Reading For All Issue 3 2015

READING FOR ALL

The accessible Christian reading and resources magazine from the Torch Trust

Issue 3 2015

In the Beginning…

Reading for All is published

by The Torch Trust for people with sight loss with an interest in accessible Christian reading resources. © Torch Trust August 2015 Reg. Charity number 1095904 Views expressed in the features are not necessarily those of the publisher.

CONTACT NUMBERS Client Services For all general enquiries: 01858 438260 Library For library borrowers: 01858 438266 Torch Holidays For all holiday enquiries 01273 832282 Reflections Radio Show For responses to our radio broadcasts: 0333 123 1255 Reading for All is also available in the following formats: email, Audio CD, braille, and large print (20, 25 and 30 point). Plus it can also be viewed on the Torch website.

We’ve a lovely lot of New Resources this quarter: to encourage your church to get alongside people new to the sight loss journey, we’ve a brand new leaflet; David Suchet makes a second appearance – this time with MegaVoice! The TorchTalk team are launching two more new groups and the Reflections Radio Show team have a brand new CD for you to order.

I think Client Services will be busy with all your requests – which they will be delighted about.

Jeff Lucas tells us about his new book The Cactus Stabbers. If you’ve never read any of his previous books, I can almost guarantee you will want to after reading Grace’s interview with him!

In Leaving an Impression I’ve shared some of the titles which have most inspired me – I would love to hear what has most inspired YOU, our readers.

You can email me on LydiaT@torchtrust.org J. John is one of my favourite communicators and he’s written some very wise words “On Reading Books”.

I’d love to know what you all think of “British Hypocrisy Association?” and “The Book World Need Not Fear Amazon”! Do write and tell me!

Happy Reading! Lydia Tebbutt, Editor

Contents 2

In the Beginning...

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New Resources Journeying With New Megavoice Reflections Radio Show CD

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Torch Resource News Author Interview

14 Hot Off the Press!

“On Reading Books” 20 General Literary News

“British Hypocrisy Association?”

“The book world need not fear Amazon” Advert

Loss of sight doesn’t have to stop you participating in the home group course!

Torch has transcribed a huge selection of courses in braille and giant print.

Jeff Lucas 11 In Your Quiet Time (Daily Bible reading notes feature)

12 Leaving an Impression

Call Client Services on 01858 438260 or email info@torchtrust.org for our mini catalogue of accessible courses.

And also for people who are blind or partially sighted:

A FREE lending library of over 4,000 Christian titles; Bible reading notes; Bibles and Magazines; Books to own & Book Groups Lydia Tebbutt 3

New Resources: New Journeying With leaflet launched.

You can do this by contacting Client Services on 01858 438260 or by emailing info@torchtrust.org

A New MegaVoice

With 100 people a day being told that they have sight loss beyond the correction of spectacles, and then summarily discharged, there is much need for support at this often frightening and bewildering time in a person’s life.

The Journeying With Team have a great new leaflet to encourage volunteers to come alongside people who are losing their sight. It was launched at CRE London and was well received.

The Team provide excellent training and resources for our volunteers, and the volunteers themselves also feel they have benefited.

We would now like to encourage Reading for All readers to request some copies to put in your church.

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We are delighted to announce that Torch has acquired a small stock of MegaVoice pre-recorded with the latest edition of the NIV as read

by David Suchet.

These come with the ability to be solar charged as well as a mains adaptor and earphones.

The price is £50.00 The DAISY version of the NIV read by David Suchet is of course still available at £15.99

Reflections Radio Show Revisited!

Our superb radio show is just too good for one listening!

Torch is pleased to announce that we are now able to offer a monthly CD and podcast of our weekly Reflections radio programme.

Featuring all of the episodes from each month, the CD is available free to anyone who is registerable blind or partially sighted.

Marilyn Baker, Reflections Radio Show presenter, is delighted that the show can now be “revisited” through this new CD. The podcast is also free to listen to on SoundCloud, by visiting soundcloud.com/torchtrust.

For more information call Client Services on 01858 438260 or email info@torchtrust.org

Torch Resource News TorchTalk – where friendship really matters Whether a visually impaired person lives in the highlands of Scotland, the suburbs of London or in a village in deepest Dorset, TorchTalk can provide them with a link to six or seven others who would like to chat and share together – and all from the comfort of their own armchair!

How does it work?

Each participant is provided with a telephone number and a PIN code to access the Group gathering at the time agreed for the session, which lasts up to an hour.

