Evolution of the Written Word

Writing is an art as old as civilization itself. Historians have found cave paintings that are tens of thousands of years old. These ancient records have given us a glimpse into our own history, serving as beautifully preserved records of lifetimes past. Our access to the written word has come a long way since those early days.

Writing underwent its first stage in evolution when it moved from cave walls to stone tablets, making documents portable. Eventually those stone tablets were abandoned for lighter, more portable materials, like cloth and paper. Distribution was no longer limited by the document itself, but by the speed at which someone could write. This limitation disappeared with advent of the printing press, allowing books to be printed en masse and as a result, widely available.

In the present day, we are witnessing the newest stage in the evolution of writing. The internet provides access to information matched by no other medium – ever. Below are some sites that are taking full advantage of the freedom provided by our most revolutionary meduim to date.

Project Gutenberg

Project Gutenberg is an internet library dedicated to providing free eBooks. There are two kinds of free: free from cost and free from copyright, both of which are offered on the site. Most of Project Gutenberg's 25,000 eBooks belong to the public domain and are free of U.S. copyrights. This means anyone can work with and/or distribute the books in the U.S. For example, you could turn A Tale of Two Cities into an audiobook; or translate Les Trois Mousquetaires from French to English language; or adapt Mary Shelley's classic Frankenstein to a book geared toward children.

The eBooks on Project Guttenberg are also available free of charge. This is accomplished by the dedicated volunteers who post eBooks for free. Since anybody can provide content to the site, a variety of formats are available. You can find eBooks in PDF, Word or plain Text formats. There are even some audiobooks offered on the site. Thousands of books have also been translated into over 50 languages, so there is a little something for everyone. See www.gutenberg.com.

Questia

This subscription based online reference library is perfect for anyone doing research. Boasting over 300 publishing partners, they provide access to over 65,000 books as well as 1.5 million journal, magazine and newspaper articles. This library has a lot going for it. For example, they have a large collection of material with a list that continues to grow. They are "open" around the clock and books can be accessed anywhere an internet connection is available. You never have to worry about a book being out when you want it. They have helpful tools to bookmark pages and highlight important passages, as well as tools to create your bibliography and footnotes. You won't break your arms carrying books to the checkout counter. And the best part…no late fees! See www.questia.com.

eBooks.com

eBooks.com is all about convenience, consistency and quality. You can download over 130,000 titles in a variety of fiction and non-fiction subjects. Since the books are available a la carte, there are no recurring fees and you only pay for what you want. Most books are available in three formats—Microsoft Reader, Mobipocket Reader, and Adobe Digital Editions—which, between the three, can be read on PC's, Mac's, or portable devices. Convenience is key with this site. You get your books when you want them. There are no trips to the bookstore and no shipping time from online sellers. One quick download is
all it takes to get your book and go. See www.eBooks.com.

AddALL

If you prefer books—books that you can actually hold—there are many sites to choose from. Everyone knows Amazon, the online book superstore. But what if your tastes are very specific? Where could you find a signed first edition of Ernest Hemmingway's A Farewell to Arms, with its original dust jacket? AddALL, a search engine for new and used book vendors, can meet all of your needs. AddALL searches many popular websites, matching you with links to books and store inventories, sellers contact information and even online purchasing. They can find everything from cheap used paperbacks to rare books like A Farewell to Arms mentioned above. And if you would like to buy that copy of A Farewell to Arms, it can be yours for the low, low price of $10,000 from Antiqbook; it's a steal compared to the $35,000 copy from Biblio! See www.AddALL.com.