Live2Eat, Eat2Live

By Anita Aange-Koomen and Ronaldo Siète

Forget diets. Beat addictions. Don't give up, but live up.

If there would be a pill (without side effects) for guaranteed happiness, would you buy it? You probably would, because «being happy» is the highest goal of every human being, for which we sacrifice everything.
Well, such a pill exists. It has no annoying side effects, it only costs twenty euros, and you have a «not good, money back» guarantee. It's not even difficult to get it: you have it in your hands right now, but it only works if you take a few pages every day.
No starvation and torture sports in this book. Eating is a party and life is fun. If you want to get healthy, slim, fit, and happy, the best way is to slowly-but-surely change your habits. Twelve 7-course dinners full of information invite you to take a step forward every month, with pleasure, just keep going, even after you have reached your goal. This way, everyone can do it.
That is good news. Do you already feel a little happier? Of course you do. It's already working. And you haven't even bought the medicine yet.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Ronaldo Siète
• Release date: Jun 3, 2022
• ISBN: 9789492389190

Anita Aange-Koomen

Anita heeft van lekker eten en lekker leven haar beroep gemaakt. Ze geeft al jaren voedingsadvies via kook-workshops, en ze organiseert lifestyle evenementen waarbij plezier en zelfontwikkeling centraal staan. Met psychologie als basis heeft ze zich verder ontwikkeld tot een specialiste in voeding en de effecten van voeding op het menselijk lichaam. Ze helpt mensen om fysiek, mentaal en emotioneel in balans te komen op een natuurlijke manier. Ze gaat daarbij uit van de totale mens, bestaande uit lichaam, geest en ziel.Naast haar persoonlijke adviezen voor elke individuele cliënt, viel haar op dat ze veel verhalen vaker vertelde: als er zoveel behoefte is aan dit soort informatie, dan is het efficiënter om al die verhaaltjes in een mooi boek te verzamelen. Dat boek, «OverEten, OverLeven», zegt alles over Anita: de vormgeving is prachtig, het is een genot om naar haar te luisteren, ze geeft informatie in begrijpelijke taal en ze inspireert om aan de slag te gaan.

Book preview

Live²Eat, Eat²Live

by: Anita Aange-Koomen and Ronaldo Siète

I eat nice and healthily, and I live happily ever after. I don't starve myself to death with a diet. Neither do I torture myself on the gym rack. Extremes cause annoyance. Balance is the best. Eating is a party. Life is a delicious adventure. You can learn happiness. I am a better-eater. Balance is the solution. Step by step is the method. Pleasure is the prerequisite.

Once you have started reading this book, you will never stop.

We are so convinced that we are doing you a favour with this book, that we will refund your money if you return the book.

No time? Then only read the main course «Take-away menu» in chapter «13th month».

For reading electronic books, we recommend the free PocketBook app (for Android and iOS) and the ePub format.

Polderdam, 1 June 2022

ISBN: 978-94-92389-19-0

Publisher: Editorial Perdido (www.editorialperdido.eu)

Author-right: @ 2022 by Anita Koomen & Ronaldo Siète

Author-right cover-design: @ 2022 Ronaldo Siète

Many thanks to John and Maureen.

This is a work of fiction. The situations in this book, no matter how much you like them to be true, are fiction. The people in this story, no matter how likely you want them to exist, are fiction. Truth is stranger than fiction. That's why I write fiction: so you can learn to find a better truth.

This is a shareware book. You have permission to download it, to have it, to print it, to copy it, to read it, to send it to others and to use the texts in it, free of charges or costs. You can do almost anything with this book-file and its texts, except making money with it because that is the right of the author who wrote the texts.

If you found this book enjoyable and useful, you may voluntarily transfer the shareware contribution of € 1,- (one Euro) to bank account NL96 KNAB 0258 6957 22 in the name of Admi 365 BV. The (voluntary) proceeds of this book are used to build a school in Haiti, one of the poorest countries in the world. On www.editorialperdido.eu you can find more information about this project and shareware books.

