A resposta está sempre a mudar / The answer changes all the time

A propósito do Pirls (Progress in International Reading Literacy Study), um estudo sobre hábitos de leitura realisado a cada 5 anos entre crianças com 10 anos de idade de 40 países pela IEA (International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement), Chris Meade, um dos co-directores do Institute for the Future of the Book, levanta uma série de questões pertinentes sobre a leitura e a literacia, a mais importante das quais se relaciona com o papel desempenhado pela leitura em suporte digital por oposição à leitura tradicional em papel. A sua visão é uma desdramatização dos que vêem no digital uma ameaça à aquisição de competências de leitura (literacia). Num outro artigo, Meade, que foi director da Booktrust (uma charity britânica que se dedica à promoção da leitura entre as crianças) e ainda antes disso da Poetry Society, chama a atenção para a necessidade de não confundir leitura com livros, uma ligação ainda pertinente mas não exclusiva:

About Pirls (Progress in International Reading Literacy Study), a report on reading habits made every 5 years with 10 year-old children from 40 countries by IEA (Intenational Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement), Chris Meade, one of the co-directors of the Institute for the Future of the Book, raises a series of important questions about reading and literacy, the most important of which is related to the role taken by reading on digital suport as opposed to traditional reading on paper. He refuses to dramatize what some see as a threat to the aquisition of reading skills (literacy). In another article, Meade, who was director of Booktrust (a British charity dedicated to the promotion of reading among children) and before that of Poetry Society, points to the need of not confusing reading with books, an obvious connection but not necessarily an exclusive one:

"I’ve been struck recently by how so much reading promotion cuts literature off from other media, as if anyone still lives solely in a ‘world of books’. We all exist in a multiculture now, and there’s a need to look much harder at how we connect ideas gleaned from tv, websites, books and real life conversations to patch together our personal stances and narratives. (...) Where do literature and stories fit in our lives? That’s the question I’ve always been most interested in. The answer changes all the time".

Mais reacções ao Kindle da Amazon / More reactions to Amazon's Kindle

O post the Steven Poole - The Kindle doesn't light my fire (literalmente)- no blog do Guardian Unlimited dedicado aos livros e um dos comentários que se podem ler a seguir: / The Steven Poole's post - The Kindle doesn't light my fire (literally) - at the Guardian Unlimited blog on books and one of the comments you can read next:

(...) think of the social potential of a mobile phone combined with an ebook reader:
"I'm outside Boots - Reading Proust."

O futuro da leitura / The future of reading

O artigo de Steven Levy na Newsweek sobre Jeff Bezos, o patrão da Amazon, empresa que acaba de lançar um e-book reader: Kindler e que se prepara para uma ofensiva de larga escala na comercialização dos livros digitais. Confrontar com a reacção de Seth Godin (via Blogtailors). Consultar o vídeo demonstrativo aqui. / The article by Steven Levy in Newsweek about Amazon's Jeff Bezos on the launch of their e-reading device Kindler and on their large scale initiative to promote e-books. Check Seth Godin's reaction (via Blogtailors) and watch the video here.

Ensaio sobre a tipografia de Harry Potter e a Ordem da Fénix / Essay on typography in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

Por John Hicks (via Jason Kottke). / By John Hicks (via Jason Kottke).

O futuro do dicionário / The future of the dictionary

A conferência de Agosto de 2007, Redefining the dictionary, na TED (Technology, Entertainment, Design) dada por Erin McKean, uma das editoras do Oxford American Dicitionary e autora de obras como That's Amore, Verbatim (ed.) e da colecção Weird and Wonderful Words. A lexicógrafa é também responsável pelo blog Dicitionary Evangelist. / The August 2007 TED (Tecnology, Entertainment, Design) conference - Redefining the dictionary - given by Erin Mckean, editor in chief of the Oxford American Dicitonary and author of such books as That's Amore, Verbatim (ed.) and the Weird and Wonderful Words series. The lexicographer is also responsible for the blog Dictionary Evangelist.

Catálogo IKEA 2007 / IKEA 2007's catalogue

A versão do catálogo IKEA 2007, integral e no formato original, reduzida apenas aos seus elementos estruturais e cromáticos, por Jason Salavon. / A fullsize reproduction of the entire IKEA's catalogue for 2007 reduced only to structural elements and colour, by Jason Salavon.

Dear Annie

O trabalho de uma jovem artista californiana, Annie Vought.

Livros de pano / Fabric Books

no blog da Rita.

Embalagem económica / Value pack

Robert Bolesta, Oxford, Pennsylvania, 1987 O alfabeto feito a partir de embalagens de carne picada, moldadas à mão, embaladas e fotografadas individualmente.
The alphabet made of raw hamburger. Each character hand-shaped, packaged, and photographed individually.

Book-cut sculptures

Su Blackwell, Sheffield, UK, 1975 - The Secret Garden (finding the door)