Fourth Year assessments of Eco-Libris planting partners are available now online

This is our last post for 2011 and just like we did in 2008, 2009 and 2010 we dedicate it to announce that the annual assessments (2010-11) of our planting partners are now available online!

Here's a little bit more about these assessments: As part of our pledge to quality service to our customers, we decided at the beginning of our operations to conduct annual assessments of our planting partners.The two main goals of these assessments are: 1. to verify the quality of the planting operations and to make sure the high standards we promise to our customers are kept and 2. to provide our customers with details on the tree planting operations they support to balance out their books.

This is the fourth year we're conducting these assessments. Right now, two of them (SHI and AIR) are available online, and the third one (RIPPLE Africa) will be available within couple of weeks.

You are invited to read them (see links below) and also visit our planting partners' websites to learn more about them. Links to past assessments for each of our planting partners, as well as links to their websites, are available on our planting partners page.

Here are links to the two reports that are currently available:

AIR's assessment

SHI's assessment

We will keep you posted of course with more data, photos and videos from the planting operations! Thanks again to our planting partners and to everyone that was involved in the work on the assessments.

Photo credits:

Photo 1: SHI, Panama

Photo 2: AIR, Guatemala

Happy New Year!
Raz @ Eco-Libris

Eco-Libris: Promoting sustainable reading!

Top 100 green apps - GasHog: The Fuel Economy Tracker for iPhone

We are creating a list of the top 100 apps that will help you go green as part of our effort to promote a more sustainable lifestyle. Apps become an integral part of our life and a valuable tool and we believe we should also take advantage of them when it comes go greening up our life.

Every Friday we update you with a new app on the list, and today we're happy to introduce you with an app that will help you to track the fuel economy of your vehicles.

Our app is GasHog from Adair Systems. This app is for iPhone and iPad and it costs $0.99 (we only include in our lists apps that cost less than $2).

Here are more details about GasHog App:
GasHog is a utility for iPhone and iPod Touch to track the fuel economy of your vehicle. GasHog allows you to enter the odometer reading and the amount of fuel added every time you add fuel, and it automatically calculates the fuel economy of your last tank, as well as historical averages. Additionally, GasHog offers tips for improving the fuel economy of your vehicle.






















GasHog's features include:
- Simple and quick entry of odometer reading and fuel added
- Support for multiple vehicles
- Fuel cost tracking
- Support for English and Metric units, separate units for distance, fuel and economy
- International support with numbers and dates formatted to local custom
- Integrated tips for improving fuel economy
- Historical fuel economy statistics (last tank, last 30 days, last 6 months, all time)

GasHog does not require Internet connectivity for any of its features, and operates in areas with no mobile or WiFi coverage.

You can check top 100 green apps at http://www.ecolibris.net/greenapps.asp. As you'll see, this list is in work, but we promise to update it every week until we'll have all 100 green apps.

Last week's green app - Green Schools Revolution -The Game.

Yours,
Raz @ Eco-Libris

Eco-Libris: Plant a tree for every book you read!

Audiobook for the holidays - part 4: The Angel Esmeralda: Nine Stories by Don Delillo (and a giveaway!)

Today we end our December series 'Audiobook for the holidays'. In the lasteeks we introduced you to Boomerang by Michael Lewis and Our Choice by Al Gore and Rin Tin Tin by Susan Orlean. Today we're excited to introduce you to a collection of beautiful nine short stories written by the award-winning American author and playwright Don DeLillo between 1979 and 2011.

Our last audiobook on this series is:

The Angel Esmeralda: Nine Stories by Don Delillo, read by Mercedes Ruehl, Heather Lind, Aaron Tveit, Michael Cerveris and Peter Friedman.

The audiobook is published by Simon & Schuster Audio. Here's an excerpt from the audiobook:

Here's more about "The Angel Esmeralda":

From one of the greatest writers of our time, the first ever collection of brilliant short stories, written between 1979 and 2011; chronicling—and foretelling—three decades of American life.

Set in Greece, the Caribbean, Manhattan, a white collar prison, and outer space, these nine stories are a mesmerizing introduction to Don DeLillo’s iconic voice, from the rich, startling, jazz-infused sentences of his early work to the spare, distilled, monastic language of the later stories.