You can also help me by forwarding the book or download link to your friends. I would like to let even more people enjoy good food and good life. That is only possible if I get a little help with the promotion, in exchange for all the help I have given myself.

Index

Title page

Index

Forword: Begin!

Blurb

Prayer Without End

Table Of Contents

Disclaimer

Shareware and Project Haiti

Act I - Winter

1. Transfer Month

aperitif: Of The Purest Water

hors-d'oeuvre: Measuring = Knowing

main course: Water

snack: Boil Water

livelihood: Running vs Standstill

dessert: Prologue

after dinner: Accept Yourself

2. Grass Month

aperitif: Positive Thinking

hors-d'oeuvre: Lose Weight, Step By Step

main course: Vegetables

snack: Vegetable Soup

livelihood: Must vs Want

dessert: To-Do List

after dinner: Sunday, Sinday

3. Fruit Month

aperitif: Low-hanging Fruits

hors-d'oeuvre: Water To The Sea

main course: Fruits

snack: Fruit Salad

livelihood: Optimism vs Pessimism

dessert: Adventurous Cooking

after dinner: Noelia is Pissed…

Act II - Spring

4. Trial Month

aperitif: Perseverance

hors-d'oeuvre: Dopamine

main course: Sugars

snack: Sweet Sampdoria Pasta Salad

livelihood: Normal vs Specialty

dessert: Fighting Cancer

after dinner: Happiness is Trainable

5. Barley Month

aperitif: Tasty Food

hors-d'oeuvre: Rightly Wrong

main course: Cereals

snack: Pasta with Mushrooms and Gorgonzola

livelihood: Complain vs Sustain

dessert: Flip the Switch

after dinner: Maid

6. Harvest Month

aperitif: Time

hors-d'oeuvre: Maslow's Pyramid

main course: Potatoes

snack: Kris-Kras Herbal Potatoes

livelihood: Cost vs Profit

dessert: Time Enough

after dinner: Attitude

Act III - Summer

7. Slaughter Month

aperitif: Health

hors-d'oeuvre: Serotonin

main course: Meat, Fish and Poultry

snack: Cauliflower with Potato and Minced Meat

livelihood: Parent vs Child

dessert: Walking

after dinner: ComFining

8. Holiday Month

aperitif: Love

hors-d'oeuvre: Self-fulfilling Prophecy

main course: Eggs and Other Proteins

snack: Farmer's Omelette

livelihood: Punishment vs Reward

dessert: Money Enough

after dinner: ADIHD

9. Record Month

aperitif: Being Happy

hors-d'oeuvre: Marshmallow Test

main course: Fat (Forget All That)

snack: Pizza

livelihood: Talking vs Listening

dessert: Compensate Ahead

after dinner: Dishwasher

Act IV - Autumn

10. Purification Month

aperitif: Moving

hors-d'oeuvre: Burglars!

main course: Dairy

snack: Garbanzos

livelihood: Activities vs Passivities

dessert: The Right Goal

after dinner: I Think… So I'm Fantastic

11. Pruning Month

aperitif: Wisdom

hors-d'oeuvre: Motivations to Move

main course: Salt and Spices

snack: Yuca Frita Con Salsa

livelihood: The Business vs The Girl

dessert: Goal In Itself

after dinner: Laugh!

12. Festival Month

aperitif: Living

hors-d'oeuvre: EPO (Excellent, Perfect, Oafish)

main course: Tutti-frutti

snack: Summer Tiramisu

livelihood: Art vs Nature

dessert: Satisfaction

after dinner: Motivation

Extra: The Fimpire (a horror story)

13th Month

aperitif: Reactions and Reviews

hors-d'oeuvre: Food For Thought

main course: Takeout Menu

snack: About The Authors

livelihood: Just DO It!

dessert: A New Beginning

after dinner: Foodnotes

Foreword: Begin!

Eating is a party, but that party is only a success if I still smile when I get the bill (read: when I step on the scale after dinner). Life is a party, but I have to hang the garlands myself.

