Enlarged December 22, 2011 (first published February 2, 2011) (David Cloud, Fundamental Baptist Information Service, P.O. Box 610368, Port Huron, MI 48061, 866-295-4143, fbns@wayoflife.org; for instructions about subscribing and unsubscribing or changing addresses, see the information paragraph at the end of the article)
Way of Life has always stayed on the cutting edge of technology for the furtherance of the preaching of God’s Word.
I purchased the first portable computer that came out (the Osborne, 1981). We had one of the first Independent Baptist Internet sites and published one of the first hypertext editions of a Bible encyclopedia. We had one of the first electronic lists for the publication of daily articles. We were among the first to publish a weekly news report and a monthly magazine in electronic edition.
WAY OF LIFE TITLES IN E-BOOK FORMAT
In 2010 we put almost all of our books into the major eBook formats (KINDLE, PDF, PUB), including the Way of Life Encyclopedia, and made them available as downloads from our online catalog.
We are also publishing an extensive list of free eBooks, which are available at the Way of Life web site.
We publish the Fundamental Baptist Digital Library, which consists of 3,500 select books and articles comprising 1.5 gigabytes of information. It is the largest fundamentalist research database available, consisting of a contemporary church issues research library, a preacher’s information database, a Baptist history library, a Bible Version library, a library of dispensational Bible commentaries, and much more. Every book and article is in eBook (PDF) format which can be read by electronic Readers as well as desktop and laptop computers.
We also publish the Way of Life Advanced Bible Studies Series in digital format. There are currently 20 volumes averaging 265 pages each (totaling 5,500 pages of Bible study material). The subjects are Acts, Bible History and Geography, The Bible Version Issue, Defense of the Faith, First Corinthians, The Four Gospels, Genesis, Give Attendance to Doctrine, Hebrews, A History of the Churches from a Baptist Perspective, How to Study the Bible, James, Job, The New Testament Church, Pastoral Epistles, Proverbs, Psalms, Revelation, Romans, and Understanding Bible Prophecy.
AN EXPLODING TECHNOLOGY
The eBook is an exploding technological trend. Early in 2011, for the first time, an eBook was a bestseller on Amazon. On January 28 Amazon reported that Kindle eBooks sales have surpassed those of both hardback and paperback books. That is a major milestone. In June 2011, Barnes & Noble reported that it sold three times as many digital books through its website as print books.
eBook readers have been out for several years, but they didn’t catch on until Amazon produced the Kindle in late 2007. The sale of eBooks was almost flat before that, but by 2008 sales increased to $100 million, in 2009 to $287 million, and in 2010 to $878 million. Some analysts project that eBook sales will pass $2 billion in 2013.
A report in USA Today for February 25, 2011, said that public libraries across the United States are seeing a surge in demand for electronic books. An electronic book supplier reported a 200% increase in eBook circulation in 2010.
People who have purchased the Kindle say that their reading habits have changed dramatically so that two out of three books they read are now eBooks.
The hugely popular Apple iPad, which was released in April 2010 and was expected to sell 60 million units by the end of 2011, has provided a further massive surge in the popularity of eBooks. In addition to being an all purpose tablet computer, the iPad is an excellent eBook reader with a wide variety of reader applications available.
I have owned a Sony Reader, a Kindle, and now have an iPad and it has changed the way I read books. I read and review probably 100 books a year, often more, and have a personal library of over 6,000 volumes. I love a printed book as much as anyone, but eBooks are also a great way to go.
When I travel or just stop somewhere for a cup of coffee or whatever, I can carry an assortment of books instead of the one or two I was limited to in the past because of the weight and size constraints of paper books. It is my habit to underline and annotate books as I read, and I can do all of that and more with eBooks. Further, you can change the size of the font to make it as large you please, which is an important thing if you have trouble reading the small type in regular books.
This is not to say that eBooks and eReaders are mature. They are still in a rudimentary stage. Even something as basic as electronic cut and paste is often missing. The annotation mechanisms are usually very basic (though the Goodreader and iAnnotate apps for the iPad are exceptions). The portability of eBook files across platforms is clumsy at present. But the technology will mature quickly now that the concept of eBook reading has taken off.
