Pass the Book! WHAT IS PASS THE BOOK? PASS THE BOOK was initiated in November of 2004 by a couple of ravenous readers who were looking to do something productive with their books rather than let them lie dormant after a single read. We found the idea of releasing books into the wild via bookcrossing.com appealing, but were annoyed when the released books remained wild, perhaps -- who knew? -- packed away in some Great Lost and Found where they would never be looked upon again by the eyes of man. We thought we'd do something less formal, passing books among friends to form a chain of readers that would delight six-degrees-of-separation-obsessed folk. (Surely one day your copy of The DaVinci Code will end up in the hands of the Dalai Llama!) Feel free to start your own reading chains. You'll find directions below for creating your own PASS THE BOOK books.

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WANT TO CREATE A PASS THE BOOK BOOK? Print out these directions and affix them to the book of your choice. Create a READER LIST (as described in the directions) somewhere in the book. (Make sure to provide your address in the reader list if you'd like the book to be returned to you eventually.) Then pass the book!

ABOUT US. Debra Hamel, having written a book about a prostitute, spends her days blogging about books, solving (and blogging about) crosswords, and making merry with her two comely daughters. (More about Debra.)

Gypsi Phillips Bates, having not yet written a book, spends her days reading (or at least wishing she were) and reviewing said reads; she is the mother of two fish, two hamsters, and three cats, step-Mom to a Butterfly Girl and wife of her Best Friend.

A NOTE ABOUT BOOK SALES. As an author myself, I (Debra writing here) am fully sympathetic with the view that public libraries are an evil akin to Napster in its pirating days -- not that most would equate the two. One wants one's books to sell, not to be bandied about on the streets for free. On the other hand, I recognize the power of word of mouth in book sales. Everyone who reads a book and enjoys it becomes a potential salesman for the product, and interest in the book may spread virally beginning with any satisfied user. I would urge anyone who has read and enjoyed a PASS THE BOOK book to earn their free read by recommending it to friends and family, by posting a review of it at Amazon.com, or by buying it as a gift for someone.

OTHER IDEAS. In addition to passing the book, there are a number of other interesting things you can do with your used books. I've already mentioned bookcrossing.com. Bookins.com provides people with an elegant means of trading books with one another, at minimal cost. And the folks at Operation Paperback will help you ship your books off to service members.

ANNOUNCEMENTS
November 27, 2004
Woohoo!
I got my first PASS THE BOOK book, Carl Hiaasen's Skinny Dip. Thanks, Gypsi! It looks great. And thanks for the birthday card!

By the way, I sent off the book you ordered, if you will, today.
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