How to Get Amazon Prime for FREE

Stumbled on these two programs by accident on Amazon. Prime is the upgraded option on Amazon that gives you free two day shipping on most items. It normally costs $79 a year, unless . . .

1. You are a student currently enrolled in some type of schooling. If so, click here to find out more about
Amazon Student.

2. You have a young child. If so, you probably qualify for Amazon Mom. Note that you don't have to actually be a mom to qualify for this . . . as long as you are one of the primary caregivers, you qualify. I am now a proud Amazon Mom.

Has anyone heard of these before, or did I just miss it? Any other programs out there like this that we should be aware of?

How to Outsource Your Memory and Never Forget a Quote Again

One of the most frustrating things for readers and writers is forgetting where a quote came from. I hate it when I remember a great quote, but can't remember which book it is from. After flipping through a few books and searching for it online, I often give up.

Enter Evernote. I first read about this tool in The 4-Hour Workweek but have been putting off really testing it out for awhile. Now I can't believe that I have gone so long without it. In short, Evernote is a online note taking and storage program that uses text recognition and tagging. That may not mean much at first glance, but it changes everything for me.

Now when I finish a book, I flip back through and take a picture of any page that I have highlighted a quote on with my Evernote program on my iPhone. After snapping all of the pictures, you can tag them with the name of the book, project, and any other information you need to help keep it organized. This is is the best part . . . your notes are then uploaded to Evernote online and the text you just took a picture of is now searchable!

If you want to find every quote you have highlighted in any book that contains the word "reformation" it takes about 5 seconds. Or if you need to search all the notes from a project you worked on a couple of years ago, its a piece of cake. Best of all, its free up to a certain data limit. You can take it for a test run and see if it is right for you.

I have only scratched the surface of the things you can do with Evernote, and will post more about other things you can use if for in the future. What are some uses that you can think of? Will this change how you research your next book? Are there any other programs out there that you think are better?

The Next Story - Review

The Next Story focuses on how the theological, theoretical, and experiential intersect with technology. The author has put together a thoughtful book that will change the way you think about technology. In fact, I have found that the impact of this book goes beyond the words on the page – it will inspire you to rethink many aspects of your life in the modern age.
 

Part One breaks down these three facets in light of technology. The theological implications of technology are often overlooked, and the author’s definition of technology as “the practical result of the creative process” is helpful. Christians are called to create, and part of our duty is to shape and use the technology all around us for God’s glory. The next chapter focuses on the theoretical aspects of technology, followed by a short history of technology. The history of technology is a great perspective on the speed of change leading to the modern world. It is a welcome reminder of how far we have come in so short a time.

Part Two focuses on different aspects of technology viewed through the three lenses that the author describes in Part One. These discussions are the best part of the book. They are fair critiques and Challies never forgets to point out all of the benefits along with the drawbacks.

The chapters in Part Two focus on communication, mediation, distraction, information, truth, and privacy. While they are tied to technology in particular, they are issues that Christians have always dealt with. Though each chapter is excellent and offers insight into theses issues, one chapter that stands out is the chapter on privacy. The idea that we should add “you shall know them by their data” to “you shall know them by their fruit” is great. Also, thinking through how our lack of privacy online reminds us that we keep nothing private from Him is a powerful idea.

Whether you are a digital native or a digital immigrant this book is worth reading. The real strength of this book is the framework that it gives you to help evaluate technology as a thoughtful Christian. I have never read anything like it and am grateful to have it as a reference in the future. Highly recommended.

*Pros
- Easy to read, theologically sound, well thought out.
- Unique. Doubt that you have another book that addresses these issues so completely.
- Valuable for all Christians. Great resource for parents, students, and pastors who must deal with these issues often.

*Wish List for Updates
- This book is admittedly descriptive rather than prescriptive, but practical suggestions would have been great. Challies hints at some in the epilogue, but no additional resources are given. (For help with avoiding distraction and managing time online, I recommend starting with The 4-Hour Workweek.)

- The mediation chapter critiques virtual churches, but nothing is said about the advent of preaching-by-video churches. Would like to see the author discuss/critique the growing number of churches that are primarily taught via live streaming video from other locations.