Monday, January 11, 2010

The Power of the Blog!



So you write your little blog and you send it out into the world not knowing the lives it may touch, or the power it may have. The lives it may change.

Back in September of last year I read a book and was moved to write a post about the experience. The book was "Don't Give Up On Us, A Rwandan Experience" by Ashmead Ali, a self published author here in Toronto.

Somehow, Mr. Ali stumbled on the blog and wrote to me asking permission to include my post as part of a submission to the Toronto Public Library System to have the book included in the various branches of the Library. Library rules call for authors who are applying to have their works considered to submit three independent reviews from credible sources.

He only had two, both from local papers. And now my blog, although he wasn't certain if the Library would consider my blog a "credible source". Still I was all he had.

I was flattered and agreed and he proceeded with the submission.

Time passed. Actually a lot of time passed and my life became a little more eventful than I would have wished, and I forgot all about the incident.

Then, yesterday I received the following email from Mr. Ali:

I wish to thank you for allowing me to use your comments in
your blog for my presentation to the TPL to get them to accept
the book that I wrote for their shelves. They have accepted the
book and bought copies.

Thank you.

Ashmead


My little blog had gone out into the world and had done some good.

Here is the original review of his book from September of last year.



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Several people have asked where copies of this book may be found. Mr. Ali has kindly permitted me to pass along his e-mail address: ashmeadaali@yahoo.ca where he would be more than happy to sell you a copy.