E-Book for Senior Citizens Achieves Aim

Just four years ago, a retired Australian journalist and a South African webmaster launched The World's First Multi-National e-Book, Life Begins at 80... on the Internet, in a bid to encourage senior citizens around the world "to ride the magic carpet of the internet."

Starting from a modest readership of a few dozen, our virtual visitors now number many thousands, and live in many countries. Lecturers and senior citizen advisers recommend the book, now containing more than 300 stories, to their students.

Last month, one of America's leading internet authorities, Marcus P. Zillman told us "I just turned a young 60 and have been educating the masses about the Internet for the last ten+ years. Been involved with the Internet for over 25 years.

"I will be mentioning your sites in my many national speeches and workshops. Also I will post it in my personal blog, as well as in Lockergnome.com where I am the editor of the Search Engineer Channel (they have 500,000+ subscribers)."

Ken Leebow, of Atlanta, Georgia, who also has his own website, said: "Your site is the opening slide I use when presenting the Internet to seniors -- very cool! I am the author of 300 Incredible Things for Seniors on the Internet. I also do many presentations to senior groups. I found your site very inspiring."

From Japan came this email: "I am a retired businessman and I have been teaching Business English at universities in Kyoto and Osaka. Your eBook ... offers a diversion from regular lessons and I have introduced it to my students recently.

"I find your eBook is much more interesting than the Guinness Book of World Records. I am anxious to read more of your articles at your website. Thank you very much, indeed. Warmest regards. - Katsuyuki Yano, Nishinomiya-shi, Japan."

Here's a selection from hundreds of other messages recently sent to us or posted on our GuestMap:

• Found your senior network site and it's tailor-made for me! Bought my first computer four weeks ago and am approaching it like a dog circling an unknown and fearsome creature (as my continued use of webtv indicates). Your late arrival to the computer gives me hope. Thank you for sharing that information. (I'm 64).
  - Barbara Hunter, Puyallup, Washington.
   
• Love to learn a little every day - your site allows me to do that. Congratulations.
  - Rita Henderson, Derry, Ireland.
   
• Very inspiring! especially for my grandmother who is 85 years old!
  - Moon, New Delhi, India.
   
• Great blog!
  - Yuri Zholobov, Novosibirsk, Russia.
  [Novosibirsk (pop. 1.5million), is the third largest city of Russia (after Moscow and St.Petersburg) and the capital of Siberia].
   
• Great site...great stories!
  - BoredSam, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
   
• Love this site. Love the Curmudgeon Story.
  - Joan Makuch, Toronto, Canada.
   
• I'm just an english student eager to learn...
  - Angel Luis Rodrigo, Madrid, Spain.
   
• Very interesting and informative. Thanks.
  - Liz Thomas, Macau SAR, P.R. China.
   
• Great information. Keep up the excellent work.
  - Rebecca May, Davenport, Iowa.
   
• Thanks for the article on about my biography of Mary Poppins' author Pamela Travers and the articles on the Poppins' statues. I love the tumbling bears!
  - Valerie, Sydney, Australia.
   
• I am in love with everyone.
  - Ben, Prague, Czech Republic.
   
• Very good, I enjoy and the members of Rotary Club Nawabshah appreciated this.
  - Dr Muhammad Ayub, Nawabshah, Pakistan.
   
• Very much enjoy the contents.
  - Dina, Dubai, U A E.
   
• Oh Eric, I love the Bears!!
  - Teddi, Ottawa, Canada.
   
• Congratulations on your engaging e-book and dedication to expanding our horizons with well-written articles. I'm not quite to 80 but have been computer literate for a long time. I look forward to future articles.
  - Shirley Trimble, San Rafael, California.
   
• When I'm bored at work, I pass a few moments by reading an article or two Eric Shackle's ebook.
  - Kirsten Adamson, Melbourne, Australia.
   
• Love your website! I've always been a fan of things that are not what we call the same-old, same-old. The stories and links on your site are wonderful! I will definitely be back... Have a blessed day!
  - Gayle Wayland, Corpus Christi, Texas.
   
• Good stuff.
  - Bill, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.
   
• Keep up the good work! Love your sense of humor (humour?).
  - Marge Davidson, Brookfield, Connecticut.
   