Groups can meet weekly, fortnightly or monthly. The participant simply phones that number and they will be linked with the Group.

Who runs the TorchTalk group?

A trained facilitator, who has an active Christian faith, will lead each of the different themed TorchTalk Groups. The role of this person is to enable all the participants in the Group to 5

have good interaction, without imposing their own opinions.

Does a participant have to be a practicing Christian?

No, but all the participants need to be sympathetic and aware of the spiritual ethos of all Torch activities.

New TorchTalk Groups for this autumn: On the 21st September a Harvest themed TorchTalk group will start and run for 6 weeks.

Have you visited our newly refurbished and extended Holiday and Retreat Centre yet?

Your holiday as you like it!

Whilst our holidays are filled right up with many activities for your enjoyment, you are most welcome to choose how you participate. Our homely Centre has guest lounges, a chapel, and outdoor seating areas, providing you with plenty of spaces to just relax and be renewed.

At the end of November an Advent TorchTalk group will start and also run for 6 weeks.

If you would like to participate in either of these groups or receive more information about TorchTalk Groups please contact David Palmer or one of the Client Services Team on 01858 438260 or email info@torchtrust.org

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All of our superbly appointed bedrooms are fully en-suite, with a range of accessible rooms. Complimentary wifi, tea and coffee facilities are always available for you, so it’s just like being at home.

To find out more or to book, please contact us on 01273 832282 or email holidays@torchtrust.org

Author Interview: Jeff Lucas (Source: Reflections Radio Show May 2015) Jeff Lucas is an international speaker, broadcaster, and bestselling author. He is a teaching pastor at Timberline Church in Fort Collins, Colorado. He broadcasts on radio - In Good Company, and Lucas on Life on UCB Radio.

Torch’s Reflections Radio Show Producer, Grace Davis, talks to Jeff Lucas about his new book The Cactus Stabbers.

Grace: … Your book The Cactus Stabbers tells the stories of a lot of people you have met on the road. What made you want to share those stories?

Jeff: Well I think it’s because we’re living in a celebrity-obsessed culture where some people are famous just for being

famous. They don’t necessarily have any noticeable talent but they have the right PR machine.

My discovery, as I track around life, is that I meet the most remarkable people, some of whom are navigating life through incredible challenges which frankly if I had to face those challenges, Grace, I might be tempted to go into a dark room, hug a pillow and just cry! And yet I meet these folks who seem to faithfully continue in life, many of them smiling while doing so, while really facing amazing difficulties, and so The Cactus Stabbers is a book of different stories, some of them designed deliberately to make you laugh, some to make you cry, some to make you think. But I suppose what I want to do, in writing and in life, is to shine the spotlight, if you like, onto ordinary people. We’re all ordinary people. God only makes use of ordinary people - because there’s nothing else available!

Ordinary people who are doing life well or even stunningly: and that’s part 7

of the reason for writing the book.

Grace: I really liked chapter 15, the one about “The Crowd” where you said about people sometimes getting above themselves, but actually a lot of people need recognition more than they are celebrating themselves. You were saying Christian leaders can fall into despair by thinking: “Oh I’m not good enough, I’m inadequate”. Is that something that you struggle with yourself?

Jeff: I think a long time ago, I decided that I couldn’t be one of those fluorescent glow-in-the-dark Christian leaders who give the impression of near perfection and have some kind of hot-line to God twenty-four hours a day. In fact, I don’t think there are any out there like that. The truth is we’re all “in-theprocess” people, we’re all fragile, we’re all broken and whatever good there is in us, is because of the attribute of God, after whom you were named: Grace. It’s the grace of God that’s done 8

that in us. And so I think that’s given me a sense of relief really, that although I want to do my very best and I don’t want to give “foot holds” if you will, to obvious sin, which is destructive, at the same time, I’m at peace with the fact that as I am God loves me, loves me too much to let me stay that way, but has accepted me and now wants to take me on a journey. And that means I can lighten up a little bit on myself. I have tended, I suppose, to have bit of a tendency to be a fairly guilt driven person, but I think life is a process and I’ve had a life-long process of learning to either accept the “Good News” of Jesus, which is that I am loved and totally accepted right now, or it’s all a load of tosh and I might as well not bother with it. Well, I’ve made a decision in my life to accept that Truth as true and now I’m endeavouring to

calibrate my thinking and my living each day by that Truth.