We are only on the cusp of the eBook revolution, but the change is coming quickly. For example, in 2010 I read and reviewed probably 100 books on evolution and archaeology for a new apologetics course. Only about 10% of those books were available in eBook format. For now, only books that are old and out of copyright and some books that were published in the last couple of years are available in electronic format. But this situation will doubtless change dramatically in the next two or three years. Google, for example, having settled lawsuits pertaining to the scanning and online distribution of copyrighted books, is entering the eBook market in a massive way, and this has the potential to promote eBooks far beyond what Kindle and iPad have done so far. Further, every publisher will, as a matter of course, soon be offering all titles in electronic format. Most already are.
OUR RECOMMENDATION FOR E-BOOK DEVICES
If a reader is considering purchasing an eBook reader, we recommend either the Kindle or the iPad.
The Kindle is a great reader and has its advantages, such as being much cheaper than the iPad. It is also lighter and thiner and has a much longer battery life and a screen that is easier to read in bright sunlight.
At the same time, the Kindle doesn’t allow editing, cut and paste, or exporting of files and annotations; you can’t use Kindle files on other devices and apps; and non-native files such as PDFs, though they can be converted to Kindle format, work properly only on a hit or miss basis.
I have owned both the Kindle and the iPad; and though the Kindle is a greater eBook reader, in my estimation you can’t go wrong with the iPad if you want to spend the money. Not only can you read books, but you can listen to audio sermons and music, read e-mail, browse the web, watch videos (such as our powerful eVideo series), read the Bible, record thoughts and sermons, and a thousand other things.
With the iPad, you can read PDF files on a wide variety of apps. You can read PUB files via iBooks and various apps. And you can read Kindle books via the Kindle iPad app.
I do all of my preaching and teaching from the iPad. Instead of having to print out a new edition of a sermon or series each time I make changes, I simply import the files to the iPad, and they’re ready to go. In some cases I use DropBox and the new edition of the file is automatically distributed to all of my eDevices. The new iCloud service can be used in the same way.
I also control my Keynote (the Mac equivalent of PowerPoint) presentations with the iPad. With the Keynote Remote app, the Keynote presentation running on my laptop is mirrored on the iPad, so that you can see and control the presentation from anywhere in the auditorium. You don’t have to mess with a remote clicker and you don’t have to face the screen to see the presentation. It works over any wireless network. (Keynote Remote also works with the iPhone.) Slick stuff!
OUR RECOMMENDATION FOR E-BOOK APPS
We only have experience with the iPhone and iPad, so we cannot give recommendations about apps for other devices.
For the iPad, there are many excellent all around eReading apps for PDF files. Follow are some examples:
First, there is GOOD READER. It has excellent options for annotating, including notes, highlights, underling, and drawing. It even allows you to modify the PDF or create a separate annotated edition of it. You can also copy and paste text into other programs.
Second, there is iANNOTATE. It has extensive annotating capabilities plus a wealth of other features.
I use the BLUEFIRE app for pdf files I preach from, because the only thing I want to do in that situation is turn the pages, and while doing this with a more basic eReader like Bluefire (in contrast to a more full-featured annotation reader) there is less chance of bringing up an unwanted feature such as highlighting.
I use the Kindle app for the iPad frequently because I like the convenience of using the Amazon store for eBook purchases.
For the Bluefire, Stanza, and Kobo apps, the best option is to convert PDF files to ePub format, because they don’t allow annotating of PDFs. Converting a file from PDF to ePub is not difficult. You can do it with Pages and other programs, or you can use the online site http://calibre-ebook.com. One reader says, “This free program allows you to change the format of any ebook for free, especially PDF. I often change old PDF books I have found into ePub format because the ePub looks and acts more like a real book.”
Google Books is a major player in the distribution of eBooks, and you can obtain Google Books in either ePub or PDF formats. Both can be read via apps that work on the iPad, and the ePub files can be viewed with Apple’s iBooks. There are millions of out-of-print books available via Google Books for free. The iRiver Story HD eReader was designed to work directly with Google Books. It reads ePub and PDF books much more easily and efficiently than the Kindle. Therefore, it will read the Way of Life books in either of those formats, and for those who are more oriented to older books (such as out-of-print Christian biographies, church histories, and missionary books) and who don’t want to purchase an iPad, this might be the way to go as opposed to a Kindle.
