Recommended book on Kickstarter: Ballad of a Bottom Feeder- A love story

Kickstarter is a great place to fund interesting new products and projects, including books. Great books. So we decided we want to help spread the word on book projects we like on Kickstarter and every weekend we'll share one with you.

Today's Kickstarter book is Ballad of a Bottom Feeder- A love story, a love story by Andre Karpov that takes place on the bottom of the ocean between a Hermit Crab and a Sea Anemone. Their courtship is based on an actual occurrence in nature known as a symbiotic relationship.

Goal: $5,000

Pledged so far: $1,520 (32 backers)

Still missing: $3,480

Days left: 27 days (until March 4)

Here's a description of the project:

I first came upon this example of symbiosis while visiting the Academy of Sciences in San Francisco. I was fascinated by the idea that members of two different biological species could bond and live together while helping in each others' survival. I extensively researched this and gathered much inspiration while living and working on the coast of Northern California. I wrote a 24-page children's story and illustrated it with pen & ink and watercolor. With your help, this book can be published! Some of the Illustrations and story can be viewed below.

I will also be releasing a song based on the story: "ballad of the bottom feeder available for download with a purchase of the book.

The story begins:
In the company of urchins and abalone, Its easy to get lonely.

With their SPINY skin and hardened shells whether or not they're feeling I can't tell.

Let them be angry, let them be sad, I am a happy hermit crab.

Insignificantly small on the bottom I feed and crawl.

The rest of the story involves their romance and adventures as they dodge predators and find prey, bonded in a symbiotic relationship; the hermit crab benefits by gaining the added protection from predators using the anemone's stinging tentacles, and the anemone benefits by gaining mobility and sharing portions of the hermit crab's meals.

I would like this book to gently teach our children to respect nature in her many forms of symbiotic partnerships and to instill an awareness of the smaller creatures who share our biosphere.

You can learn more about Ballad of a Bottom Feeder- A love story at http://kck.st/y21LGp

Last week's Kickstarter recommendation - Passion for Place: Community Reflections on the Carmel River Watershed

Yours,
Raz @ Eco-Libris

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

A novel about the urban farming and sustainability movement looks for funding on Kickstarter

Nick Esposito, an urban agriculturalist and writer from West Philadelphia who is also the founder of PhillyRooted, have spent the last six months working on a novel about the urban farming and sustainability movement. He will be releasing the novel on April 29th and have set up a Kickstarter page to help raise the funds for printing it.

His goal is to raise $2,500 until April 8 and so far he raised $1,065. If you'd like to support the project or learn more about it, please visit Nick's Kickstarter page. Remember that the goal should be met by April 8, or otherwise the project won't get funded (which, in this situation, all the people who did contributed money to the project will receive it back).

Here's the video clip on his upcoming book:

Here's some more information on the project from the Kickstarter page:

For the past six years of my life, I've been cultivating my experiences, my ideals and my energy into writing my novel, Seeds of Discent. As you read this, you may point out the typo on the word, Discent. Well, it's not a typo. It's all explained at the end of the book. But in order to find this out, I'll need to get the book published. So for now, a little background on how this idea came about. When I first graduated college, I went out in the world to become a writer. But somewhere along the way, I just couldn't deny my natural passion for social justice and activism. So these ideals took me on a long journey into the world of urban farming. In a sense, this book tells the story of that journey. But this is not an autobiography. I hope that the characters of this book and their story captures this vibrant movement in a more encompassing way. I feel that the sustainability movement will be for our generation what the civil rights movement or the enlightenment movement was to past generations. And I hope this book will be a part of helping bring this movement into the mainstream.

I feel that the crux of any movement is in the artistic interpretation of it. So for the past six months I have finally taken the chance to sit down and compile this story. I am in the final revision process with my amazing editor and designer and we are ready to send it off to the printer at the end of April. Because yes, I am self publishing. Five years ago, people would pity a writer for taking this route. But today, with the help of social media and some really talented friends, I couldn't think of a better way. I've been fortunate enough to create a team of my great friends at Carpe Diem Construction Design Company to put together a book that will not only be professionally executed, but also immensely unique in its creativity and scope. I also have a lot of help with publicity from the Philadelphia artist, agriculture and media communities to promote this work.

The money I hope to raise will cover all of my printing costs for my first run of the book, and also to compensate my very talented friends who could probably have made much more money on other projects, but who are willing to work with me because they believe in this project. These funds will be the first investment into other runs that I hope will result in larger distribution and ultimately the broader success of this book.

