Bookride to The Point and Beyond

I do enjoy taking a few minutes out of a day just to explore what's on the Web. I also like to share my "finds", saving you that priceless time you'd otherwise spend searching and probably missing what you didn't know you were looking for. Below are four finds that I think are serendipitous. Take that time I saved you and have a peek.

Bookride ~ I like to read, and I like to read about books: what's new, what's wanted, what's collected and sold. This site is one of the most interesting of its type and worth a visit for all its links. A recent post about books about books and, more specifically, the many enemies of books, is here.

The Point ~ Need to raise money for an art project? Want to organize your friends or neighbors, or maybe a parents' group? Think you're enough of a concerned citizen that you can influence change outside your own home? Feeling unappreciated at the office? Frustrated that your local phone company won't take your calls?

Anything you need or want to do you can do on The Point. That's according to The Point, a site whose point is that you can apply to any form of group action the "tipping point" concept made famous by Malcolm Gladwell in his book The Tipping Point. Here's one example of how an artist might use The Point:


Artist Scenario from The Point on Vimeo.


For more videos showing how to use The Point, go here. Browse campaigns here. Brainstorm, start a discussion, and find like-minded members of your community here.

I Like Museums ~ If you enjoy going to museums and happen to live in the Northeast or travel there on work or to visit family and friends, you're apt to like I Like Museums. The site is no ordinary guide to a lot of dull, static lists with museum names. It's interactive and it can surprise you, revealing places in your home town you never knew existed. Just click on "I like. . ." and make a selection from one of numerous categories: I like. . . acting like a kid, I like. . . a place to think, I like. . . to explore, I like. . . puzzles, I like. . . free stuff, etc. A choice of any one of these creates a random "museum trail" created from lists of favorites of the site's originators and contributors. You can spend as much time on each trail as you like or wander from one trail to another. If you prefer not to start with "I like. . .", try "Museums" or "Museum Trails"; the former is for those who know what they're looking for and the latter is particularly fun for families. The site also gives the low-down on current and upcoming events of all kinds.

The Art of the Idea ~ This find I owe to Marilyn Stevens, whom I profiled here. I noticed the site on her blog and took a look for myself. The Website is interactive, beautifully designed, and fun. Created by John Hunt, an award-winning playwright, author, and creative genius for powerhouse ad agency TBWA, the site promotes — in a good way — Hunt's book of the same name. Hunt's premise is that there's plenty of space in the world for everyone's bright idea, and he shows how to create that space for yourself. Hunt donates all profits from his book to Room 13, a project to give underprivileged children a space of their own to let loose their imaginations. South Africa, where Hunt has lived and worked, has thirteen Room 13s. A recent interview with Hunt is here.