent about setting this up; in the end this may prove less controversial than even their used books initiative.” Register to enterhttp://daily.nysun.com/Daily/skins/NYSun/navigator.asp?BP=OK&GZ=T&AW=1066357146390

To: Elsewhere who wrote (13760)	10/25/2003 6:09:27 PM
From: KLP	Respond to of 793848

You're welcome, Jochen. The wall was such a trauma for so many of us here in the US, and most probably the world. Seeing men, women and children flee the East and try to reach the West, nearly making it, and then being shot down by the East just before they did....gut wrenching. The day and night they tore down the wall was riveting. Some of the folks here, and in Europe have grown up not really knowing nor experiencing much of the history of the 20th century. They perhaps think 'bad' things won't happen to them. Unless they remember history as it happened and why, they will come to know they aren't immune to terrible things happening --not only to them, but their families and their country.