Can't Wait for a Book? Paris Can Help - Yahoo! News

Can't Wait for a Book? Paris Can Help - Yahoo! News

Selling books in vending machines is a fantastic idea. I've had this idea for a long time. I'd fill it with a mix of liberal arts education style books and practical life guide books. One half literature and science and the other half nutrition, personal finance, etc... . I'd paint it yellow and black. I'm sure I'd hear from the Cliff Notes people but my intention is not to glom onto their brand but to evoke the image of caution tap. I'd call the chain of vending machines "Danger: Books". "The pen is mightier than the sword." Or something less trite... But certainly, the nutrition books would be dangerous to McD's and CocaCola and the finance books would be dangerous to Visa and Mastercard. And the literature and general science would be dangerous to any powerful group that would try to sustain its influence by perpetuating ignorance. Each book would be one small step for equality.

The internet is another weapon in this battle but it must be admitted that paper has always had and will continue to have advantages. Convenience is one, and an important one at that, but you can't overlook the simple power of the idea of a book. That idea has real substance. Libraries, of course, are another even older tool but when's the last time that you saw a library that was painted red and black. Maybe the vending machines should make some noise.