In “Creation,” a couple at the end of a cruise in the West Indies can’t get off the island. In “Human Moments in World War III,” two men orbiting the earth hear American radio, a half century ago. In the title story, nuns working the violent streets of the south Bronx, confirm the neighborhood’s miracle, the apparition of the dead child, Esmeralda.

Nuns, astronauts, athletes, terrorists, and travelers, the characters in The Angel Esmeralda propel themselves into the world and define it. DeLillo’s sentences are instantly recognizable, as original as the splatter of Jackson Pollock or the luminous rectangles of Rothko. These nine stories describe an extraordinary journey of one great American writer—and are a perfect introduction to the author whose prescience about world events and ear for American language changed the literary landscape.

The audiobook is available on Amazon: http://amzn.to/nvNYNe and on iTunes: http://bit.ly/rLYYoA

GIVEAWAY ALERT!!

We're giving away two copies of this audiobook, courtesy of the publisher, Simon & Simon audio!

How you can win? Very simple. All you have to do is to add a comment with the name of your favorite short story author. We will have a raffle on Wednesday, January 5, 2012, 5:00PM EST between all the readers that will add their comments by then. The winners will be announced the following day.

Yours,
Raz @ Eco-Libris

Eco-Libris: Promoting sustainable reading!

My article on Triple Pundit about the help SFI certification gets from Maine Governor Paul LePage

Here's an update on a new article I published today on Triple Pundit with the latest news on the new battleground between SFI and FSC certifications.

This time it's Maine, where Governor LePage signed an executive order directing that that “any new or expanded state buildings shall incorporate ‘Green Building’ standards that give certification credits equally to forest products grown, manufactured, and certified under the Sustainable Forestry Initiative Standard, Forest Stewardship Council, American Tree Farm System, and Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification systems.”

The article is entitled 'Maine’s Governor Helps SFI Win an Important Battle Over FSC'. Here's the first part of the article:

I have to admit that I got it wrong. Last September, I wrote here about the battle between the competing forest products certification Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) and Forest Stewardship Council (SFI). I thought that the fact that seven large companies decided to reject the SFI certification meant that SFI is going to lose this battle, unless it worked with environmental organizations to improve its credibility. I didn’t take into consideration one factor that can change this balance of power and help SFI swiftly recover: friendly politicians.

To read the full article go to http://www.triplepundit.com/2011/12/sfi-wins-battle-fsc-maine-timber-friendly-governor/

Links to other articles I wrote for Triple Pundit can be found at http://www.triplepundit.com/author/raz-godelnik/

To read more on the fight between FSC and SFI, visit our website at http://www.ecolibris.net/SFI_or_FSC.asp

Yours,
Raz @ Eco-Libris

Eco-Libris: Plant trees for your books!

Interview with Eric Lowitt, the author of The Future of Value

Today I'm happy to introduce a great book that should be of interest to anyone who is looking to better understand the business case of sustainability, or in other words, how companies use sustainability to create business value for their stakeholders.

The book is: The Future of Value: How Sustainability Creates Value Through Competitive Differentiation by Eric Lowitt.

I read many books on green and sustainable business, and this is one of the best ones I have read in the last couple of years, presenting the business case of sustainability in a clear and structured way. The book is full with great examples that Eric Lowitt gathered through years of research, making it an invaluable tool to practitioners who want to help their companies become more sustainable but just don't know how to do it.

I wanted to learn more about the book and had the opportunity to conduct an interview with the author, Eric Lowitt over the email. Before we get to the interview, here are just few more details about the book and Eric.

About the book: What if you were able to help your company grow faster and become more profitable than its rivals? Would you benefit as a result? Of course you would. What if your approach required little cash, caused nominal disruption, and was easily understandable by all your colleagues? What reason would you have for not helping your company outperform the competition?

Enhance business performance by using sustainability for competitive advantage The Future of Value reveals what it takes for companies to grow and outperform the competition in today's growth-constrained, sustainability conscious world. The author, Eric Lowitt, shows leaders and students alike how to use sustainability as a powerful, pragmatic lens to enhance business performance. The Future of Value explores how to craft and oversee a portfolio of effective tools, develop competitive strategies, and adjust value chain activities, talent management practices, and corporate policies to help organizations execute powerful sustainability strategies.