I turn every bite into a happening. I enjoy learning by gaining knowledge and by practising. It's best when I do things step by step: every month, I turn one of my little vices into a pleasant, healthy habit.

If I want to go somewhere, I do it step by step; if I persist in going in the right direction, without distractions, I'll reach my goal. When the goal of my trip is to become healthier, leaner, fitter and happier, but also when I want to quit unhealthy habits like smoking, gambling, drinking, drugs or depression, then I need two things: good information, so I can make better choices, and motivation, so I will continue. This book is packed with both.

Easy, Pleasant, Ordinary, Cheap and Healthy

I have about a dozen stubborn bosom buddies that I'd love to unlike. My BMI is Beyond Malcontent Inconvenient. Friends and family get on my nerves with their comments that I should work out more and that my sedentary life is terrible for my health. My concern doesn't leave me alone either: I do want to lose those ten kilos, but how?

A diet? It's too difficult to count calories at every meal. It is not practical if I have to cook one meal for myself and prepare another menu for the rest of my family. Visit a fitness centre? I don't have the time and I don't like it.

Diet means 'a way of life', but before deciding what way of life I want, I'll need more information about food and OverEating. Who shows this wide woman the wisest way?

A change is only an improvement if I can adapt to it. When preparing a healthy meal takes me three hours, and tearing an oven-delicious pizza out of the package takes me three seconds, I choose that pizza. I don't mind a menu modification, as long as I can shop in the same stores, within the same budget. If my new life isn't more fun than my current life, I won't even start. I hate it when a drill sergeant gives me orders and punishes me for doing something wrong; it works better when I'm rewarded for my sensible, healthy behaviour. To me, dieting and gyms look too much like a prison camp.

That seems like a difficult problem…

Science is simple; a child can learn it

Fortunately, I am an intelligent woman. I have learnt how to best tackle hard problems: gather the necessary knowledge, draw the right conclusions, list workable solutions, test those options one by one, and find out, as objectively as possible, what works best. We call that: 'the scientific method'.

After 10,000 experiments, Thomas Edison still had not discovered the proper material for the light bulb. He refused to admit that those 10,000 experiments were failures. Thomas said: I now have 10,000 options that need no further testing. Apparently, I need that knowledge to find the one element I'm looking for. ¹ Every time I see a light at the end of a dark tunnel, I think: Thank you, Thomas Edison, for not quitting until you found the solution.

My starting points are simple: every change must be epoch-making (Easy, Pleasant, Ordinary, Cheap and Healthy). I buy my food at the street market and in my regular shops. No space food or exotic ingredients. My kitchen is not a weird recipe laboratory. Cooking is fun. Eating is fun. I like to keep it that way. I don't mind spending a few coins to lose my extra pounds, but I also have drops of zunig Zeeland blood in my veins. ² And what exactly is 'healthy'? I will first investigate this extensively, to tackle the many hypes, myths and urban legends.

Well, that was easy. Now, I can Easily sit on the couch, with a Healthy cup of tea, a Cheap stack of books from the library, and a laptop with Internet, for an Ordinary Pleasant read about food and life. That's my kind of plan.

Mother Nature vs Consumer Society

Mother Nature gives the same nutritional advice to all animals: Eat as much as you can and exercise as little as possible. In the jungle, energy is scarce. Thanks to those innate instincts of gluttony and laziness, every animal species has the best chance of survival.

We, modern Western people, have those instincts too; as a result, we feel comfortable when we lazily stuff ourselves on the couch. In addition, our instincts are also continuously 'stimulated' by advertising propaganda to consume more and make things easier for ourselves. OverEating + Under-Exercising = the number one cause of death; listening to our instincts does not give us the best chance of survival.

What is the solution? Force myself to feel guilty? Exhaust my body at the gym? Endanger my digestion with a diet? I hate it, it's bad for me and it's not natural.

On top of our animal instincts, Mother Nature has blessed us with our human intelligence. When I get the right information, supplemented with useful tips, I enjoy making the right choices of eating and exercising sensibly. I might feel okay, stretched out on the couch with a bag of potato chips, but I also feel wonderful when I walk in the woods and eat an apple. It's not even a choice: after that walk in the woods, I can relax for an hour on the couch. When I teach myself some good habits and use my body wisely, it will last a lifetime.