Grace: In this book, and I think in a lot of your other books, there is a really good balance of comedy and deep thought and deep honest thinking about life and about faith. Do you ever struggle to maintain the balance in your writing – is it easier to do one than the other, and do you ever think “I’ve got to get more of ‘this’ in”?

Jeff: I don’t think so.

Because I don’t see them as being separate. First of all I think there’s huge value in humour. There are some Christians, sadly, who have got this notion that funbefore-death is to be disapproved of and you see that occasionally reflected in the churches of which they’re apart, where it’s like a gathering of the “frozen chosen” every Sunday morning, where a group of emotionally frigid looking people get together and then wonder why more people don’t want to come and join them. I really believe that God invented

laughter and fun. I don’t actually tell jokes; I’m not very good with jokes, because with jokes, all of the humour relies on the punch line. What I do do, is try and put things in an amusing way and then use humour as a learning device.

If you think about it, when you laugh at something, it’s because you’ve seen a picture in your mind, or you’ve made a connection intellectually with an idea and you found it amusing.

And so I think humour is an amazing way of connecting with people. In that light atmosphere, they’re more likely to relax and understand and engage. And if, therefore, what is being taught is entertaining, then they’re more likely to stay with it and, hopefully, apply it. So I don’t really try and think, “well am I on content or am I on humour now?” I hope that the two merge into one.

Grace: I think that the fact that it’s not jokes, it’s just humorous, makes it a lot more natural and I think it makes people a lot more 9

willing to listen. It doesn’t come across as forced; it just seems like a person honestly talking.

Books by Jeff Lucas available for loan or for purchase (except USB) from Torch

Jeff: That’s right. When you consider the way that comedy has changed in the last thirty years, comedy used to be about jokes and punch lines and now if you look at people like Michael McIntyre and others, a lot of the comedians now are social commentators.

They’re holding up a verbal mirror and they’re showing us ourselves, and often, they’re showing us the absurdity and how ridiculous we can be. So what we end up doing is laughing at ourselves. It’s not so much about jokes; it’s about making astute observations in an amusing way. And really I hope that’s what often I try and do, not all the time, not every context is appropriate – but a lot of the time!

The Cactus Stabbers On DAISY & USB for loan and DAISY only to buy £7.99 Helen Sloane’s Diary In 3 braille vol; on DAISY & USB 6:12 hours. Price £6.00 Up Close and Personal (the sequel to Helen Sloane’s Diary) Coming soon in DAISY and USB Seriously Funny (Co-author Adrian Plass) On DAISY & USB 5:07 hours.

Price £6.00 Lucas Unleashed On DAISY & USB 3:52 hours Price £3.00 Lucas on Life On DAISY & USB 5:25 hours Price £4.00 Lucas on Life 2 On DAISY & USB 4:49 hours Price £4.00 For more of Jeff’s books contact the Librarians

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In Your Quiet Time Our look at accessible Daily Bible Reading Notes Every Day with Jesus from CWR The Sept/Oct edition is entitled Standing Strong.

As Every Day with Jesus marks its 50th anniversary, Selwyn Hughes shares the anchors God taught him for standing strong every day in both the successes and challenges of life.

In this issue, we explore these approaches together, including cultivating our relationship with God, finding spaces in a secular society and understanding the goodness of God. Available on Daisy CD or USB

Scripture Union’s Daily Bread The August/September edition is subtitled Faith in a different context and looks at people who are displaced from their normal surroundings.

Daniel, though exiled in Babylon, was able to keep up his daily prayer habit which had a farreaching impact on the kings he served, and Nehemiah, another exile, exercised his faith by taking on the hard labour of the Jerusalem rebuilding project – along with plenty of opposition!

Available on Daisy CD or USB or in braille

For Giant Print Readers – The Upper Room from BRF This is a unique publication which has a worldwide readership of some 3,000,000, and is written by its readers.

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Leaving an Impression Reading for All’s editor, Lydia, talks about the books which have left a lasting impression One of the first books I remember having read to me as a child was Kenneth Graham’s Wind in the Willows. It has captured the imagination of several generations since it was written in 1908 and it’s never been out of print.

There have been films and animations, pantomimes and TV shows as well as toys, to name but a few of the spin offs. Author Leslie Francis has also been enchanted by this tale and, being a Christian like me, he is passionate about the gospel story. In his book The Gospel in the Willows he draws on the children’s tale and weaves it into the Christian story, creating 40 delightful devotions.

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I didn’t read much as a child but I did love reading children’s books to my children. The Chronicles of Narnia were read at least once a year and even now I will quite often re-read them!

