Before answering why eBooks, let's say what an eBook is.
An eBook is simply an electronic version of a print book. You download the eBook as a computer file. You can read it on any computer screen (laptop, desktop, or handheld), or you can print it out to read whenever and wherever is convenient for you.
We publish our eBooks in Adobe Acrobat format (a ".PDF file"). Almost all mobile devices as well as Windows and Macintosh computers already have everything you need to view and print eBooks in this format.
So why did we decide to publish our books as eBooks? One big reason is because it's very expensive and time-consuming to produce & publish a paper book.
We can give you a lot more quality information at a much lower cost by publishing these Catholic books in electronic format. And you can also download the eBooks immediately—no waiting or paying for shipping!
And there are a lot of special benefits that come only with eBooks. Here are some things that make your reading experience even more rewarding and enjoyable. You can:
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Magnify/Zoom-in on photos, charts, pictures, and text.
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Print out pages and take them with you to a discussion group, faith formation class, or when you want to help a friend answer a question.
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Some eBooks include Web links, so you can immediately explore related information on the Internet. This feature makes our eBooks interactive and expands them far beyond what we could do with any paper book.
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Click on an entry in the digital index or table of contents and jump right to the page you want.
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Search for words or phrases and jump to them. (This feature is one I use constantly! When I can't find the passage I want, I can just search for the word or phrase and jump right to it.)
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Carry a whole library with you on a laptop or handheld! This really lets you put a huge amount of information right at your fingertips.
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Make excellent use of "down time" before meetings, between classes, or when you're just surfing the Web. Now you can bring up your eBook on screen and spend a few minutes developing your faith!
Naturally, sometimes it is nice to have a paper copy. In that case you can just take your eBook to your local copy shop. They can usually produce a quality, printed & bound copy for you at very low cost.
(When I print some of my eBooks, I have the copy shop print it out on both sides of the page, and bind it with a spiral wire binding and clear plastic cover. Also note that most big copy shops let you send them print jobs online now—you can do it all in your Web browser!)