It is, frankly, very simple.

I have been giving nutritional advice for over 10 years, and I'm interested in what people say and write about nutrition. There are many nonsense stories out there, and they create confusion. I prefer to provide honest and accurate information, such as:

=> Diets don't work. My overweight has not arrived in 6 weeks, so do not expect it to disappear in 6 weeks. Eating one-sided (only carbohydrates or only proteins) or starving myself can lead to weight loss in the short term, but actually, I only train my body to be more economical with the energy that comes in. In the longer term, this ensures that I will store reserves (fat) more quickly. So diets literally make me fatter.

=> The psychological havoc caused by a diet is perhaps even greater: because I deny myself everything, I get extra hungry for all those forbidden fruits. Longtime famished patients kept experiencing symptoms of obsessive overeating (people who lived through the war never throw food away). When a patient fails at maintaining a diet, she'll suffer a negative self-image.

=> Exercise is excellent, but when I push myself too hard in the gym, I stop liking it and won't go anymore; either the result is nil, or it leads to sports injuries. I better find activities I love; if I enjoy working out, I encourage myself to continue. If I run 3 miles and then rest, change and shower for 30 minutes, I burn just as many calories as someone walking 3 miles in an hour. The difference is that the walker is eagerly looking forward to the next hike.

=> I can learn to enjoy. It's cheaper and less time-consuming than an annoyance. If I can generate the energy to wash dishes or serve clients, then why can't I generate the energy to enjoy my free-time activities more?

=> If I never feel like cooking on a Sunday and therefore order my dinner at the Chinese or the snack bar, then I can eat cheaper and better if I buy on Saturday the ingredients for a healthy salad-and-cheese baguette. Or I buy four or five kinds of fresh fruit (pineapple, strawberry, cherries, apricots, peaches, nectarines, grapes, melon, kiwi, and mango are fine). I clean the fruit and cut it into pieces, put it in a large plastic storage box and 'drown' it in fruit juice; that way, I can keep it fresh for a week in the fridge. With four spoons of the tastiest yogurt I can find (after all, it is a Sunday: I want an excellent meal), I enjoy a yogurt fruit salad and a glass of fruit juice, there is hardly anything better, with all the proteins, vitamins, fibres and energy I need, and… without waiting for the fast-food-factory.

=> The only thing that works is: change my habits. Any activity becomes a habit after 21 days. After 21 days, I suddenly notice that I no longer dread it, but look forward to it. After 21 days, coffee or tea without sugar is no longer bitter, but I enjoy the delicious coffee taste. After I got off the tram one stop earlier during 21 days and walk the last leg, I find myself looking forward to that chestnut tree in bloom or that nice m/f shop assistant who always salutes me so friendly.

Being busy with my health is not a punishment. On the contrary: it is fun. This book is full of information and tips that will help us turn New Year's resolutions into healthy habits. In twelve steps, you will find the basis for a healthy, happy mind in a well-functioning body. You can start easily, with one step. When you notice that it works, you naturally want to take the next step.

I invite you: dinner for two

I have so much to say, I can never do that at once. To keep all that reading about food and life a bit tasty, I made twelve festive meals out of it. This way we can enjoy a delicious seven-course dinner every month for a year.

The first course is a light aperitif, then a popular science hors-d'oeuvre, followed by the tasty main course. A small snack is my recipe to look forward to the course that will be served afterwards: the livelihood, which will again be a considerable bite experience. We end with a sweet dessert and a laugh after dinner.

Each dinner contains about 7,000 calories (read: words), but it is reading material, so you are guaranteed not to gain weight. The tone is light like a rice cake. The style is clear as a chicken soup. I have only used natural letters, numbers and punctuation marks, and each ingredient is accompanied by information about its origin. ³ I did my very best to write as funny, tasty and juicy as possible. I hope you like the story, but we are not going to argue about good or bad taste.