About the author: Eric Lowitt is a consultant, speaker, and author. A seasoned business leader and management consultant, Eric helps organizations grow their revenue and profitability by connecting sustainability and competitive strategy. His work has been featured in the Wall Street Journal, The Guardian, and The Harvard Business Review, among tier one publications worldwide.

Raz Godelnik: What brought you to write this book in the first place?

Eric Lowitt: I’ve watched companies fail by not taking the environment or society – both the challenges and opportunities within – into account. I’ve also witnessed companies avoid sustainability because they mistakenly view sustainability as solely either ‘green’ or ‘philanthropy’. I wrote The Future of Value to counter these two issues.

When you read The Future of Value, you’ll learn that sustainability is synonymous with strategy, not just self-limiting terms like green or philanthropy. You’ll see how your company can reduce costs today, increase revenue tomorrow, and become more agile well into the future by embracing, not avoiding, environmental and social responsibility. As an example, consider my most recent Harvard Business Review contribution, as seen here.

RG: Your book, The Future of Value, brings many great examples of what you call 'Sustainable Market Leaders' - why these companies are still the exception and not the rule?

EL: Sustainable Market Leaders overcome three mental blocks which prevent other companies from ascending into the ranks of the business elite. The first mental block is the decision not to prioritize sustainability, mainly because companies mistakenly view sustainability as not being central to their business success. In reality, this could not be further from the truth. The second mental block is the flawed belief that sustainability isn’t worth investment. If your company suffers from this mental block, consider this – do you believe energy, commodity, and labor prices will decrease or increase in the next decade? Sustainable Market Leaders know these prices will increase, and in some cases increase dramatically. As a result, they are proactively investing in alternative sources of fuel and materials because they have concluded these sources will ultimately cost less.

The third mental block is to answer uncertainty with paralysis. That is most companies are uncertain how to proceed in order to achieve sustainability. As a result, they choose the easy path – no action at all. The Future of Value provides an actionable alternative, one that will repay its investment instantly and many times over in the long-run.

RG: Why so many companies have hard time in integrating sustainability into their corporate strategy?

EL: All too often, companies stop after crafting and documenting a sustainability plan. They rest on the misguided belief that the plan is in actuality a strategy, one which will carry itself out within the organization. Sustainable Market Leaders understand that only the future actions which get into their company’s strategic plan will get into the operating plan and thus get funded. One practical action you can take today is to schedule time with your company’s strategic planning and financial management teams to discuss not only your sustainability plan but also uncover the natural linkages that were always there between your sustainability, strategy, and operating plans.

RG: You provide in The Future of Value many examples of companies and their efforts to embrace sustainability - which one impressed you mostly?

EL: There is no one perfect company; rather every company has its strengths and flaws. The companies I most admire exhibit modesty, are fueled by a sense of urgency to act, and are guided by an unwavering commitment to continuous improvement in order to achieve sustainability. Companies in this category range from Unilever to Monadnock Paper Mills to Australia and New Zealand Bank. When you read The Future of Value you’ll learn the secrets behind these companies’ long track records of success and develop the same time tested skills that will lead your company to becoming a part of this group of elite companies – Sustainable Market Leaders.

RG: KPMG released a report earlier this week claiming that U.S. companies are “scratching the surface” of corporate responsibility, as a whole concentrating on communication more than performance - do you agree with it?

EL: Absolutely! There’s a continuum companies travel along during their journey to a state of sustainability. Companies begin by ‘toe dipping’ – taking a small action to get a sense for accomplishment and what’s to come. All too often, companies turn to ‘communication’ as a way to show others their company is braving the rough waters of sustainability. This is a problem in part because we as a group of companies and members of society have become accustomed to instant gratification. We’re eager to show others our new tool, our new skill, our new accomplishment. Within the sustainability realm, too often this translates into showing others the ‘sizzle’ without the complete cooking of the ‘steak’ – thus exposing companies to the backlash of ‘greenwashing’ accusations.

Eventually companies learn they need to perform and not merely promise. Society, with its voices amplified by social media, does not suffer fools for long. Companies will either act on their promises or face society’s backlash. Then companies evolve into sector-level advocacy for systemic change in order to facilitate sustainable development within industry. Few companies have achieved this state, though more and more are on the cusp of doing so!

RG: What is the most important element in the process of creating and maximizing the value of sustainability?

