It’s a short electronic book of about 10,000-25,000 words. Most can be read in a single sitting of about an hour or 90 minutes. It explains a single key idea in an exciting way. We like to call them 'mind grenades.' They are lively, informative, and meant to persuade. A TED Book is to a typical book as a TED Talk is to a typical lecture. It's shorter, more personal. It's direct and engaging.
Why are the books so short? Does this mean the dumbing down of reading?Actually, we suspect people reading TED Books will be trading up rather than down. Our goal is to make more ideas more accessible. The success of TED Talks has demonstrated that millions of people around the world are hungry to absorb new thoughts and perspectives. Many of the talks create a desire for viewers to go deeper, but not everyone has the time to read an entire book on a subject.
What's new about them?They blend words with images, audio, video, social features, along with easily accessed outside links and documentation to provide a broader and deeper understanding of a topic. These extras add dimension to a story without feeling like a gimmick or window dressing. The additional multimedia features also suit the wide-ranging expressive palette of our authors, many of who use photographs, audio, and video in addition to the printed word to express the full range of their ideas.
How can I get TED Books?They are available for the Kindle and Nook platform and at the iBookstore. The best way to fully experience TED Books, though, is through the new TED Books app.
How can I get the TED Books app?It’s available free in the Apple application store.
Can you read the books outright without the multimedia?Yes. The multimedia features -- "inline extras" -- can be turned off, for straightforward reading, by tapping the small icon in the upper-left corner of the book’s page. They can be turned on for more in-depth exploration. A small gray triangle appears in the left side of the text column to indicate lines where multimedia features appear.
How are the books on the TED Books app different from the Kindle, iBook or Nook version?While the Kindle, iBook and Nook versions are a great way to get TED Books, if you want the full experience — including audio and video embeds, as well as social features — you’ll need to download and read the books on the TED Books app.
I have a Kindle version of a TED Book. Do I need to repurchase the book on the TED Books app to experience all the new multimedia features?Yes. Since it is a separate platform, it is a separate purchase.
No. While a number of TED Books emanate from a talk that was given on a TED stage, they are far more in-depth, allowing the readers to understand an issue more deeply and completely.
What topics are covered?The full breadth of the topics that TED covers: technology, science, art, education, design, human potential. You name it.
What books are out so far? How often are the books released?Once a month.
How much do the books cost?They are $1.99 each, or you can get a one-year subscription for $14.99 via the TED Books app. Subscribing gives you immediate access to all new TED Books as they are published, and access to the entire TED Books archive for the duration of your subscription.
Are they the hardcover books that TEDsters sometimes receive in the mail?No, that’s the TED Book Club. TED Books are all original ebooks commissioned and created by TED. The hardcover print books delivered through the TED Book Club are written by people who have appeared at TED.
Are the books updated from time to time?Yes, and if you bought a book through the TED Books app that has recently been updated, it will be instantly refreshed when you log back on to read it.
I love the display technology. Did you create it?Thanks. We also think it's great. It's based on a content management system called Periodic Technology that we licensed from Atavist. It allows editors to build multimedia narratives and layouts, then publish across multiple platforms. It currently formats content for the Kindle, Nook and iBooks.
Will there be an Android-based app?We are working on it now.
I have a question that is not answered here. What should I do?Send a note to tedbooks@ted.com. We'll get back to you as soon as we can.
It's very easy. Open the app and tap on the book you'd like to purchase from the bookshelf. A small box with a description of the book appears. (A Preview button allows you to sample a chapter.) The box also has a button that says Buy. Tap on that button, and the book will begin downloading. A yellow bookmark will appear on the cover of a book you have downloaded.
How long should the download take?Usually about two or three minutes. Books that have a lot of video may take five minutes.
Can I auto-download all the books?Not right now, although we'd like to introduce that feature in a future release.
Uh-oh. I accidentally deleted a TED Book from the bookshelf. Can I get it back?Yes, indeed. Find the book in the shelf and click on it to download. The app will remember that you have already purchased it.
How can I speed up the downloading of a book?Several ways. First, and most importantly, make sure that you are linked to a strong WiFi connection. Move the iPad or iPhone closer to the router if you need to. If there are other devices running on that WiFi connection, turn them off briefly while you're downloading your book. Check to see if there are any other downloads in progress on your device. If there are, wait until they have completed their work before downloading TED Books. Note: You can download a book with a 3G connection, but it will take longer.
I tapped on a book and it won't download. What now?First, try completely closing the TED Books app and then restarting it. To close an app completely, double-click the home button to bring up the taskbar. Then press and hold any of the apps on the taskbar for a couple of seconds or so until they start shaking. When they begin quivering, press the red '—' button in the top left of the icon; this will close that app. Then touch any part of the screen above the taskbar so as to stop the shaking and close the taskbar. Finally, relaunch the TED Books app. If that doesn't work, try restarting your iPad or iPhone and then relaunch the TED Books app. Most of the time, one of these will do the trick.
What happens if I exit the app while a book is downloading?No worries. The download will pause until the app is re-opened and you tap the book again. Downloading will then continue from where it left off.
Yes. Once you download them, they're yours.
I purchased a subscription on one device (say, my iPhone), yet my settings show that the subscription is inactive on another (my iPad). What's happening?This can easily be remedied through a simple updating and syncing function. On the home screen, tap Settings. At the bottom of the popup, tap the Update Purchases tab. You will be asked for your iTunes password. Then, after a moment, you should see green ribbons appear on all available books, indicating that the restoration was successful. If you are using an iPhone, however, there will be no indication that the Restore operation has completed. Simply wait a moment, then close the Settings dialog and you should see the green ribbons.
I bought a single book on one device, tried to view it on a second device, and it's asking me to buy it again. Why?Again, you need to sync your accounts. Go to the Settings button on the TED Books home page, which is located in the lower left corner. Tap the Update Purchases button and enter your iTunes credentials when prompted. You should then have access to the book.
But why won't purchases made on one device be automatically associated with a new device? After all, the user is prompted for their iTunes credentials when installing the TED Books app.Unfortunately, this sort of automation is not currently available.
I deleted the App and later reinstalled it. How can I get it to remember my old purchases?Use the Update Purchases button. Because the app and all of its data was deleted, the second installation will have no knowledge of purchases made during the first installation. The Update Purchases function is needed to associate the purchases from install #1 with install #2, because although it's the same device, it's essentially a blank slate.
I still need some tech help. Who can I get in touch with?Apple is your best bet. Visit apple.com/support/appleid for more help with your iTunes account and app downloads.