It's fun!

The best is yet to come.

The title was an instruction: Begin!

You have already started.

You probably already have ideas such as «no sugar in the coffee, I can get used to that» or «I'm going to take dance lessons». You know you can do it, because it is pleasant and delicious, because it is only a small step, because you know it will pay off, because you can easily keep it up. You get closer to your goal with every next step. You look forward to losing weight, to have more energy. It's not difficult, actually a lot of fun, much more fun than a strict diet or torture training in the gym. So… you already feel better, healthier, fitter. The book is already working, and you haven't even read it yet!

No diet can beat such a fast result. How is that possible? Because this book is based on positive thinking: «positive» because you want to go that way, and «thinking», mind, intelligence, because you want to get rid of instincts and advertising that push you in the wrong direction. So don't think «yuck, coffee without sugar», but think positively: «I can get used to that, and it will have a lasting benefit for my health.»

In the most negative scenario, a year from now, I still have not lost those 10 kilos, but I have already taken 12 steps in the right direction and I had a wonderful year. How much weight would I have gained if I had not taken those steps?

Health starts with feeling good and enjoying what I do.

If that positive feeling also makes me slimmer and fitter, then the pleasure only increases. My health is my most important asset.

Are we stepping out together? It will be fun.

Blurb

Forget diets. Beat addictions. Don't give up, but live up.

If there would be a pill (without side effects) for guaranteed happiness, would you buy it? You probably would, because «being happy» is the highest goal of every human being, for which we sacrifice everything.

Well, such a pill exists. It has no annoying side effects, it only costs twenty euros, and you have a «not good, money back» guarantee. It's not even difficult to get it: you have it in your hands right now, but it only works if you take a few pages every day.

No starvation and torture sports in this book. Eating is a party and life is fun. If you want to get healthy, slim, fit, and happy, the best way is to slowly-but-surely change your habits. Twelve 7-course dinners full of information invite you to take a step forward every month, with pleasure, just keep going, even after you have reached your goal. This way, everyone can do it.

That is good news. Do you already feel a little happier? Of course you do. It's already working. And you haven't even bought the medicine yet.

Prayer Without End

Say nothing.

Just read.

And keep going

With healing.

It works

Fantastic.

It seems

A miracle.

It is

Science.

It will be

To enjoy.

Do it.

Hold on.

Love yourself

A lot.

As much as I

Love you.

Say nothing.

Just read …

Table of contents

This book consists of twelve 7-course dinners with literary delicacies. There is a chapter for each month of the year, plus a 13th month as a bonus: Appendix.

Every dinner starts with an Aperitif of light and beautiful lyrics.

This is followed by a scientifically worked-out Hors-d'oeuvre.

Then, we serve the Main Course: an exquisite platter full of information about what we get on our plates every day.

During the light Snack, the Chef reveals her kitchen secrets; each recipe is easy, cheap and healthy, it can be prepared quickly and the ingredients can be bought everywhere.

The next main dish is Livelihood, where one can choose between two extremes.

The Dessert consists of sweet and fruitful ideas with which every guest of this culinary feast will happily take the next step.

We conclude with an After Dinner chat, with coffee, liqueur, chocolate, and a cigar for the enthusiast, and lots of laughter.

With stickers, we give extra attention to some ingredients:

Important information is provided with a sticker.

Step suggestions may be followed.

Not everyone has to agree with my personal opinion.

Slogans, mantras and battle cries.

Cookiemonster warns against temptations.

* * *

No harm was done to animals during the compilation of this menu. All used punctuation marks are ecologically answered for. The menu is suitable for vegetarians and vegans, for anyone with a food allergy, and for anyone suffering from a low budget. The letter soup is made from Calibri 9 to 18, with here and there some exotic additions. Despite the abundant amount of information, great care has been taken to keep each dish very light; as a result, the guests do not feel full after every page of reading material, but get rather hungry for the next course. In addition, we have put a lot of energy into the variation and presentation: portions are not too big and served attractively.

Reading is wonderful. Eating is a party. Life is a delicious adventure.