We don’t have any personal experience with the Nook, but one reader says that he has had good success reading the Way of Life materials on his Nook via conversion to ePub format:
“For my own personal use on my Nook, I have reformatted the book ‘Keeping the Kids’ to an ePub format so that I can more freely adjust the font size and speed of turning pages back and forward and generally have a better reading experience.”
Another reader who uses the Fundamental Baptist Digital Library, which is packed with thousands of carefully selected books and articles in PDF edition, writes of his experience as follows:
“The Adobe PDF portfolio works fine on my computer. If I want to import to my iPhone I just save a copy of the file to Dropbox and then access it from my iPhone. I then open it in GoodReader and save it there. It's nice being able to search all these files easily on my MacBook.”
CONCLUSION
We received a good number of responses from our survey on eBooks and eReaders. A majority of those who responded said that they use a Kindle, though there were also quite a few iPad users. We had much fewer responses from those who use the Sony or Nook.
Many who wrote said that PDFs were somewhat difficult to use in some applications, particularly with the Kindle, which confirmed what we already experienced. We want to make our materials available in the most convenient ways possible, realizing of course that with each method we incorporate we add a new level of time and labor both in producing the materials and in having a completely new set of options in the shopping cart.
By the way, you don’t have to fear that we will eliminate the printed books.
FEEDBACK FROM READERS
Following are some excerpts from the responses to the survey:
“I am sure it might catch on and help you possibly expand to new segments of people if it is not too time consuming or costly. Way of Life has a good history of taking advantage of new technology early and it is becoming fruitful in the long run.”
“I bought the Advanced Bible Study PDF Library. I really enjoy using it because I can enlarge the font size for my weak eyes. It is also much easier to quote in SS lessons by copying and pasting into my lesson notes.”
“I've converted many of your online articles to a format for my eReader. I can then share them with others.”
“I use the Kindle, and I love using it. I am able to take all of my books with me when I travel and when I am waiting for an appointment.”
“I currently use a Kindle as well as read your material on my iPhone.”
“I use the Amazon Kindle - and I use the Kindle reader application on PC. The convenience of being able to carry hundreds of books on a small, lightweight device far outweighs any concerns. For research, I also access my Kindle books on my laptop (via the Kindle desktop application). This has essentially made my library searchable -- a huge time-saver.”
“Kindle. It is great. I have switched almost all of my reading to the Kindle. Easier and lighter to hold; the e-ink technology is great for reading; it's easy to carry around multiple books (hundreds and hundreds, in fact); and takes up a lot less space. The great thing about the Kindle format is that using Amazon's free e-readers for multiple devices (computer; phone; etc.), you do not even need a Kindle to read them (though I am a big fan of reading on on the Kindle). For instance, I can also download my Kindle books to my BlackBerry. The Kindle app on the Blackberry syncs the book location with the Kindle, so I can pick up right where I left off.”
“I-Pad. Admittedly I'm a technology buff but have struggled for years with poor eyesight. The bright screen and the ability to zoom in makes reading much easier and more enjoyable. I also like being able to cut and paste notes to someone. The pdfs work fine but you might gain some new readers by expanding your format library.”
“My iPad can store/use PDF as easily as an e-reader format. Additionally, if the content is in a PDF format, it is easily usable across many platforms and devices.”
“I have Kindle, and the PDF versions are fine, because it converts them to its own format. I really enjoy having Way of Life e-books, because I can carry several of them with me when I travel and can also search through the text quickly.”
“I use Amazon quite a bit to order books and the Kindle is specifically designed for reading. I thoroughly enjoy it and would recommend it to anyone. I like ebooks. They are portable, usually more affordable, and available immediately for download.”
“I'm using the Kindle 3 that my husband bought as a gift to me, since I am an avid reader. I would like to see Way of Life materials in Kindle format. There are many ‘religious’ books offered free, on occasion, by various 'religious' authors, and I'd love to see one of the WoL books offered, since it won't be full of ‘fluff’ but will give the truth of the Scripture.”
“I typically use my Blackberry Storm 2 and/or my laptop to e-read files that are in pdf format. I do enjoy having the files in that format. I travel or am on the move and it makes for greater ease of use. I would eventually prefer to get an iPAD if I have a choice that way I could actually have the technology and still be able to handle emails, etc. as well. I’ve purchased many of the Way of Life books in the pdf version. It works great as a universal format.”
