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By David Rothman

Theodore_Dreiser_1918Wikipedia Theodore Dreiser, author of such classics as Sister Carrie and An American Tragedy, was a mean, philandering cuss if we go by some biographers. But the novelist’s warmer side shows up in Twelve Men, just posted to Mobile Read in .imp format. I’m part of the way through the lively T.M. I loved the chapters on his friend the newspaper illustrator and on his brother, Paul Dresser, the songwriter who apparently wrote On the banks of the Wabash, Far Away—Indiana’s state song—with help from Dreiser. Visit Manybooks.net or Munseys for other formats such as PDF or HTML or Mobipocket.

I’m continuing to enjoy my OLPC XO-1, which can run FBReader, a way to read nonencrypted Mobi among other formats. Yes, I still want to pass on a few more e-book-related thoughts on the XO-1, but I keep running out of time.

Other links of interest:

  • Sony will offer stories from Philip Dick, Orson Scott Card, Kevin Anderson and other brand names and otherwise compete with Amazon Shorts. Problem is the emphasis on stars. Amazon’s program seems more inclusive. Sony’s prices will be 99 cents to $1.99.
  • PC Mag’s Dan Costa discusses the shortcomings of e-book gizmos, although it’s vexing to see—as usual—a neglect of the standards issue. Costa’s premise is hardly original, namely the need for E to be less like P. When will more people in the trade press get it? Standards would make it easier for e-books to be fully interactive, via shared annotations and the rest, and hook in with other books.

 
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