[bksvol-discuss] Interesting Article About Jim Fruchterman

"Pat Price" <patlprice@xxxxxxxxx> · Thu, 25 Oct 2007 20:43:17 -0400

Greetings,

Thought you'd enjoy reading this.

Also, I am pleased to announce that Jim Fruchterman will be our guest in the
Friends of Bookshare Community Room Tuesday, November 27, 2007. Plan now to
attend.

Pat Price
pat@xxxxxxxxxxxx

>
> Jim Fruchterman        13 Questions: Jim Fruchterman 24
> October 2007 Social entrepreneur, self confessed
> geek and all round nice guy, Jim Fruchterman, is
> pretty darn incredible. Not only does he help
> human rights organisations, and provide
> technology solutions for those working at
> irradicating landmines, but he's a bit of a
> legend in the eyes of blind and visually impaired
> people as well. Fruchterman invented the
> well-known Open Book reading access machines,
> using technology originally meant for the
> military, and is also the founder of
> Bookshare.org. This is a massive, not for profit,
> web-based library of downloadable accessible
> eBooks, made legally available to blind and
> visually impaired people. Until recently, this
> resource could only be accessed in the US, but
> it's now happily snaking it's way around the
> world - bit by bit. To celebrate the welcome news
> that Bookshare.org.uk was launched in the United
> Kingdom this month, we asked Jim Fruchterman the
> all important 13 Questions. Uppermost in my mind
> today is ... The fact that we have just received
> an injection of 32 million dollars from the
> government, to make Bookshare available free to
> all students in the US. I want to reach hundreds
> of thousands, rather than thousands, and we would
> like to quadruple the rate at which books are
> added to the collection. People think I'm ... Jim
> Fruchterman with Bill Clinton A geek. Because I
> really love technology and what it can do. I get
> excited when I figure something out and can
> understand how to solve a problem. Not a lot of
> people know that I ... ... am a football referee,
> as in soccer, for teenagers. I used to play in
> high school and college, then my kids went
> through the sports programmes. They're out of it
> now but I still really enjoy it. The best piece
> of advice I would pass on is ... That the
> distance between where you are now, and
> accomplishing grate things, is less than you
> think. When I was a student at university, I
> dropped out to start up a rocket company. It was
> amazing to me how, as a kid, I could be at the
> leading edge of a field within months. Not
> knowing how high the barriers are is a good
> thing. I struggle with ... Finding time to write.
> I want to write a book, and have lots of articles
> and essays in my head, but I got up at 4.45 this
> morning to write, spent 3 hours on email, and had
> 15 minutes left before going to the office. I
> excel at ... Seeing big picture technical
> solutions. It's one of my favourite things to do.
> I listen to people, find out what they need and
> the technology falls into place. With Bookshare,
> I learned about how Napster worked, and I already
> knew about the frustrations blind users were
> having with scanning books. Then it all came in a
> quick little rush. We had the nuts and bolts in
> place within 3 or 4 months. My ideal dinner guest
> is ... Richard Fineman, a Nobel Laureate in
> physics. He's dead now, but was my professor at
> California Institute of Technology. He worked on
> the atomic bomb project in world war II and wrote
> a description of nanotechnology in 1959, 40 years
> before it was invented. He also told jokes, took
> part in college musicals, and hung out in Rio for
> months on end. I met my wife while taking part in
> a college musical. I hope the conversation would
> range from art, to music, to science and
> technology, to saving the world. Jim Fruchterman
> I couldn't live without ... My computer. I'm on
> it all the time, and I live by email. I like my
> cell phone but don't like emailing on it. I am a
> book lover, but prefer portable solutions rather
> than the PC. Blind users agree with that, and
> Bookshare is always looking for solutions. People
> should be able to read on their phone. Poorer
> people have cell phones, and wouldn't have to buy
> extra equipment. If I didn't live in the US, I'd
> live in ... New Zealand. It's really gorgeous,
> and there is great food and wine there. It's got
> the same elements as California, with different
> scenery. My first job was ... As a key puncher
> way back in the days when computers ran on
> Hollerith cards. It was like using a glorified
> typewriter. We punched holes in cards and
> computers could read them. There were 40 women
> and 2 guys. I learned a lot that summer. When I
> come home in the evenings, I ... Open the mail,
> open a good bottle of wine, and have dinner with
> my family. I have breakfast with my family too.
> Success is: Making a measurable positive impact
> on the lives of millions of people. I'm only in
> the hundred thousands. The future of reading for
> visually impaired people is All content
> everywhere, in an accessible format, at an
> accessible price or free. . For more information
> on all of Jim Fruchterman's endeavours, check out
> Benetech.org , and be sure to have a look at the brand new 
> Bookshare.org.uk
>
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>
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