Not only do we wish you a delicious experience, but we have also done everything we can to let you enjoy this book as much as possible.

Disclaimer

My lawyer explained to me that I must point out that you should never follow the advice in this book. According to my lawyer, I should advise you to always seek the help of a professional physician who is also a nutrition and exercise expert. Then, of course, my lawyer does not say where you can find such a professional, and she also forgets to tell you that such an expert is of course just a person with an opinion, a fan of Dr Atkins or a believer in jogging. My attorney also forgets to mention that in the 1950s, doctors prescribed truck fulls of amphetamines (speed) as slimming pills, and that over 70,000 Americans died from an overdose of painkillers in 2017, of whom 68% got their drugs on prescription from a physician. ⁴

My attorney points out that I must inform my readers that the authors, editors and publishers of this book cannot be held responsible for any inaccuracies within the context of this book. She refers to a scientific study that showed that the outcome of the study highly depended on who put money in it. My lawyer is basically just saying that everyone is responsible for their own actions. The statement own fault, fat bump prevents victims from starting a lawsuit against the perpetrators. Lawyers have made sure that succumbing to one of society's many temptations is really always the victim's fault, for the producers and sellers of those temptations make money, and making money is always a sacred right that no one can object to, at least according to the law and those who make money from the law.

Perhaps the best thing to do is to listen to as many different opinions as possible, and then think about what we read, try out what works, adjust and improve, and be responsible for our own decisions.

By the way, lawyers are an excellent medicine against many addictions: they charge so much money to tell us what we are not allowed to do, that not a penny is left for alcohol, tobacco, heroin and food. Only depression should not be treated with lawyers, because talking to a lawyer only results in disappointment, which is precisely the cause of depression.

The authors of this book and anyone else who contributed to its creation are not responsible for the accuracy of the information in the book. The authors and/or publishers of this book cannot be held liable for the consequences of the advice given in this book and/or any inaccuracies.

If the authors of this book offer advice and suggestions for achieving certain positive effects, it's based on knowledge and experience, both personally and with clients or patients. However, positive experiences with one can turn out negatively with another. Results in the past are never a guarantee for the future. We, the authors of this book, can only offer ideas and exchange experiences. What others do with it, and what the results are of experiments with the ideas and experiences presented, that is entirely their own responsibility.

Everyone is responsible for their own behaviour. The information in this book has been carefully compiled and written with the best of intentions, but is not intended to serve as a (substitute for) medical advice. In case of doubts and health complaints, everyone should consult a licensed doctor. Whether or not to follow the advice of that certified doctor is everyone's own responsibility.

This work is the product of the writers' imaginations. Situations and people are made up. No research has been conducted into the accuracy of the information from the websites and studies referenced. In some cases, those websites clearly provided incorrect or contradictory information. ⁵ In many studies, the researchers themselves already state that inaccuracies may have occurred and/or that further investigation should be carried out. This is not to say that everyone in this world is just messing around. It only indicates that 'the truth' as a phenomenon does not exist in itself. Nor do the writers want to give the impression that everything described in this work is 'the truth.' Everyone is free to have their own opinion and can determine for themselves what 'the truth' is.

The language errors in this book are intentional. First, every found language error gives every reader a cheerful sense of superiority over a team of professional writers, proofreaders, editors and publishers. Secondly, every language error is a protest against making the English language inhumanely (inhumanly?) difficult: if the national dictation cannot be written down flawlessly by anyone, then demanding flawless English as a pass condition for an integration course is equivalent to an overt expression of discrimination. If our children have to learn to write different plurals for every ingredient: «soup of one vegetable or two vegetables, soup of one tomato or two tomatoes, soup of one chicken or two chicken», but those children don't eat soup and they don't know how to cook that soup, then I think we are making the wrong choices together. If written language were as simple as speaking, 12 years of primary education could be spent on knowledge about nutrition and life, instead of learning illogical grammar and spelling. Why do we make language meaninglessly complicated? Nobody benefits from that.

Notes from the translators

The original text of this book is in Dutch.