The Christian book that made the most impression on me has to be Nine O’clock in the Morning by Dennis Bennett. Through this book I realised that the Holy Spirit was not just given two thousand years ago but was very much alive today and wanted to be a part of my life. It changed my life.

Nicolas Herman, a.k.a.

Brother Lawrence, took ten years to perfect the art of continuously conversing with God. Some thirty odd years after first reading about it, I still haven’t perfected it!

However, it still remains an ardent desire. This little book is often described as being full of unction. In other words it’s an anointed work. And so every January I re-read The Practice of the Presence of God by Brother Lawrence.

If You Want to Walk on Water, You have to get Out of the Boat! by John Ortberg made a huge impression on me. It is so honest and down to earth. I love the way Ortberg acknowledges that of course there will be fear; of course there will be failure, instead of assuming that it will all be plain sailing. We tend to focus on the fact that Peter “saw the wind and began to sink” and forget that he actually did walk on water.

I am one of the very few people who don’t read biographies! However a rare exception has been Alister McGrath’s C.S. Lewis: A Life. Alister has written a thorough, unromantic, and yet still warm, account of Lewis’s life. I enjoy his style of writing almost as much as the subject.

I am very fond of books which show us how to see God in the ordinary everyday things. John Stott had a love of bird-watching and saw his hobby as another way of connecting with God. “[The] largely negative assessments

of sparrows make Jesus’ positive reference to them all the more striking. For these little creatures, lacking both colourful plumage and musical song, are nevertheless cherished, remembered and protected

by God.” The Birds Our Teachers is just beautiful.

Another book that does this is Cakes, Bakes, Puddings and Prayers by Susan Over who has collected some lovely recipes which she teams up with scripture and suggests some thoughtful links.

The most recent book to inspire me is Paradoxology

by Krish Kandiah who “makes a compelling argument that it is only by wrestling with the challenges of faith … that we can really come to know God, individually and together.”

If you would like to borrow, or find out if you can purchase any of these titles, then call Client Services on 01858 438260

The Power of Words

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Hot Off the Press A selection of titles newly transcribed.

But first here are J. John’s thoughts “On Reading Books” (Source: J.John and Philo Trust May 2015 excerpt) As we are heading into that time of year when we buy books to read on holiday I thought it might be useful to share some reflections on holiday reading, or indeed reading at any other time of the year.

Although we seem to be moving into an age that is increasingly visual and focused on images, the Christian faith is about words, not just pictures.

That might seem odd. Surely an image of something is much better? After all, as the saying goes, isn’t a picture “worth a thousand words”? For some things this may be true but not, I think, for communicating truths about how we are to live.

For transmitting truth, words are less ambiguous and much easier to pass on.

It’s difficult to see how we 14

could express John 3:16’s “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life” as an image without it losing clarity. “In the beginning was the Word”, not the image. So reading is good and wise.

A second thing is that whatever we choose to read, we must make reading the Bible a priority. Not just uplifting verses from favourite books but the whole thing. Only that way do we get a full picture of what God has done for us in Christ. A wise practice is to try to read from several different parts of the Bible each day. So, for instance, reading a chapter of the Old Testament from Genesis 1 onwards, a Psalm and then a chapter of the New Testament. Whatever we read, let’s make sure it is in addition to Scripture rather than instead of it.

On reading other books let me make four suggestions.

Read wisely. Don’t go for books that you feel you

ought to read because they will make you appear clever.

Don’t go for books you will never finish: taking War and Peace on a family holiday is probably not a good idea.

Don’t go for books that will make your life worse. So if you have had a tough year I’d suggest you pass on something described as a “devastating portrayal of despair”. If you’re struggling with your marriage or with singleness, a tale of romantic love may not be the best thing.

Read widely. Some people only read in one particular area: romantic comedies; the Second World War; science fiction; or detective stories. One of the great things about reading is that it broadens our minds. It opens up the possibilities of experiencing other places, times and challenges.

Perhaps the worst thing about television programmes and films is that they don’t allow us any pause for thought – it’s a non-stop trip. Books allow us the privilege of pausing en route, of being able to

reflect on what we are experiencing. We have an opportunity to put a bookmark in, sit back and think about the issues that have been raised. What would we have done under the circumstances? Books give us the freedom and space to both ponder and wonder.

Read warily. The almost magical power of words means that they can be used for good or evil. Never say, “Oh it’s only a book.”

