2008 Planeta Books of the Year Winners announced
Votes have been tallied for Planeta.com’s third-annual book of the year award. More than 300 people voted in this year’s contest.
"This year’s competition was our most popular ever," said Ron Mader, founder and host of the award-winning Planeta.com website. "We are very pleased to see this record turn-out."
Nominations were:
Environment
Anza-Borrego: A Photographic Journey
The A-Z of Global Warming
The Last Flight of the Scarlet Macaw
Watching Giants: The Secret Lives of Whales
Food
Eat Smart in Sicily: How to Decipher the Menu, Know the Market Foods and Embark on a Tasting Adventure
Good Food in Mexico City
Guidebooks
Ecoescape Ireland
Ecoescape: UK
Guadalajara (Moon)
Nicaragua (Moon)
Traveler’s Tool Kit: Mexico and Central America
Yosemite and the Southern Sierra Nevada
Tourism
Disappearing Destinations: 37 Places in Peril and What Can Be Done to Help Save Them
Transforming Re-Forming Tourism: Perspectives on justice and humanity in tourism
And the 2008 Winners are!
Environment –
Watching Giants: The Secret Lives of Whales
Food –
Eat Smart in Sicily
Guidebooks –
Traveler’s Tool Kit: Mexico and Central America
Tourism –
Disappearing Destinations: 37 Places in Peril and What Can Be Done to Help Save Them
Mader said that the award provided an opportunity to improve contact with authors and publishers: "Authors and publishers are often uncertain about how to promote their books online," Mader added. "We created the award the improve the communication among Planeta.com, authors, publishers and Planeta.com readers. This award allows us to update our bibliographies, add links to author blogs, twitter and flickr galleries."
Mader highlighted the conversations with authors in the Planeta Forum that discuss in depth topics such as place-based journalism, food, health and building communities and the critical need to address environmental issues, particularly climate change.
And in 2009? Mader says: "Next year’s award could include e-books!"
The Book of the Year is one of four awards hosted on Planeta.com. Other awards include the Colibri Ecotourism Award, the Ecotourism Spootlight Award and the brand-new Indigenous Tourism and Biodiversity Website Award.
"Awards are a great tool to promote engagement and best practice," Mader said. "It just makes sense to give the kudos to people doing the good work. There are no losers. It’s all about creating awareness."
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