What did I put on the Kindle?

So what did I put on the Kindle?

A few weeks ago I asked the question: To Kindle or not to Kindle over at my personal blog: www.davetravisnow.com.

I got a few responses from the passionate Kindle users, so I used that excuse to blow my tax refund on one.

My youngest daughter has a kindle 1 and she uses it for school and to surreptitiously check her email during class. But I wasn’t crazy about hers.

But the new Kindle 2 is a great improvement. Before I tell you what I put on my new kindle, here is what I like:

1. Saving weight and space. First in my travel backpack and second in my office. It would be pretty cool to not have so many bookshelves. Books are pretty but seem to just gather dust after I am through with them.
2. Ease of buying books. If it’s available on Kindle it’s real easy to hit the “buy” button. Maybe too easy.
3. The free books available. I had no idea so many were free. You will see a few below, but also see what I don’t like number 1.
4. Ability to send Word and PDFs over to it. Makes it easy for me to carry some docs and keep them handy.

5. Battery

   Life. – I went a week without recharging using several hours a day.
6. Type size adjuster – as opposed to the books that sometimes cause me some difficulties. This also speeds the reading for me. (Don’t want to hear any “you are so old” jokes)

Dislikes:

1. Price of the books – When my daughter got hers the max price of any book as around $10. No more. They tend to be very close to the price of bound books.
2. Can’t pass along a book easily. When I get through with a book I am usually through. I keep what I want and pass along the rest. I can’t do that now.
3. Some books not available. In fact quite a few that I have wanted to buy, not there.
4. The cover they sell you is way overpriced and sort of cheap looking. Not worth the $30 but I think the unit does need some protection.
5. The highlighting and note taking is clumsy and doesn’t work well. And I like to make notes.
6. Don’t like that I can’t use it pre-takeoff and the 10 minutes before landing. So you still need something to read in those times.

The first books loaded on there:

I had just met Frank Viola that week and found him to be such a delightful and generous soul that I felt guilty for not reading his books. He has strong opinions but is so gracious, I immediately loaded some of his including Reimaging Church, Pagan Christianity and The Untold Story of the New Testament. I haven’t read them yet but they are there ready to read.

I found out that the ESV Bible translation was free. I didn’t have a copy of that translation so I put it on the kindle. I will say that I am so used to handling scriptures by turning pages that it is quite an adjustment moving to this format. But I am liking the translation so far. Might take the place of the NIV for me.

I put Outside Innovation by Patricia Seybold on there the first day. Another book I had been wanting to buy but not lug around. Haven’t read it yet.

I found multiple P.G. Wodehouse classics available for free. I snagged them immediately. I have to read his humor every week to keep me sane. So I got Psmith, Journalist, The Adventures of Sally, and My Man Jeeves.

I bought Living Brands by Raymond Nadeau. I am half-way through. Don’t waste your time or money.

I bought Bound Together: How Traders, Preachers, Adventurers and Warriors shaped Globalization by Nayan Chada and it is about the spread of globalization through traders and preachers. Fairly interesting.

Finally I bought House of Cards: A Tale of Hubris and Wretched Excess on Wall Street by William Cohan. I bought it because I heard an interview with the author on the way to the airport. 60 seconds later it was on my kindle so I could read it on the plane.

So look for future entries on “what’s on my kindle? Worth it or not?”

---- Dave Travis, Managing Director at Leadership Network