• There's always something fun and interesting on your site.
  - Carol Reader, West Linn, Oregon.
   
• Interesting site.
  - R Vijay, Hyderabad, India.

It's an ever-expanding collection of stories that make us think, laugh, and learn.
- Anu Garg, A Word A Day wordsmith (Seattle, Washington).

• Love your web site.
  - Doris, Sitka, Alaska.
   
• It makes for really interesting reading
  - Dr. Ravi Vaswani, Mangalore, India.
   
• Thanks for the wonderful stories, where do you get the time?
  - Sharron Drinkwater, North Vancouver, BC, Canada.
   
• Are you really 80? I've bookmarked your site; I will be back often to see what's new.
  - BGBob, Clovis, California.
   
• I spend a lot of time with you please keep them coming.
  - Clay Helps, Adelaide, South Australia.
   
• Dandy Idea. Hip, hip!
  - Jack Hepfer, Seattle, Washington.
   
• I like the Eric Shackle programme.
  - Paul Attwell, Leigh on Sea, United Kingdom.
   
• Super site! Found the link in AWAD and now a regular visitor!
  - Greg, Frankfurt am Main, Germany.
   
• What wonderful stories!
  - Alan McNamara, Johannesburg, South Africa.
   
• Teaching at a Chinese University but stay in touch with home via numerous websites.
  - James Brown, Tianjin, China.
   
• This is fun!
  - Marcela Robaina, Montevideo, Uruguay.
   
• Nice Guest Map/Book
  - Jen, Bucaramanga, Colombia.
   
• Reached you through AWAD and now enjoy both sites regularly.
  - Elizabeth Garnett, Tivon, Israel.
   
• Very neat.
  - Zameer Ahmed, Bangalore, India.
   
• Who knows where the wind will take us?
  - Helen Seagraves, Hood River, Oregon.
   
• I enjoy your paper. You came up with the great idea of raising interest and activating people at the " neglected age".
  - Ephraim Glaser, Haifa, Israel.
   
• So much to learn in one life time. Thanks for the information.
  - Judy Ketchum, Tehachapi, California.
   
• Quirky site. Amusing.
  - Lorna MacPhee, Toronto, Canada.
   
• It's a pleasure to read your newsletter.
  - Mihaly Olah, Charleston, USA.
   
• Learning and being enthusiastic about new adventures is what life is all about. Thank you for a very nice experience. Peace!
  - Buddy Miller, Tomball, Texas.
   
• Interesting site - I've bookmarked it.
  - Paco, Germany.
   
• Delightful!
  - Peter Shirley, Seattle, Washington.
   
• What a cool site you have! Thanks for the information!
  - Barry Sartain, USA.
   
• Delightful, discursive and fun. Thank you for allowing me to visit.
  - Rosemary Timoney, Tamarac, Florida.
   
• G'day from an Australian ex-pat working in Germany! Great site, always interesting.
  - Greg, Frankfurt am Main, Germany.
   
• Great!
  - Rob Inglis, South Africa.
   
• I visit your site off and on and always find something interesting. I have a multi-cultural/multi-ethnic family and like to see the exchange of info.
  - Allison, Roseville, California.
   
• This site is a delight!
  - Steve, Elk River, Minnesota .
   
• So glad you are out there gathering lively and inspiring news -- a nurturing change from the kind of 'news' our US media pummels us with these days. Blessings upon you all!
  - "Tatiana Vladimirovna Bogoslovski".
   
• I'm impressed by your work, you are a very famous journalist!
  - Sylvia Barnard, usability expert in Walldorf, Germany.
   
• I just discovered your E-book today & I am in awe. Thank you for sharing your gift & talents of your writings with us on the internet. This comes at a time in my life when I am searching for new directions & I do not believe in coincidences, so this is a gift & oportunity for me to learn from. Bless your heart. Keep up the good work.
  - Luvie10.
   
• What a wonderful site.
  - Neerja, New Delhi, India.

To all our correspondents: many thanks for sending us those encouraging messages. Your friendly support makes us feel that our e-book has proved really worthwhile.
Season's greetings to all our internet visitors.
- Eric Shackle, Sydney, Australia (author). Barry Downs, Kimberley, South Africa. (webmaster).