“I primarily do all of my reading on Logos 4.0 My eyes are getting bad so I do almost all of my reading electronically. I also use the Kindle App on my iPad if that is the only place I can get the book. I would very much like to see your material in Logos format, because it automatically includes footnotes and references when I am writing my messages and doing college work. Logos has a lot of New Evangelical stuff. I would love to see more Fundamental Baptist material there.”
“My experience with Way of Life books in digital format has been fantastic. During the past five-plus years, I have been conducting thorough research on modern Bible versions, Greek source texts and ancient Koine Greek manuscripts, followed by writing multiple versions of comparison papers pitting the KJV--and the Majority text and TR--versus modern Bible versions. Your two books ‘The Modern Bible Version Hall of Shame’ and ‘Faith vs. the Modern Bible Versions,’ my all-time favorite read, have been among the most-important sources underlying my research and these writings. I have used the printed versions of these books, but I have also purchased each of these in PDF format so that I will be able to more conveniently use your material from these sources in any upcoming, related papers and/or books concerning these issues--with full attribution, of course, as usual.”
“I prefer the e-book (pdf) versions over even the book versions, because... 1. They take up less space (and space is something I am lacking as a missionary). 2. I can put them on my iphone or Nokia to read wherever I happen to be at the moment. 3. I can search through them to find information easier.”
“I truly enjoy your work and ministry. It would be a blessing to me if I could use all your material in the future on the iPad, including the Digital library.”
“I have the Fundamental Baptist Digital library and love it. Lots of really useful information.”
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Distributed by Way of Life Literature's Fundamental Baptist Information Service, an e-mail listing for Fundamental Baptists and other fundamentalist, Bible-believing Christians. Established in 1974, Way of Life Literature is a fundamental Baptist preaching and publishing ministry based in Bethel Baptist Church, London, Ontario, of which Wilbert Unger is the founding Pastor. Brother Cloud lives in South Asia where he has been a church planting missionary since 1979. OUR GOAL IN THIS PARTICULAR ASPECT OF OUR MINISTRY IS NOT DEVOTIONAL BUT IS TO PROVIDE INFORMATION TO ASSIST PREACHERS IN THE PROTECTION OF THE CHURCHES IN THIS APOSTATE HOUR. This material is sent only to those who personally subscribe to the list. If somehow you have subscribed unintentionally, following are the instructions for removal. The Fundamental Baptist Information Service mailing list is automated. To SUBSCRIBE, go to http://www.wayoflife.org/wayoflife/subscribe.html . TO UNSUBSCRIBE OR CHANGE ADDRESSES, go to the very bottom of any email received from us and click "Manage My Subscription." If you have any trouble with this, please let us know. We take up a quarterly offering to fund this ministry, and those who use the materials are expected to participate (Galatians 6:6) if they can. Some of the articles are from O Timothy magazine, which is in its 28th year of publication. Way of Life publishes many helpful books. The catalog is located at the web site: http://www.wayoflife.org/publications/index.html. Way of Life Literature, P.O. Box 610368, Port Huron, MI 48061. 866-295-4143, fbns@wayoflife.org. We do not solicit funds from those who do not agree with our preaching and who are not helped by these publications, but only from those who are. OFFERINGS can be made at http://www.wayoflife.org/wayoflife/makeanoffering.html. PAYPAL offerings can be made to https://www.paypal.com/xclick/business=dcloud%40wayoflife.org
WAY OF LIFE LITERATURE SHARING POLICY: Much of our material is available for free, such as the hundreds of articles at the Way of Life web site. Other items we sell to help fund our very expensive literature, video, and foreign church planting ministry. Way of Life’s content falls into two categories: sharable and non-sharable. Things that we encourage you to share include the audio sermons, video presentations, O Timothy magazine, and FBIS articles. You are free to make copies of these at your own expense and share them with friends and family. You are also welcome to use excerpts from the articles. All we ask is that you give proper credit. Things we do not want copied and distributed freely are items like the Fundamental Baptist Digital Library, print edition of our books, PDFs of the books, etc. These items have taken years to produce at enormous expense in time and money, and we need the income from the sale of these to help fund the ministry. We trust that your Christian honesty will preserve the integrity of this policy.