Christians, of all people, know that books can be astonishingly powerful for good. Sadly, they can also have a similar power to corrupt. We must not fall into the trap of assuming that the only thing to be wary of is sex and how it is depicted. Yes, it’s a problem and we need to guard our minds in this area but there are other issues. Does a book represent violence as the only sensible response to a difficult situation? Is greed elevated to being a virtue? Is the answer to the search for happiness portrayed as money, status or 15

possessions? Of course, when we pick up a book to read, we probably won’t know what challenges we will be faced with. The point is, as you read a book; think about what you are reading. The computer you use will have a virus checker that is constantly on the alert for “malware” – viruses and the like. When we read we should similarly be checking what we read. Books can plant seeds in our minds: greed, lust, anger, prejudice and many more. Those seeds need neutralising before they sprout and flower. So be ready to stop reading a book and discard it if it is unhelpful and unhealthy.

Read worthily. We need to be thoughtful both about our books and about how, as Christians, we approach our reading. Reading is a serious matter. Try to read good books and give them the attention that they deserve.

If someone has spent years crafting a masterpiece then we really ought to give it at least a few minutes of careful thought. But we also need to read books in a way 16

that reflects our Christian faith. Paul writes this in his letter to the Colossians: “… in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God” (Colossians 1:10). In other words, in everything we do, even reading books on holiday, we should never forget that as God’s children in Christ we are called to live worthy lives.

Books and the reading of them shape our lives; let’s allow them to shape us into what God wants us to be.

So here is a selection of titles, recently transcribed, which we hope will in someway “shape us into what God wants us to be”!

Tails I Lose by Justyn Rees Larcombe (Source: Together Sept/Oct 2014 excerpt from “The Big Review”) “It’s only a £5 flutter on a rugby team!” – This decision in 2008 was the beginning of a downward spiral of Justyn

Rees Larcombe, leading to marriage break up, poverty, homelessness and unimaginable misery for family and friends; including his mother Jennifer.

Justyn was a highly successful businessman with a glittering military career behind him, but his growing and secret habit destroyed his life and caused him to hit rock bottom; losing everything – home, family, career, luxury lifestyle and his one time rock solid faith.

Tails I Lose is a painfully honest account of how Justyn lived the lie, and fed a habit that became an uncontrollable addiction, dominating his consciousness. When his own fortune had disappeared and he had pawned anything of value, he turned to high street moneylenders. But with the help of family and friends, he was ultimately able to overcome his

addiction, regain his faith and get his life back on track.

Available in DAISY or USB for loan from the Torch Library or to purchase on DAISY only price ÂŁ8.99 Captive in Iran by Rostampour & Amirizadeh (Source: excerpts from Amazon reviewer D. Kiln April 2013) How strong is your faith?

Could you withstand torture, living in filth, the threat of execution and still proclaim Christ your Savior? In Tehran, just a few years ago, the authors were arrested for proclaiming themselves Christians and for distributing New Testaments written in Farsi to people in Iran.

Supposedly, it was not a crime to be Christian, but it was a serious crime to evangelize - the crime of apostasy. Charged, the two women were imprisoned in the notorious Evin Prison in Tehran for over nine months. While many would 17

shiver in fear and deny their religion, Maryam and Marziyeh saw their experience as a chance to witness to Christ among the murderers, thieves, prostitutes, angry guards and others who were there.

Many women were charged and imprisoned unjustly. … Many conversions were made as they prayed with those who seemed to have little hope. …

Eventually their acquittal was obtained and Maryam and Marziyeh were set free. … It was amazing to learn about the ridiculous laws that govern a woman’s life in Iran - so out of touch with the modern world. How could anyone not be influenced by the strong faith of the two authors who, while protecting their Christian friends, would not deny their own Christian beliefs and their right to witness to others? Truly an inspirational story!

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Available for loan only on DAISY & USB and coming soon in braille.

Immeasurably Deeper by Abby Guinness (Source: from the back cover) The Bible encourages us to be like deeply-rooted trees, reaching towards God’s living waters for our daily sustenance and our strength in drought. But in a non-stop world we grow accustomed to living in the shallows, grabbing refreshment when we can and sprinting on.

Under such pressure, we produce less in the way of spiritual fruit. More than ever we need to find a regular rhythm of drinking the living water that Jesus offers. This 40-day devotional encourages us to dig deeper, to immerse ourselves in refreshing rhythms of life, to receive more of the power of the Spirit. Each section focuses

on a different area of life or spiritual discipline and offers a short Bible passage, a reflection, an action and a prayer. Immeasurably Deeper will assist you to discover a new awareness of the Holy Spirit’s presence, and renewed fruitfulness in his empowering.

