Helton M.
Monteiro:
“Electronic
books are here
to stay, even
though they have
not as yet
replaced
printed
books”
Our
fellow Spiritist
from the
Brazilian city
of Campinas, in
the state of São
Paulo, points
out the main
advantages of
the electronic
book, or e-book,
including its
use associated
with research
software
 |
Our guest this
week has been
active in the
Spiritist
Movement since
1993. He was
born in the city
of São João Del
Rey, in Minas
Gerais state,
and became a
Spiritist when
he was a
teenager. He is
now based in
Campinas, in São
Paulo state,
where he works
as a volunteer
at the Allan
Kardec Spiritist
Centre. Helton
Monteiro (photo)
is a foreign
lan-
|
|
guage teacher,
author,
translator and
graphic
designer. In
this interview
he talks about
the advantages
of the
electronic book,
or e-book, and
specifically
about the
Kindle. |
What is the
Kindle?
The Kindle is a
new type of
e-book that has
been generating
new reading
habits across
the world. It is
a real
phenomenon,
which has taken
over the
editorial market
across the
world. There are
now 3.2 million
titles available
in countries
like Australia,
Germany, Spain,
the United
States, France,
Japan and
Brazil.
How can it help
in the
dissemination
and study of
Spiritism?
Firstly, it is
dynamic and
enables a level
of research and
almost
instantaneous
comparison that
takes the
process of
access and
understanding of
the Teachings to
a new level of
excellence and
precision.
Guttenberg and
André Luiz would
have certainly
approved of it.
There is another
positive aspect,
which is the
instant and
international
access it
allows, 24 hours
per day, 365
days a year,
through Amazon,
which is the
world’s biggest
book shop.
Amazon develops
the best
technology for
writers on
production,
editing and
readying. It
also protects
the catalogue of
Spiritist
centres and
institutions
against rampant
piracy or the
lack of care and
provincialism of
certain
distribution
channels.
What other
positive aspects
are there on the
Kindle?
On top of the
immediate access
and convenience
for research,
you have the
flexibility and
the convenience
of storing your
entire library
in the same
place. For those
who miss the
printed-paper,
there is a
simulation of
printing over
sepia paper. For
those who live
novelties, you
can read on
white print over
a black
background. You
can read on your
computer,
laptop, tablet
and, if you come
across a word
you don’t know,
all you need to
do is to double
click on it and
the meaning will
be displayed
immediately on
the screen. You
can also
download it and
read it on your
smartphone.
Is it free of
charge?
Once you buy the
books they
belong to you.
They will be
stored on your
own application,
offline, which
is also your
personal
library. There
is a reading
device that can
also be bought,
if you want. But
the e-book
readers provided
by Amazon are as
good as and free
of charge. The
books you buy
online will be
available to you
in about 60
seconds. Amazon
also has a list
of books it
provides for
free to its
clients,
including the
great classics.
What is in your
view the biggest
advantage of
this tool?
It is the end of
the hearsay and
wrong quotes in
Spiritism. The
immediate access
of all books of
the codification
of Spiritism
anytime and
anywhere puts an
end to that.
Also you have
access to entire
libraries when
you travel.
How many books
of the Allan
Kardec Spiritist
Centre are
available on
Amazon? What is
the cost of
downloading
those books?
We have 68
titles on the
Kindle,
including
translations
into English,
which have
helped us reach
new readers and
new Spiritists
especially in
the United
States, Canada
and England. The
prices begin at
11 reais (about
$4.50 or £2.2)
and they cost
less than the
printed
versions. Our
official website
is http://www.allankardec.org.br
but the eBooks
Kindle are
available only
on Amazon on
http://is.gd/kardec
or, for titles
in English,
http://is.gd.kardeceng.
If you want to
download the
reading
applications for
free, go to
http://is.gd/appsgratis.
Your final
thoughts,
please.
All the income
from our book
sales goes to
the social work
at the Allan
Kardec Spiritist
Centre in
Campinas. I
would like to
add that
Electronic books
are here to
stay, even
though they have
not as yet
replaced printed
books. Not that
long ago, people
swore that vinyl
records would
last forever,
but then the CD
came up and is
already gone.
Now most people
download songs
in MP3, even
older people.
Well, the Kindle
is the
“ectoplasm” of
the material
book, as good as
or better than
it. What really
matters is to
increase the
access, trying
to reach more
and more readers
wherever they
are.(1)
(1)
Since April 18,
2013, our
digital books
are available.
They are also
known as virtual
books,
electronic-books
or e-books. EVOC
- Virtual
Publisher of the
O CONSOLADOR
(The Comforter),
in the city of
Londrina, state
of Parana, has
published 31
works up to the
moment, however,
it makes the
difference,
because it is
free. EVOC's
digital works
are on internet
at no cost,
since the
purpose is to
allow a
universal free
access to
Spiritist
teachings. The
Coordination
ofEVOC- Virtual
Publisher of the
O CONSOLADOR
(The Comforter),
is the
responsibility
of the same
Board as the
e-magazine. This
is its web site:
http://www.oconsolador.com.br/editora/obras_publicadas1.htm
