What's up with eBooks?

The Internet is a powerful distribution and publishing tool. One form of publishing is in electronic form, or also known as an eBook. An eBook can be read on multiple electronic devices and can reach readers around the World. These eBooks can be read with Adobe's Acrobat, Microsoft's reader, Mobipocket's reader, a web browser, or as text files. The advancements in technology have allowed eBooks to be conveniently accessed with computers, PDAs, laptops, and cell phones. On my Palm Tungsten C, for example, I can store hundreds of books, including several versions of the Bible. While I'm in a boring meeting, I can pull up a favorite eBook and still look like I am working.

The exciting thing about eBooks is the rejuvenation of out-of-print books and classics. Traditional publishers stop printing books that do not sell well. MedRounds Publications is currently converting out-of-print books for authors who want to revive their books. Hampton Roy, MD is an ophthalmologist and author of dozens of books and textbooks. He is converting several books for free distribution through our eBookstore . His book titled Light in the Shadows: Feelings about blindness allows readers to feel what others cannot see.

"LIGHT IN THE SHADOWS, a book of feelings, is authored by two sighted individuals, after a series of interviews with a partially sighted and sightless population. The book has virtually written itself, as the feelings expressed here are the aspirations, anxieties, feelings of affection and expectations of those persons interviewed.

When Hamp Roy first proposed his idea for the book in 1979, I had had no personal interactions with any visually handicapped individuals. For the next year and a half I spent several hours daily at various institutions and associations for the blind, in lengthy interviews with persons who volunteered to spend time with me. The purpose of these meetings was to allow the blind individuals to share with me their feelings - feelings about their blindness, feelings about those closest to them, feelings about the sighted community, feelings about their frustrations, dreams, and changes they would make in their lives, and feelings they would wish to express in a book such as this one."

- ELIZABETH C. PERRY

The free distribution of classic and out-of-print titles is offered by several organizations, such as the Project Gutenberg and the Internet Public Library. The free distribution of eBooks is allowing access to a vast archive of literature. Although it is altruistic that numerous eBooks are free, we still need a mechanism to compensate authors for their time. Publishers are also distributing their titles in electronic form that has digital rights management (DRM). DRM eBooks can be purchased or checked out from a local library. Although eBooks were not widely accepted at first, they are now becoming more popular. For those who cannot warm up to an eBook, there are always the printed versions because eBooks are offered in paper form too.

I invite you to view some of the free ebooks from Dr. Hampton Roy.