Making books is fun. In fact, it’s rather addictive. Once you get started, it’s hard to stop. The process of bookmaking has long been in the hands of a small intellectual elite, heavily guarded by cultural gatekeepers. The internet has disrupted this machinery and exposed its arbitrary rules of admissions. Now, everyone can make books…
Articles by André Klein
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Hacks & Tutorials
3 Writing Tools You Aren’t Using Yet
If there’s anything I’ve learned over the course of the last 15 years of writing, then it’s probably the fact that writing is a craft like any other. Listening to one’s “muse” and getting inspired is all great, but ultimately, if you don’t control the writing, it controls you! And even beyond the mere mechanics…
Games
Of Swords & Dungeons: An Interactive Gamebook For German Learners
After writing three detective stories for German learners in 2012 and seeing people embrace the format, I wanted to do something different and yet very similar in 2013. So, I decided to create an interactive fantasy ebook for German learners which would not just work on fancy tablets and smartphones but even on the fabulous…
Indie Publishing
How The Ebook Limits Innovation
Everybody knows what a book is: a stack of printed paper, held together by glue, staples, etc. If we talk about the ebook, however, it’s not that clear. What is an ebook? Is a huge Word document or PDF an ebook? What about Kindle books, Kobo books or Apple’s iBooks? For many years people have…
Lifestyle
3 Reasons Why Video Games Are Underestimated In Language Learning
Is dabbling in video games a valid method for learning a foreign language? Slaying dragons and fighting epic space battles may be an entertaining way to kill some time, but it’s not what most people would associate with learning a new language. Perhaps it’s easy to change the in-game language of your favorite ego shooter or role-playing-game, but…
Other Languages
The Practice Of Not Knowing: A Third Method Of Foreign Language Learning
When learning a new language there are those things we need to know, those things we need to practice and a million other things we don’t know. 1. Knowledge Is (Passive) Power Knowing something usually doesn’t take a lot of effort. Either I know, or I don’t. It’s the process of committing something to memory…
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learn more Lifestyle
Books: The Secret Weapon Against Stress
A study at the university of Sussex found that reading can reduce stress levels by 68%. Technology has significantly accelerated the pace of life over the last century. Cities, factories, cars and television may have made our lives more comfortable but they have also taken a toll on our mental well-being. And we don’t even…
German
How Not To Learn German Quickly
Through the years as a German teacher I had the chance to work with learners from all over the world. Not only did I observe a variety of difficulties due to peculiarities of mother tongues but even beyond that each individual student had very different needs in terms of explanation and practice. Therefore, I have…
Lifestyle
Code or Die: The Future Of Work?
In a new video designed to spread awareness about the importance of teaching people how to code, big promises are being made. Backed up by talking heads such as Zuckerberg, Gates and many more, the basic premise is that coding is the core asset for tomorrow’s job market. “Want to enjoy the colorful offices and…
Lifestyle
How The Cloud Killed The Library
It was not long ago that every home had a shrine of collected media: CDs, DVDs, books neatly organized for quick reference and dusted off daily for the prying eyes of neighbors and potential mating partners. In reverse these shelves helped us assess the alleged mental and emotional development or character of the people we…