EL: Recognizing sustainability equals profitability. The Future of Value will equip you with the ability to challenge your incomplete views of sustainability’s connection to strategy and financial performance. By the time you finish reading and working through the questions within The Future of Value you will be able to see new customers waiting services – customers that will lead to revenue and profitability.

Here’s a teaser - these customers come in the form of environmental and social needs currently going unmet…

RG: You started the work on The Future of Value with a great knowledge of sustainability, yet I'm sure you had interesting findings through your research - what was the one that surprised you mostly?

EL: I was surprised to learn just how clear the link is between sustainability and strategy and also how few companies have consciously made this connection. As a result of their shortsightedness, they’re allowing billions of dollars – yes billions! – of revenue and market value pass right under their nose. This is shocking to me! The Future of Value will help you claim your rightful portion of this cash flow and market value.

RG: Do you think there's a problem with sustainability metrics and companies' ability to transform their success stories into a language that investors and other stakeholders understand? How much of an obstacle is it?

EL: Metrics are certainly a challenge – more so on the social side of sustainability than on the environmental side. There are two problems which serve as roadblocks in the path of measurement success. First is the individual self-interest. That is, business leaders and other executives receive a significant portion of their annual compensation in the form of performance bonuses. Typically these bonuses are based on the leader’s performance as measured by his or her scorecard of annual goals.

Over time, leaders learn how to manage their investments and expenses in order to achieve their quantitative goals and to receive their maximum bonuses. In this context, it’s easy to understand why leaders resist adding new goals to their performance bonus evaluations…new goals such as environmental and social performance. As a result, they argue the addition of such goals to their scorecards ‘would be detrimental to the business’s best interests.’ In actuality, these leaders are preventing their company – and their department – from growing and becoming more profitable.

The second metrics roadblock comes in the form of companies’ failure to connect sustainability to actions and metrics the investment community truly understand and value. When you view sustainability as altruism, not profitability, you relegate sustainability to the backburner in the minds of the investment community. Instead you need to help analysts see how your sustainability strategy is opening new markets, increasing cash flow by removing inefficiencies, and sharpening your competitive advantage you have developed over your rivals.

RG: If a CEO of a company reads The Future of Value and would like to transform his company into a sustainable market leader, where should she start? What's the first step?

EL: I encourage each of my clients to start with this question – what does sustainability mean to you and your organization? Sadly, many clients stop at ‘green’ or ‘philanthropy’ – but both are self-limiting concepts. Once a definition of sustainability is clear, then you should ask yourself to objectively document where you currently are in relation to your sustainability definition. Next, challenge your organization to measure its sustainability management efforts versus its peers.

You can use a free tool on my website – www.ericlowitt.com/tools. The CLEAR Model - the model The Future of Value develops and brings to life through company case studies – will help you to compare your company’s sustainability management and performance to date versus specific companies within your Global Fortune 500 peer set. Finally be bold – sett unattainable targets and get on with it!

RG: When you finished writing The Future of Value were you more optimistic or pessimistic about the future of sustainable business compared to what you felt when you began working on it?

EL: I’m more optimistic, because The Future of Value translates sustainability into business language and business actions. In this way, The Future of Value serves as a sort of Rosetta Stone which helps companies transition from the unclear – sustainability – into the desirable – greater prosperity for all involved. Thus properly motivated, companies will spearhead the global pursuit of sustainable development!

Thank you, Eric! If you want to learn more about Eric Lowitt and his book, please visit his website - www.ericlowitt.com. The book is available for sale on Amazon in hardcover and electronic formats.

Yours,
Raz @ Eco-Libris

Eco-Libris: Plant a tree for every book you read!

Top 100 book apps: the Beatles Yellow Submarine by the Beatles

Since we believe in the digital future of books as a way to reduce eventually the footprint of books, we also believe in apps. Book apps are integral part of the digital age of books and we want to share with you some great book apps we find and thus we are assembling a list of the top 100 book apps.

In order to get into our list apps need to both book/ebook related and affordable - we choose only apps that are either free or cost less than $2.

So every Monday we will update you with a new app on out list of top book apps. Today we're happy to introduce you with a great musical book app. Ladies and Gentlemen, The Beatles! Our app today is the Beatles Yellow Submarine by the Beatles. This app is for iPhone and iPad and it's free.

