It's quite surprising to me what a big deal giving ebooks as gifts has become for me. I am a fan of Amazon and a steady user of Kindle e-readers. There are several features that I like very much, the first one being the speed and convenience of getting an ebook wherever I am and whenever I want. To give an ebook as a gift, I only need a person's email address. I like ebooks very much and I like using them so I have given an ebook as a gift many times, 812 times at last count.
I don't usually ask a friend whether he or she wants an ebook or has ever used an electronic book or hates the idea or hates Amazon. I just send it. Well, first the notice that the recipient has been given an ebook but must approve of the reception to get it comes from Amazon, not me. Second, it probably seems like a scam. Third, what the hell is it? Fourth, do I want it? Most people have umpteen books waiting to be read and even the idea of receiving a paper book that wasn't asked for is quite questionable. Many people assume that getting and using an Amazon ebook will require some specialized software and some learning. To some extent that is true but it is very easy.
Not long ago, I made one of the most useful phone calls to customer service I ever made. The operator directed me to a listing on the Amazon site I didn't know about. It shows a list of all the ebooks I have sent people that have been accepted and a separate list of all the books I have offered that have still not ever been accepted. When I open the list of "unredeemed" gifts, I have some buttons that will send another notice to the original email address to remind the recipient of the gift waiting. I can also change the address to a different email address. I sent the first gift in 2010 and since then, some friends have died.
It is eye-opening what a review of my life these lists are. They show who I was being friendly with and what I was reading at the time. Electronic books take up no space, have no weight and never need dusting. Amazon has a very good selection and good prices.