We tried to translate as close to the original text as possible, but many word jokes had to be sacrificed in the process. Fortunately, our translators added some fresh ones, and a few good old ones too (jokes don't have a best-before date).

Links to Dutch websites we left intact; interested readers can easily tell their browser to translate those websites to any desired other language. Where websites show 'tools' (like calculating your BMI or overview of burning calories with activities) we often choose to add an alternative website in the English language, although the facts and numbers, used in the text, were always from the Dutch source.

Shareware Book

This is a Shareware Book. You have permission to download it, own it, read it, copy and print it, share it and give it away, and you may use the lyrics, as many times as you like, for free, without prior authorisation from authors or publishers. With Shareware Books, you can do anything except earn money, as that's the author-right of the authors.

This book is free, but not for nothing. The price of a Shareware Book is one euro (€ 1,-). You can read the book first, and you only pay the price if you think it's worth it. This is our unique «money back guarantee». Shareware Books are much cheaper than books from commercial publishers (who pay the author less than a euro per book and keep the rest). Therefore, Shareware is a much better deal for both readers and writers. By paying the voluntary contribution, you encourage the authors to publish more entertaining and affordable Shareware Books.

Language belongs to everyone. Commercial companies only publish profitable prose; their commercial censorship limits freedom of speech and diversity of opinion. Thanks to Shareware, any writer or poet can bring their work to the attention of readers, with a financial reward for their costs, without depending on agents or publishers. Thanks to popular mobile phones and tablets with free eReader apps (we recommend: PocketBook), billions of potential readers will welcome Shareware Books.

Shareware Books: a free university for the entire world

Imagine a world in which everyone downloads free Shareware textbooks. Nelson Mandela said: Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world. By you he meant YOU, reader. With Shareware Books, thousands of writers might fill a freely accessible university library on the Internet. The complete world's population can visit school at home, with their mobile phone. Free university for seven billion students, but only if millions of readers support the initiative, paying that euro or dollar or pound or franc.

Editorial Perdido is a non-profit publishing company, without even a bank account. Our sponsor, Admi365.nl, pays our costs and collects money for Project Haiti on our behalf.

We find reading and literature important, and we believe in the healing powers of humour. We take funny books so seriously that, together with our authors and the creators of Admi365, we launched the ambitious plan to build and run a school in Haiti. By publishing Shareware Books, we raise money for that project. Thanks to our writing and your reading, we teach children to read and write.

We kindly ask you to transfer one euro (€1,-) to bank account NL96 KNAB 0258 6957 22 in the name of Admi 365 B.V., the Netherlands, stating the text School Haiti and the title of the book. 100% of your contribution goes to charity.

On www.editorialperdido.eu you'll find the latest news about the progress of Project Haiti.

Editorial Perdido

Imagine an ideal world. Think about what it takes. Then get started.

Words are air. They fly past you. Things only change if we DO something about it.

Books are important. Thanks to our fantasy, we can imagine something better, more beautiful, more ideal than the reality. Thanks to Help Yourself books, we learn to tackle and solve problems. Poetry allows us to better understand ourselves and the world around us. We read stories about heroes who do the impossible to help others, which inspires us to do what we can to help others too. We started by offering all these books for free. If we get some help, I'm sure we can do more.

Editorial Perdido has no profit, no turnover, not even a bank account. Our energy comes from voluntary contributions, helping hands, and above all, the pleasure of giving.

Our Goals

- Working together, doing something for each other, voluntarily and without payment.

- All our books are Shareware, free to download.

- We are raising money to build a school in Haiti so that the people there can learn how to get a better life together.

- We help writers get better, with workshops, tutorials, and advice.

- We give writers a fair chance to publish their work.

Shareware Books: a free university for the entire world

Imagine what the world would be like if everyone could download free textbooks. Nelson Mandela said, Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world., and by you he meant YOU, reader. Shareware Books allows thousands of writers to fill a freely accessible university library on the Internet, so the entire world's population can attend school for free, but only if millions of readers support the initiative.

