Cool Links 8-4-18

Cool Links 8-4-18 edition. Some of the fun stuff I’ve found on the internet this week.

The Human Library

I don’t think Ben Franklin had this in mind when he started our nation’s library system, but why not?

The Human Library Organization held its first event in Copenhagen in 2000. Library “patrons” get to check out human “books”, which are people with different experiences. Through questions and discussions, patrons learn about the diversity that is humanity. For example, you might “check out” a person who is, or has:

Muslim
Refugee
Gay
Transgender
Dyslexic
Transsexual
Young offender
Post-traumatic stress disorder
Ex-offender
Lesbian
Young black male
Wheelchair user
Jewish
Christian
Down syndrome
Cerebral palsy
Recovering alcoholic
Teenage mother
Schizophrenia
Bi-polar
Ex-substance misuser
Unemployed
Autistic
Chav
HIV positive
Learning disability
Dyslexic
Borderline personality disorder
Bisexual
Homeless
Buddhist
Facial disfigurement 

The Human Library Project aims to challenge prejudices and sterotypes. Since its inception, it has spread to 70 countries. Why not check out a new “book” and enrich your perceptions about humanity?

Famous Landmarks During Construction

One of the things I remember most from Jack Finney’s novel Time and Again (hailed as “THE great time-travel story” by Stephen King) is that it took place in 1882 and the Statue of Liberty’s arm had been plunked down in a NYC park.

In this article, you can take a look at other famous landmarks before they were completed. The Eiffel Tower, Hoover Dam (a day trip for me), the Sydney Harbor bridge, and many others are chronicled.

If you’re a history buff like me, photos of construction of Christ the Redeemer statue in Rio and the Golden Gate Bridge will fascinate you. And maybe spawn a story idea?

Book Folding

It wouldn’t be a cool links post without at least one writing/book link. This week’s gem is on book folding—the intricate art of folding book pages to spell out a word or design.

If you have a book lover on your gift list, and you’re looking for the ultimate gift, here’s the place to shop.

If you don’t want to shell out cold, hard cash, go here for a tutorial to DIY.

That’s it for this week’s cool links 8-4-18 edition. As always, feel free to share, sign up for my newsletter, or sign up to get new blog posts in your mailbox. Use the appropriate boxes and icons scattered here and there to do so.

Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have to order the sequel to Time and Again,— From Time to Time. Don’t you hate it when a book comes out and you don’t know about it until later?

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