DJ-Workshop 101

Archive for October, 2011

The idea of Google Books was first conceived in 2002 when a small group of Google programmers started pondering the question of how many man hours it would take to scan every single book ever written. We still don’t know the true answer to this question although just eight years from the idea conception there are now over 10 million books catalogued in their database.

While the first scan was done manually on a 300 page book and took 40 minutes to process, Google now use cameras capable of scanning at a rate of 1,000 pages an hour and also work with 20,000 publisher partners who provide content directly. They have also been able to provide over 1 million books that can be read in full from cover to cover; these unrestricted works are either books that have fallen out of copyright or have been provided with publishers express permission.

As well as simply scanning the books, Google performs OCR (Optical Character Recognition) on the pages, thereby turning them in to pure text which can be entered in to their database. As a result when you do a Google Search you are now not only returned results from relevant websites but also your search terms are checked against a library encompassing millions of books and appropriate matches are suggested for further reading.

The integration in to the Google Search engine means you may have already inadvertently stumbled across Google Books but if you haven’t and are eager to explore then the Google Books can be found by simply performing a search for ‘Google Books’. Being a Google service, it almost goes without saying that the service is completely free of charge and is instead paid for via a minimal number of sponsored links which are in no way intrusive or detrimental to the service.

From the Google Books site you can perform searches, add books to your virtual library or organise your collection in a logical manner. Searching for a book and then subsequently clicking on it opens an interface which allows you to either view the directly scanned pages from the book or in some instances a ‘plain text’ version. This plain text can then be copied and passed to another application or simply printed out for reading offline.

Books still under copyright enjoy the protection of a variety of access limitations and security measures which limit the number of viewable pages making the experience somewhat akin to being able to flick through the first couple of pages in a library or bookshop. Despite this protection there have rather predictably been a number of fairly major lawsuits issued by individuals and publishers alike; some with legitimate grievances and others just seeking money or publicity.

Possibly the most notable case was between The Authors Guild, the publishing industry and Google which resulted in Google agreeing to a settlement on October 28, 2008. This would see them pay a total $125 million not only to pay the court costs of the plaintiffs but also create a Book Rights Registry which will collect and disburse revenue generated by all third party sites such as Google which provide content based on the content of books covered by the agreement.

These issues aside, on the whole I am amazed that again this relatively new company have been able to offer such an incredible gift to the world. With Google Books we have the potential to preserve centuries of human literacy work for generations to come as well as promoting the spread and availability of knowledge amongst all groups and all classes of people.

People new to studying Buddhism often struggle with finding a place to start. Here’s a list of some of the best books on Buddhist studies out there.

The Top Five:

1. Harvey, P. 1990, An Introduction to Buddhism: Teachings, History and Practices.

Harvey offers a comprehensive introduction to the Buddhist tradition covering not only its historical developments, but also its main concepts and practices. This is a huge amount of information, but the book succeeds in being highly readable and its clear structure means that the information is easy to digest.

An Introduction to Buddhism is great for anyone looking for an encyclopaedia of Buddhism to dip in and out of. However, the comprehensive picture one gains of the religion if the book is read from cover to cover should not be underestimated.

This book is at the top of the list because it serves two functions. Firstly, it is a very readable book absolutely crammed full of detailed information. Reading it will give you a very comprehensive view of Buddhism. Secondly, it is a great reference book. With a simple structure and decent index it’s great to quickly remind yourself of particular points if you’re faced with an awkward question. No one should be without it.

2. Bechert, H. & Gombrich, R. (eds) 1984, The World of Buddhism: Buddhist Monks and Nuns in Society and Culture.

This is a beautifully presented and produced book. The level of writing is academic but very clear and the illustrations are exquisite. Like many of the books here, The World of Buddhism gives a ‘big picture’ of Buddhism. No attempt has been made to be fully comprehensive in discussing the religion, but the pertinent points have been pulled out and presented in such a way as to enable easy understanding.

The World of Buddhism may be slightly outdated, now 24 years old. However, its illustrations help to give a real flavour of Buddhism in all its incarnations. This, combined with the books inherent readability and academic value, makes it a must have.

3. Gethin, R. 1998, The Foundations of Buddhism.

This is a great complement to Harvey’s book. Gethin concentrates on the ideas and practices which constitute the common heritage of the different Buddhist traditions. Starting with the narrative history of the Buddha, he analyses the textual tradition, the Four Noble Truths, Karma, rebirth, the various paths, and the interaction between monastic and lay life.

The Foundations of Buddhism is extremely easy to read and easy to understand. It is not as comprehensive as some of the other books listed, but it is certainly a page-turner. As a way into the religion you couldn’t ask for anything more readable.

4. Williams, P. & Tribe, A. 2000, Buddhist Thought: A Complete Introduction to the Indian Tradition.

Buddhist Thought is not an introduction to the religion as whole, rather it is an introduction to certain ideas and concepts that developed on the Indian subcontinent. A certain amount of background knowledge is assumed. However, the book is a valuable resource for anyone interested in taking their knowledge of Buddhism to the next level of detail.

Williams takes a historical approach and applies this to many of the common myths and beliefs traditionally held by Buddhists. This endeavour is particularly rewarding in his analysis of the origins of Mahayana.

All in all, a great book for someone wanting to delve a little deeper into Indian Buddhism.

5. Cush, D. 1994, Buddhism (A Student’s Approach to World Religions).

This book is particularly aimed at the world of RE. As such, the writing is set at a school level and the layout has a textbook feel. This means that Buddhism (A Student’s Approach to World Religions) is extremely easy to use and very readable.

The book, given its target audience, doesn’t go into as much detail as some of the other books in the list. However, it still manages to find the balance between more scholarly works and overly basic introductions and a large number of topics are covered.

If you’re in a hurry Buddhism (A Student’s Approach to World Religions) could well prove to be one of the most valuable books on your shelf.

Google Book Search is one of the lesser known of the Google properties. If you’re an author looking for additional exposure for your book, or you want to know what books are in the public domain, then this site is for you.

What Google Book Search allows you to do is to include your book in this special search engine. When readers type in keywords that are related to your topic, or related to information within your book, your book will show up.

Google also includes reference pages related to the books they offer. This provides additional content for your readers to read, but it also allows your readers to see if there are any reviews, web references, maps, or other content related to your book.

There’s also a way for readers to find out how they can get your book, whether they want to buy it or check it out from their local library.

Your first step in getting started with this program is to sign up for an account with Google, which is free. Go to the resource section for Book search and read the section titled “Resources for publishers and authors.” This will help you more fully understand the program and do a better job of setting up your listing.

Google also offers several downloads you may download and read at your leisure that further explain their different promotional programs, including Book Search. (Don’t neglect understanding how this program works. It will help you sell more books.)

When you are ready to submit, you need to sign into your account. Unlike some of Google’s other programs, this one requires that you apply for an additional account. Submitting to Book Search is not part of your basic Google account.

You will need to complete the application to add Google Book Search to your Google account.

If you are an author who published your book through a publisher, you will want to check with your publisher first. Your publisher may already have a Book Search account, or there may be something in your agreement that prevents you from submitting to Book Search.

Once your application is approved, then start submitting your books. Make sure you follow the terms and conditions of the program, as well as reading any additional material that Google offers.

The purpose of this program is to help you sell more books. If you’re really serious about making more money from your books, you’ll want to use this program, and best of all, it’s free.