Shareware Books: contribute to a better world

Editorial Perdido is a non-profit publishing company, even without a bank account. Our sponsor, Admi365 (accounting and invoicing for entrepreneurs and associations, see www.admi365.nl), pays our costs and collects money for Project Haiti on our behalf.

We find reading and literature important. In fact, we take it so seriously that, together with our authors and the creators of Admi365, we launched the ambitious plan to build and run a school in Haiti. We are raising money for that project by publishing Shareware Books. Thanks to our writing and your reading, we teach children to read and write.

We kindly ask you to transfer one euro (€1,-) to bank account NL96 KNAB 0258 6957 22 in the name of. Admi 365 B.V., stating the text School Haiti and the title of the book. 100% of your contribution goes to charity.

Do you write to be fed, or do you write to be read?

Statistics show that commercial companies only publish 2% of all offered manuscripts, and only 2% of those published books pay the writer more per worked hour than the minimum wage of a 17-year-old stocker. Thanks to the Copyright Act, 2,450 of every 2,500 writers receive absolutely nothing, and another 49 get only a poor compensation for all their creativity. In every other industry, this kind of exploitation is illegal. All non-creative employees in the book industry receive, of course, at least the minimum wage for every worked hour. The world's richest man earns more per sold book than he pays the author for writing, editing and advertising that book.

Not only do we think that's unfair, but we also have an alternative solution.

Are you a writer, and the commercial censorship of other publishers rejected your work? Editorial Perdido is here to help. We give advice, workshops and courses, and we're open to publishing your work or helping you self-publish without us. We might even edit or translate your work, for a fee or for a return service in hours.

Do you want to see your novel shine among our success stories? Are you looking for the largest potential audience for your poetry collection? Visit our website and send us a message. By publishing your story as a Shareware Book, you gain confidence, readers, and maybe even a few coins for all your effort.

Project Haiti

If you want to change something, you have to DO something

Haiti is among the poorest countries in the world. In 2010, a devastating earthquake hit its capital, killing thousands and leaving hundreds of thousands homeless. The international community raised millions for relief supplies and rescue services. Did that money go to Haïti? NO! Western suppliers and service providers received our donations; their income increased, thanks to the misery in the Third World. Virtually nobody invested in Haiti itself, not in building schools or hospitals, not in creating jobs. Since 2010, the government only restored government buildings to their former glory. The rest of the country needs even more help than immediately after the disaster. Tent City is the scandalous proof.

If no one does anything, we will do it ourselves.

Shareware Books: a helping hand for a country in need

Thanks to your Shareware contribution, Haitian men and women learn carpentry, bricklaying and teaching. They only use materials that Haitians produce. We teach others to grow food for the builders, the teachers and the students. We'll even pay children to go to school, on condition of spending their income on goods and services, produced by their own community. This way, we teach children to read and write while we teach their parents to take better care of their children and their neighbours.

Your voluntary Shareware contribution pays for an hour of class of a Haitian child, which invites her family half a hot meal, which guarantees their farmer neighbours a paid job, while it gives their compatriots practical lessons in WE-Conomy. Also, for less than the price of a cup of coffee, you get this beautiful e-book, with hours of pleasure.

Poverty is a disease. Education is the medicine.

Solving poverty is simple: don't give your money to Amazon, allowing the world's richest man to fly to the moon, but use it to teach poor people how to take care of themselves.

If future shows that us our school project is too ambitious, we promise to transfer the funds to Médicos Sin Fronteras (Doctors Without Borders). Of course, we respect the privacy of our readers and donors: we promise we'll never, never, never store or use the data of others.

We trust our readers to distribute our books, leave positive comments on Smashwords and Goodreads, support us with free publicity on their social media, and help us help others.

Alone, we can't do much, but together, we will make a difference.

ACT I - WINTER

1. Transfer Month

Month in which it is allowed to transfer professional players to another club for a fee.

Of The Purest Water

You can't cross the sea merely by standing and staring at the water. (Rabindranath Tagore)

The cure for anything is salt water: sweat, tears or the sea. (Karen Blixen)

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