Available to borrow in braille and Giant Print and to buy price £6.00 The Recovery of Love: Walking the way of wholeness by Naomi Starky (Source: Goodbookreviews: excerpt from Margaret Walker 2013) … If you are excited by the prospect of a Mystery Trip, then delve into this unusual book. It is not an “easy read” and you may well find yourself having to re-read some chapters. You will certainly have to stretch both your mind and your imagination.

taking the reader into a mysterious house of many rooms, where questioning minds will be opened and you will be urged to be open to his presence in whatever unexpected time or place it is revealed.

The Recovery of Love is a highly original book to be recommended to those who are eager for a mental and spiritual workout, which hopefully will reap the benefits of a closer walk with God into the way of wholeness.

Available to borrow in braille, DAISY & USB, Giant Gadgets Print and & to Gizmos buy (with&the Apps exception of USB) price £6.05 Our occasional look at technology To borrow or buy any of these titles contact Client Be My Eyes Services on 01858 438260 or Review

by Christo Thiardt email info@torchtrust.org who is blind.

There are echoes of Pilgrim’s Progress here with the use of storytelling, 19

General Literary News British Hypocrisy Association?

By David Robertson (Source: Evangelicals Now July 2015) The next Free Church of Scotland Moderator, David Robertson, has accused the British Humanist Association (BHA) of “sheer hypocrisy” after it emerged that they would be distributing books promoting atheism to every secondary school in Scotland after successfully securing a ban on a Christian book being distributed to primary schools.

The distribution of the The Young Atheists Handbook: Lessons for Living a Good Life without God comes just three months after the Humanist Society of Scotland (HSS) secured a ban on Scripture Union’s It’s your move that seeks to help pupils make the transition from primary school to secondary school.

Fundamentalist atheists The book however will no longer be given to pupils 20

following the HSS complaint that the literature promoted prayer which “is obviously an attempt to evangelise young children at a vulnerable phase in their lives”.

The Revd David Robertson, Free Church Moderatorelect, responded: “If it is not hypocrisy then it seems as though there is a clear division between the British Humanists, who want to send their propaganda into schools, and the Scottish humanists who are opposed to such ‘evangelism’. It is an example of the arrogance and intolerance of the new fundamentalist atheists who do not want any religion or philosophy taught in Scottish schools, except their own.”

If you know of any young people, with sight loss, about to go to secondary school, especially in Scotland, you might like to give them a copy of It’s Your Move in either Giant Print or Braille. For loan or priced £3.00

“The book world need not fear Amazon” By Nicholas Clee (Source: excerpt from The Guardian July 2015) The 20th birthday of Amazon this week should, in my view, be a cause for celebration in the book world. Amazon has made more books available, more cheaply, than ever before. It kick-started the ebook revolution. It has enabled aspiring authors, who until recently might have been ripped off by vanity presses, to publish their books at little expense, or even for nothing. It has a website that is a pleasure to use, and it offers outstanding customer service. Yet in certain quarters Amazon is seen as the nastiest, most threatening company since the heyday of Microsoft.

Talk to publishers, and you’ll struggle to find one with a good word to say about the online giant. Even those who are not hostile regard Amazon as a male tarantula

must regard a female – mating tempts, but you may get eaten afterwards. …

Some publishers believe that, essentially, Bezos’s company despises them: they are unnecessary intermediaries between authors and the reading public. And then there are the working conditions in Amazon’s warehouses, and the company’s tax avoidance. The news that the European Commission is investigating Amazon’s business practices - among which is the stipulation that rivals should never receive more favourable terms – has brought cheer. …

As regulators tend to focus on the interests of consumers and on pricing, and as Amazon wants to discount prices that publishers would prefer to be higher, this protest seems unlikely to cut much ice.

Perhaps Amazon will destroy literary culture. Or perhaps in 20 years’ time we’ll find it hard to remember, as we do with Microsoft, why we were so afraid of it.

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Reflections Radio Programme from Torch Trust The chat show with a focus on faith and disability On RNIB’s Insight Radio on Sundays after the 9am news Online at insightradio.co.uk On FM 101 (Glasgow), on Sky 0188, on Freesat 777 and on Freeview 730 On Premier Christian Radio on Sundays at 4pm Online at premierradio.co.uk On MW 1305, 1332,1413, on DAB and on Freeview 725

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