Here are more details about the Beatles Yellow Submarine app:

This enchanting illustrated book captures the same magical spirit found in the film. The Beatles’ journey to save Pepperland from the music-hating Blue Meanies is filled with surrealistic humor, wit, and clever references to The Beatles’ song titles and lyrics. In this iTunes exclusive, clips from the movie have been included throughout and can be viewed either embedded in the page or at full-screen. The book also contains interactive animations as well as sound effects and music clips. Download the book for free right here and enjoy it on iBooks on your iPad, iPhone, or iPod touch.

Last week's book app - iStoryBooks

You can check top 100 book apps at http://www.ecolibris.net/bookapps.asp. As you'll see, this list is in work, but we promise to update it every week until we'll have all 100 book apps.

You're also welcome to check our list of 100 green apps.

Yours,
Raz @ Eco-Libris

Eco-Libris: Check our special holiday offer!

Happy Holidays from Eco-Libris!

Whether you celebrate Christmas, Chanukah or Festivus, we wish you a happy holiday!

Yours,
Raz @ Eco-Libris

Eco-Libris: Plant a tree for every book you read!

Top 100 green apps - Green Schools Revolution: The Game

We are creating a list of the top 100 apps that will help you go green as part of our effort to promote a more sustainable lifestyle. Apps become an integral part of our life and a valuable tool and we believe we should also take advantage of them when it comes go greening up our life.

Every Friday we update you with a new app on the list, and today we're happy to introduce you with a fun app for kids!

Our app is Green Schools Revolution: The Game from the Co-operative Group. This app is for iPhone and iPad and it's free.

Here are more details about Green Schools Revolution: The Game:

Have you got what it takes to be the ultimate Eco Warrior at home and at school? GREEN SCHOOLS REVOLUTION: THE GAME, from The Co-operative, is your chance to show off just how green you can be! Put your green knowledge to the test, saving water and energy as you go. Can you unlock the secret bonus round and make it to the top of the leaderboard?

Packed full of exciting levels, it’s a race against time to harvest carrots before the rabbit, turn the taps off to save the duck and save energy by turning the lights off. Can you do this faster than your friends, get the highest score possible, unlock the secret bonus level and become an Eco Warrior?

GREEN SCHOOLS REVOLUTION: THE GAME – play your part in the Green Schools Revolution!
Find out more about The Co-operative’s Green Schools Revolution programme at www.greenschools.coop

Features:
• Fun quizzes about energy, water and healthy living unlock 4 levels of green games
• Energy saving game – turn of the lightbulbs to save energy and gain points
• Be a water watcher – can you turn off the taps to save water and keep the ducky afloat?
• Harvest carrots on the farm, but be quick before the rabbit beats you to it!
• Unlock a secret round to boost your green points even further

Play against your friends and see your top scores on the Game Center leaderboard.

You can check top 100 green apps at http://www.ecolibris.net/greenapps.asp. As you'll see, this list is in work, but we promise to update it every week until we'll have all 100 green apps.

Last week's green app - Every Body Walk!

Yours,
Raz @ Eco-Libris

Eco-Libris: Plant a tree for every book you read!

Audiobook for the holidays - part 3: Rin Tin Tin by Susan Orlean (and a giveaway!)

Today we continue our series 'Audiobook for the holidays', where we review, recommend and give away 4 great audiobooks. In the last weeks we introduced you to Boomerang by Michael Lewis and Our Choice by Al Gore. Today we're excited to introduce you to an audiobook that might seems to be a tale about a dog, but is actually "an extraordinary journey" into the story of some of the most interesting parts of the twentieth century . And what a fascinating journey it is!

Our second audiobook on this series is:

Rin Tin Tin: The Life and the Legend by Susan Orlean, narrated by the author.

The audiobook is published by Simon & Schuster Audio. Here's an excerpt from the audiobook read by the author, Susan Orlean:



Here's more about "Rin Tin Tin":

Nearly ten years in the making and perfect for the holidays, Susan Orlean’s first original book since the celebrated bestseller The Orchid Thief is the publishing event of the season: a sweeping, surprising, and powerfully moving work of narrative nonfiction about the dog actor and international icon, Rin Tin Tin.

