Just as Engadget was hitting publish on its first posts, I was putting a freshly minted English degree to use working at an indie bookshop in Los Angeles. In seemingly unrelated news, Amazon had just reported its first profitable year after switching from selling books to selling “everything” four years before. (It still sold a lot of books.) Our bookstore did a good job keeping shelves stocked with a balance of the more worthy popular hits and smaller, better fare. But we couldn’t have every book a customer might want, so we offered to order any in-print title. If a distributor had it, it’d take about a week to get in, longer if we had to go through the publisher. That seemed fine for most customers. But sometimes “about a week” was too long. A few people came right out and said, “Nah, I’ll order it on Amazon.” In 2005, Amazon launched Prime, the membership program that, for $79 a year, gave customers unlimited two-day shipping on most orders. At launch, CEO Jeff Bezos called it “‘all-you-can-eat’ express shipping.” No one knew at the time how hungry the world was for Amazon’s brand of convenience. And now, nearly two decades later, we’ve seen the shifts that accommodate that buffet — in labor, retail and the entire customer experience. Prime wasn’t an overnight success. It’s estimated that six years after launch, just four million households paid for the service. But 10 years later, in 2021, Bezos claimed it had accrued 200 million members worldwide. Outside of that... Continue reading at 'Engadget'
[ Engadget | 2024-03-08 14:15:57 UTC ]
Jamie Oliver’s first cookbook celebrates its 20th anniversary this year: Michael Joseph is reissuing The Naked Chef along with a raft of the celebrity chef’s other works to mark the occasion. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2019-01-25 00:00:00 UTC ]
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If you're a movie buff, your list of films to watch probably increased dramatically Tuesday after the nominees for the 91st Academy Awards were announced in Beverly Hills. But if you prefer spending an evening curled up on your couch with a good book, and not in a theater with an overly expensive... Continue reading at Los Angeles Times
[ Los Angeles Times | 2019-01-24 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Usborne is marking the 20th anniversary of the ‘That’s Not My…’ baby books with partnerships with organisations such as the National Literacy Trust and The Creation Station. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2019-01-11 00:00:00 UTC ]
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A tour of former Children’s Laureates and a celebratory anthology are just some of the plans being put together to mark next year’s 20th anniversary of the Waterstones Children’s Laureate role. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2018-11-02 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Comic book Sabrina by Nick Drnaso is on the longlist for the prize, but it’s just the latest in a fine traditionHow am I supposed to feel about the fact that for the first time a graphic novel has made it on to the Booker longlist? As someone who loves comics, and who has championed them in this... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2018-07-29 00:00:00 UTC ]
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We’ve narrowed it down to four books. Now help us pick the one book we’ll all read this summer! Summer is the perfect time to unplug and lose yourself in a good book. The best books change the way we view the world, how we interact with others, and maybe even the direction of our lives. And... Continue reading at Fast Company
[ Fast Company | 2018-07-04 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Seven models of the spiders from Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets will be unveiled across the UK at the end of the month to mark the novel’s 20th anniversary. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2018-06-29 00:00:00 UTC ]
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This is the perfect read for this time of year when we're still happy to escape into a good book at the beach or under a shade tree and take the time to savour, in this instance, the leisurely revelation of the people who live in Gabriel's Bay. Continue reading at Stuff
[ Stuff | 2017-12-30 00:00:00 UTC ]
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For bibliophiles, it is tempting to buy books as presents to ‘fix’ people who don’t read – but this is snobbery of the worst kindYou’re making a list, you’re checking it twice, and your fall-back position will be a nice book or two for friends and family to unwrap on Christmas Day. Everybody... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2017-12-14 00:00:00 UTC ]
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With a larger screen and waterproof design, Amazon's new Kindle Oasis is for well-heeled readers who struggle to put down a good book. Starting at NZ$400, the Oasis has dropped in price but is still the most expensive Kindle by far. In return it steps up to a 7-inch screen, with the extra space... Continue reading at Stuff
[ Stuff | 2017-11-21 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The BBC will celebrate the 20th anniversary of Harry Potter with “rarely seen documents from J K Rowling’s archives, revealing her magical inspirations” in the run up to the British Library’s exhibition next month. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2017-09-12 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Pan Macmillan imprint Boxtree is publishing a new unauthorised oral history of "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" and its spin-off "Angel", called Slayers and Vampires, to mark the 20th anniversary of the original cult '90s TV show. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2017-08-01 00:00:00 UTC ]
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One of the most thrilling experiences an author can have is walking into a bookstore and finding their book on the shelves Continue reading at HuffPost
[ HuffPost | 2017-07-18 13:39:29 UTC ]
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Bookshops around the country are unveiling a host of magical events — including Quidditch Pong, Harry Potter Bingo and Horcrux hunts—to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the publication of J K Rowling’s Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone (Bloomsbury). Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2017-06-26 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Pottermore will make J K Rowling's Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone ebook available to UK library users over a two-week period to celebrate the 20th anniversary of its publication. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2017-06-13 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Timed to coincide with the SoHo brasserie's 20th anniversary, Reggie Nadelson's 'Balthazar: The New York Brasserie at the Center of the World,' is a deep, unrestricted dive into the restaurant’s persistent allure. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2017-04-03 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Children got the opportunity to meet their favourite authors this week, as World Book Day celebrated it's 20th anniversary on Thursday 2nd March. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2017-03-03 00:00:00 UTC ]
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World Book Day is introducing a raft of new projects to mark its 20th anniversary on Thursday 2nd March. Booksellers are also gearing up to celebrate the anniversary with a flurry of activity. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2017-02-20 00:00:00 UTC ]
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A Soho awards night with David Nicholls and a "very special" Harry Potter screening at the St. Pancras Renaissance Hotel London lead the "eclectic" line-up of this year’s London Book & Screen Week. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2017-02-18 00:00:00 UTC ]
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