Yours,
Raz @ Eco-Libris

Eco-Libris: Promoting sustainable reading!

A new memoir, Coming Clean by Sarah Dean, is going green with Eco-Libris!

We are happy to announce on a new collaboration with author Sarah Dean on her new book "Coming Clean: My Letter-Writing Journey".

625 trees will be planted with Eco-Libris for the first edition of this beautiful book, which is a collection of letters written for the sake of healing and growing from the past. It includes letters to people she has hurt, places she loves, and parts of herself. It is a courageous memoir, written with a commitment to extreme honesty. Moreover, the book is printed on FSC-certified paper with 30% PCW content.

Here's more about the book from the author's website: This is a book filled with personal letters I've written to people, events, and myself for the sake of "coming clean" with myself and healing and celebrating pieces from my past that have not felt complete. It is my answer to a "bucket list", what I want to take care of before I die.

We're happy to collaborate with Sarah, who is a writer, life coach, workshop leader, and certified wood product auditor. She writes and lives with a balance of extreme honesty, integrity, and compassion.

Book release party will take place at the Joy Center March 20, 2010 from 7-9:30. Open to public. Limited space. The author will read a few letters, show a story gem, and sell and sign books.

The book is now available on Sarah's website at http://sarah-dean.com/mymaps.php. You may pick up advance orders at this time. You may also fill out an advance order form for Your Letter-Writing Journey.

Yours,
Raz @ Eco-Libris

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

A new book, "The Secret Green Sauce", by Bill Roth is going green with Eco-Libris

We are happy to announce on a new collaboration with Bill Roth on his new book - THE SECRET GREEN SAUCE™ : Best Practices being used by actual businesses to grow green profits.

Roth, Green Business Coach for Entrepreneur.com and the founder of Earth 2017, partnered with Eco-Libris in the past to green up his important book, "On Empty (Out of Time)".

Now he has a new and a very exciting book entitled "The Secret Green Sauce" and now we're happy to collaborate with him again, planting one tree for every copy sold! Readers will also receive with their copy our "One tree planted for this book" sticker they can put on the book.

"The Secret Green Sauce" profiles the best practices being used by actual companies to grow green revenues. Bill Roth assembled these best practices through a two-year effort of searching from and interviewing, the business pioneers who are successfully building green businesses and launching green products.

Bill Roth is offering a FREE 1st chapter on Earth 2017 website. The book is available for sale both in a paper and electronic versions on the website at www.earth2017.com/free-the-secret-green-sauce

I'm already reading it and I find it very innovative and interesting. We'll soon post here a review of the book, as well as an interview with Bill Roth on his book, so stay tuned!

Yours,
Raz @ Eco-Libris

Eco-Libris: Promoting sustainable reading!

Author Grows Toward Balance and Plants Trees for Book Signing Tour

One of the nice things about Eco-Libris is that it allows me to learn about interesting authors, and get to know great new books.

Mary Kearns and her new book “Growing Toward Balance” are just such an example. The fact that she decided to join the Eco-Libris circle of friends, balance out, and plant trees for all of the books she will be selling in her upcoming book signing tour, makes it even better ;-)

Kearns credentials are impressive and varied. She holds a doctorate in Applied Developmental Psychology from Fordham University, and is a Reiki practitioner. She completed her coaching training through the Institute for Life Coach Training, practices Bikram Yoga, and studied the philosophies of Buddhism, Quakerism and the works of Maria Montessori, the Sedona Method, Reiki, Tai Chi and Feng Shui.

The book is a self-improvement guide that offers exercises and coaching-style questions to help cultivate your best self – mind, body, and spirit. A free downloadable workbook companion in PDF format is available for free download so you can get a taste.

Want to learn more? Her first book tour stop is in Bethesda, MD on November 17, and we'll keep you updated about it. So buy her book and plant some trees!

Here are the complete details:

Saturday, November 17, 2007
4:00pm-6:00pm
Be You Wellness Center and Spa
Wyngate Medical Park
5602 Shields Drive
Bethesda, MD 20817
(301) 493-4911


"Please join us for a book signing featuring food, door prizes and bonus download materials. 10% of gross sales will be donated to Northern Virginia Family Services and 1 tree will be planted by Eco-Libris for every book purchased."

UPDATE - Another confirmed venue:

Wednesday, November 14, 2007

6:00pm-9:00pm

Moorenko's

1359 Chain Bridge Road

McLean, VA 22101

703-752-1919

http://www.moorenkosicecream.com/

Best,

Eylon @ Eco-Libris

Eco-Libris: a great green gift for the holidays! !