We might be a little partial, since books are what we do, but all of us at Compendium really do believe that books change lives. We've each had the experience of pulling a book down from a shelf and feeling spoken to directly. As though the author knew exactly what we needed to hear.

Today, we received an email from a customer saying "Yesterday my best friend gave me the book 'Celebrating You' and it has really changed my world...thank you for bringing that magic into existence, life is better for having been gifted with it."

All of us who had a chance to read this email were touched to be reminded of the power a few words can have to bring joy, wisdom, magic, and motivation into our lives. And we were reminded of how fortunate we are to have access to books in public libraries, gift shops, and shelves of our own.

Recently, people around the Compendium offices have been talking about making personal donations to organizations like Room to Read--an organization that creates school libraries in countries like Tanzania, Zimbabwe, India, Cambodia, and Vietnam. According to the Room to Read website, 793 million people around the world lack the ability to read and write.

(photo courtesy of Room to Read)

If you're like us, and a book has touched your life in profound and lasting ways, why not find a way to pass on that gift? It can be as simple as giving a gift to a friend, donating a few books to a school library or retirement home, or making a donation to an organization that promotes world literacy. Any gift that shares the joy of words is a powerful gift indeed.