German shepherd Rin Tin Tin’s journey is the story of the twentieth century. From the discovery of Rin Tin Tin on a WWI battlefield in 1918, to the movies, radio programs, and the 1950s television show that would cement his legacy around the world, Rin Tin Tin traces the extraordinary history of the dog and his descendants over more than ninety years. Rin Tin Tin was a star (he received 10,000 fan letters a week); a worldwide sensation; a social figure (as the U.S. Army’s WWII mascot, he inspired thousands of Americans to donate their dogs for use in the war); and a baby-boom touchstone. He was also a real dog, and the book tells the epic love story between Rin Tin Tin and the remarkable people who devoted their lives to him and his legacy.

Rin Tin Tin is also Orlean’s meditation on the nature of heroism, loyalty, and memory, and how Rin Tin Tin has lasted for so many generations. “Rin Tin Tin could leap twelve feet,” she writes, “and he could leap through time.”

Here's another interesting video clip, where author Susan Orlean talks about the audiobook and why she chose to narrate her book:

The audiobook is available on Amazon: http://amzn.to/oPSvFS and on iTunes: http://bit.ly/t7uZBP

GIVEAWAY ALERT!!

We're giving away two copies of this audiobook, courtesy of the publisher, Simon & Simon audio!

How you can win? Very simple. All you have to do is to retweet this post on twitter with the hashtag #rintintin at the end of your tweet. We will have a raffle on Wednesday, December 28, 5:00PM EST between all the readers that will retweet by then. The winners will be announced the following day.

Yours,
Raz @ Eco-Libris

Eco-Libris: Promoting sustainable reading!

Newt Gingrich would probably not be interested in this prize, but how about you?

I read this morning on the New York Times on the attack ads on Newt Gingrich from other GOP Presidential candidates.

Among them (see picture) is a one showing Gingrich with Representative Nancy Pelosi, Democrat of California and the former House speaker, and Al Gore in the background, asks, “With allies like this, who needs the left?” (I guess they're referring to this "We Can Solve It" global warming ad campaign sponsored by Al Gore's Alliance for Climate Protection).

So my guess is that Newt Gingrich won't be interested in a signed copy of Al Gore's great audiobook "Our Choice", but how about you?

I'd like to remind you that we're giving away two copies of this audiobook, one of them signed by Al Gore, courtesy of the publisher, Simon & Simon audio! This giveaway ends tomorrow (Wed, Dec 21) at 5:00 pm so you still have time!

How you can win? Very simple. All you have to do is to retweet this post (or the review post) on twitter with the hashtag #ourchoice at the end of your tweet. We will have a raffle on Wednesday, December 21, 5:00PM EST between all the readers that will retweet by then. The winners will be announced the following day.

And by the way, if Newt Gingrich is still interested, he's still welcome to participate. We promise not to tell anyone :)

Yours,
Raz @ Eco-Libris

Eco-Libris: Promoting sustainable reading!

Top 100 book apps: iStoryBooks

Since we believe in the digital future of books as a way to reduce eventually the footprint of books, we also believe in apps. Book apps are integral part of the digital age of books and we want to share with you some great book apps we find and thus we are assembling a list of the top 100 book apps.

In order to get into our list apps need to both book/ebook related and affordable - we chose only apps that are either free or cost less than $2.

From now on, every Monday we will update you with a new app on out list of top book apps. Today we're happy to begin with a great book app for children - iStoryBooks. This app is for iPhone and android and it's free.

Here are more details about iStoryBooks app: Free Interactive Children's Books for the new generation! iStoryBooks comes with free books that read itself to your little ones! Yes the books include text and audio. We publish a new book every 2 weeks. Kids can enjoy these books on their own or you can read to them.

When we publish new books they will appear automatically in the App. All books we publish are picture books with audio. We welcome your valuable comments and suggests. Please post your comments and suggestions, play games, puzzles and download coloring pages at facebook.com/iStoryBooks.

Type of books include children's books, story books, bedtime stories, toddler books, preschool books, nursery school books, kindergarten books and picture books with accompanying audio of the text in each page.

Some of our popular books include:

Fairy Tales
* Cinderella, the classic story about a beautiful girl named Cinderella who always hoped for the best even during hard times and eventually, her wishes come true!
* Snow White, the story of a princess who was as beautiful on the inside as she was on the outside.
* Cenicienta, the spanish (espanol) version our most popular book Cinderella.

