Posted on : By : Discover Books Posted in : Community Involvement

7 Reasons to Buy Used Books

1). Help Local Communities

An important part of our sorting process allows us to identify books that are better suited to become donations to literacy-focused or community-based non-profit organizations, including libraries and schools. The scale of our operation enables us to donate millions of good-quality children’s books to wonderful organizations doing all kinds of important work. By purchasing a used book from us, you enable us to contribute to others. We have donated over 10 million books to non-profits in the United States and globally. 

2). Save Your Wallet

Buying used is 50%-70% less expensive than buying new. More money saved means more books to buy. Couple this with our discover books bucks program and our bundle packs and you have a win/win situation. Spend less – get more. Shipping is free within the lower 48 states. 

3). Good for the Environment 

The average person gives little thought about where their recyclables end up.  The recycling industry is in trouble. China’s National Sword policy has banned various solid wastes from coming into their country. Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia, and India have all followed suit. Recycling initiatives around the country are struggling under the rising rates of recycling. Many cities and states have had to resort to dumping it back into the landfills because of the rising prices of recycling. Estimates of over 2 billion pounds of books

Does this mean we should give up on recycling? No. We need to continue to educate while solutions are researched. It will take time to find a more permanent solution to this complex problem. Reusing is the alternative we must encourage.  We fundamentally believe reuse is the best possible form of recycling, and our business model is centered on this core value. This focus allows us to get used books into the hands of people who want and need them most rather than allowing them to become waste or to languish unread.

Millions of books are printed in the USA every year. Many of these books already exist. Purchasing re-commerced books can help keep books out of landfills, saves trees, and lower the overall footprint. Buying used and giving a second life to an already existing item requires a paradigm shift.  Reused is a commitment to the environment and isn’t about financial status. Re-commerce books lets the story live on.

https://www.canva.com/photos/MADGxGlD_zs-brown-garbage/

4). Take Advantage of the First Sale Doctrine

This legal concept allows a legally purchased copyrighted item to be resold after the original transfer of title. This particular concept is a major win for the environment, charity organizations, and society in general. Think about how many times a product can be used and by how many different people.

5). Find Unexpected Treasures

Receiving a used book is like receiving insights into someone else’s life. It engages the imagination into solving who owned it before. What were they experiencing when they wrote this? Who gave them the book? It’s an endless supply of mysteries only your imagination can solve. It’s a story within the story. The book’s timeline and history grow and become more engaging with your engagement. 

Our inventory changes daily. You never know what you’ll find at discoverbooks.com. Who doesn’t love to find vintage and 1st edition books? Not to mention, the artwork in an old book is worth collecting.


6). Tuition Costs are Rising

Textbooks are a major education expense. Save money by finding them used. What college student doesn’t want extra money in their pocket. You can save 50%-75% off new textbooks prices. (Did we already state the savings to the environment?)

7). Make your Parents Proud and be Hip at the Same Time

Your parents always wanted you to read more. Buying used books is an inexpensive way to build a library.  Having a completely REUSED library will put you on top of the cool charts. Or if you are a bit younger, add having a REUSED library at the top of your Squad Goal chart. 

Discover Books believes in re-commerce as a way to help save money and the environment, while helping local communities and global charities. Buying used books from discoverbooks.com is a win/win for everyone. Discover your new adventure today.

https://www.discoverbooks.com/searchresults.asp?Search=recycling

Posted on : By : Discover Books Posted in : Booklist|Classics|History

“Language is the Expression of Ideas. . .”

Noah Webster. Photo is in the Public Domain in the United States

“Language is the expression of ideas, and if the people of one country cannot preserve an identity of ideas they cannot retain an identity of language.” ~ Noah Webster

Noah Webster was an academic by nature. His mother taught him at home spelling, mathematics, and music. He then attended a one-room schoolhouse which he didn’t enjoy and later wrote about the terrible conditions. He went onto Yale and later studied law.

Webster became an educator himself set on teaching American children in an American way. He threw off the shackles of the British education system and books. He began writing his own textbooks. One being the Blue-Backed Speller. It was part of a  3 part series known collectively as A Grammatical Institute of the English Language.

The work consisted of a speller (published in 1783), a grammar (published in 1784), and a reader (published in 1785). “His goal was to provide a uniquely American approach to training children. His most important improvement, he claimed, was to rescue “our native tongue” from “the clamour[30] of pedantry” that surrounded English grammar and pronunciation.” Webster finished his first dictionary in 1806. It was titled, A Compendious Dictionary of the English Language.

We have a few copies of this facsimile available on our website.
Original copies of his handwritten dictionary notes. This photo is in the Public Domain in the United States.

In 1793, Webster was asked by Alexander Hamilton to write for the Federalist Party newspaper. He also served in the Connecticut House of Representatives.

Upon Webster’s death in 1843, George and Charles Merriam acquired the rights to his dictionary. This is why it is called the Merriam-Webster Dictionary to this date. To learn more about this man, who desired nothing more than to preserve the American Spirit through written words, see our website for a selection of books for all ages.

SAVE 10% at CHECKOUT USE COUPON CODE – WEBSTER

Posted on : By : Discover Books Posted in : Uncategorized

Hello Labor Day

Labor Day. The day of sales. The transitional end of summer vacation. The call to go one last time to the beach, camping, boating, or to host a barbecue. The signal to get serious in your studies. The herald of fall, football, school, and cozy blanket weather. But what does it mean? Who started it? What exactly are we celebrating?

Labor Day begins with the industrial revolution and the moving away from the homestead into the city for work. It ends with you and how you celebrate your opportunities for employment. It’s more than just a holiday. It’s a day about people, labor, history, industry, and law. It’s about Americans who believed in living life and not just surviving. #Letthestoriesliveon

I’m a people person. I like to understand and comprehend how people think, live, feel, and express themselves in all times. As humans, we analyze, categorize thoughts and ideas as we watch and learn about people. Let’s begin our journey to learn together. #Letthestoriesliveon

From the Lewis Hine's Collection Library of Congress. In 1954 the Library received the records of the National Child Labor Committee, . . . 350 negatives by Lewis Hine. In giving the collection to the Library, the NCLC stipulated that "There will be no restrictions of any kind on your use of the Hine photographic material."
Library of Congress Lewis Hines Collection

Labor Day is an opportunity to glimpse back through history to a time when industry was king. People flocked to it. Families worked to create it with little in return. As we turn back time, we see fathers with large families laboring in dirty, dim factories or mines to bring something, anything home to their families. Mothers struggling to keep house and a job that required 12+ hours a day, 7 days a week. Children as young as four crowded into factories because they were cheap labor. We see the business owners trying to balance the cost of business with profits.

Library of Congress Lewis Hine Collection

We see life. Life in a different era. We struggle not to judge, but use it as an example for our own lives. Gratitude. Gratitude for those who risked everything to change the system. Men like Peter J. McGuire and Matthew Maguire, who are accredited with bringing us what is now known as Labor Day which was established as a federal law 1894. A day for celebrating the accomplishments of American workers.

Lives were altered, ended, supported, and made throughout the history of the industrial revolution. Learning about those lives and their impact on history helps us develop an understanding of the many blessings we have because of those who came before, and the legacy we want to leave for those who come after. #Letthestoriesliveon

Book Recommendations for your personal journey through the industrial revolution through the campaign to better conditions for workers and the enactment of the LABOR DAY HOLIDAY. Enjoy your long weekend. (And thank you to those who will work during the holiday to keep us safe and comfortable.) Use code LABOR19 at checkout for a 15% discount.