Animal Story Books
* The Blue Fox
* The Crow the Doves and the Mouse
* The Mean Lion and the Smart Rabbit
* The Crow, the Doves and the Mouse
* Three Little Pigs

Folk Stories
* Stone Soup
* Little Red Hen
* Little Red Riding Hood

Educational Books
* A to Z Animals, A fun book to learn alphabets with pictures of animals.
* A to Z Fruits and Vegetables - Junior/Preschool/Yummy Riddles - A set of three books to learn alphabets with pictures of fruits and vegetables.
* The World of Trucks - Big and Small - A fun book with pictures and engine sounds of Trucks of various sizes and shapes. Includes Fire Truck with siren and horn, Crane Truck, Garbage Truck, Tow Truck, Picukup Truck, Dump Truck, Road Train etc.
* The World of Dinosaurs - Big and Small
* National Monuments of America
* Things that go - Book with pictures and sounds of cars, trucks, boats and ships.

You can check top 100 book apps at http://www.ecolibris.net/bookapps.asp. As you'll see, this list is in work, but we promise to update it every week until we'll have all 100 book apps.

You're also welcome to check our list of 100 green apps.

Yours,
Raz @ Eco-Libris

Eco-Libris: Check our special holiday offer!

The greenest Christmas tree - a book tree!

If you can't decide yet whether to buy a fake or real Christmas tree, because you don't know which option is greener, we have an alternative offer for you - a book tree.

Yes, a colorful tree made of books! Sounds impossible? Just look at the photos sent to GalleyCat with great trees people made from books. And of course, it's not just a unique and fun idea, it's also the greenest tree you can have for Christmas!

To see more great photos of book trees, visit Galleycat flickr's page.

And if you still consider which tree to buy and want to know which tree is greener - plastic or natural you can read the answer here and also check this New York Times video:




Photo credit: galleycat, flickr

Yours,
Raz @ Eco-Libris

Eco-Libris: Plant a tree for every book you read!

Top 100 green apps: Every Body Walk! - A Walking App

Last week we updated you on our effort to create a list of the top 100 apps that will help you go green as part of our effort to promote a more sustainable lifestyle. Apps become an integral part of our life and a valuable tool and we believe we should also take advantage of them when it comes go greening up our life.

Every Friday we update you with a new app on the list, and today we're happy to introduce you with a great app that hopefully will get you walking! Our app is Every Body Walk! from everybodywalk.org . This app is for iPhone and android and it's free.

Here are more details about Every Body Walk! app:
Every Body Walk! is committed to get Americans up and moving. The Every Body Walk! app enables you to personalize your walking plan, connect with walking communities, learn about the latest fitness trends and tips and more. Get connected and get walking!

Track and save your own walking routes, build your walking history--then share your progress on Facebook! Discover walking groups and walking paths near you with an interactive map!
Read the latest news about walking, health news, trends and more!

Watch videos that include walking tips, how communities are embracing walking, advice from experts and more!

You can check top 100 green apps at http://www.ecolibris.net/greenapps.asp. As you'll see, this list is in work, but we promise to update it every week until we'll have all 100 green apps.

Last week's green app - MailStop Mobile app from Catalog Choice

Yours,
Raz @ Eco-Libris

Eco-Libris: Check our special holiday offer!

My article on Triple Pundit on the evil app of Amazon

Here's an update on a new article I published today on Triple Pundit with the latest news on the new price check app, which is supposed “to guide you in making informed purchase decisions”, and got by now the nickname 'the evil app'. Why? Check the article..

The article is entitled 'Amazon’s Evil App Makes It the New Enemy of Main Street'. Here's the first part of the article:

Amazon has always had a love-hate relationship with small businesses. For some, it provided a well-needed online platform to sell their products, while for others it created a competition that drove them out of business. Now, with Amazon’s new price comparison app, which was promoted last Saturday with further discounts for anyone who goes to brick and mortar retailers, but chooses to buy at Amazon, it looks like things are changing. Amazon is becoming the new villain retailer threatening the future of local economies, a role that Wal-Mart filled until recently

To read the full article go to http://www.triplepundit.com/2011/12/amazon-new-evil-app-makes-new-enemy-main-street/

Links to other articles I wrote for Triple Pundit can be found at http://www.triplepundit.com/author/raz-godelnik/

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Image credit: Wayne Senville, Flickr Creative Commons

Yours,
Raz @ Eco-Libris

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