to be more environmentally aware and less literary in 2009? Laughs, I'm not sure if that is the message they are trying to send to moi as I just received my package from them, which I ordered at the start of December 2008, and it turns out that I did not receive the much anticipated Homer's 'Iliad & The Odyssey' but instead I got 'The New Earth From Above: 365 Days'.
The Amazon.com editorial review from Booklist's Donna Seaman of 'The New Earth From Above: 365 Days' by Yann Arthus-Bertrand goes:
"Bird's-eye photography year-in-the-life books are perennial favorites, but famed aerial photographer Arthus-Bertrand is up to more than presenting 365 beautiful images. He has joined forces with a dozen conservationists to create a pictorial accounting of the impact of humankind on the planet. With brief essays on sustainable development, climate change, biodiversity, water, and global economics, and with vividly informative commentary accompanying each page-filling photograph, this is a unique illustrated eco-primer. The strikingly patterned and colorful aerial compositions reveal the unity of life on earth in all its glorious symmetry, contrasts, and complexity. Here are landscapes of breathtaking splendor, spectacular cities and archaeological sites, lively street markets and agricultural bounty. Here, too, are slums, refugee camps, and the devastations of drought, deforestation, industrialization, and war. Candid reports on harsh realities ranging from vanishing species to child exploitation are matched with such surprising revelations as the beauty of an aluminum scrap yard. Arthus-Bertrand's artistically documented whole-earth survey captures life's interconnectedness, the essence of ecology, and forms a map to a viable future."
I'm not entirely sure I'll want to go through the hassle of returning the book. Customer rights be damned. It took me nearly a month to receive the book itself and even then it was not delivered to my doorstep, a trip to the main post office was involved and my mum called to complain about the 5 lbs weight she had to lug around. I dunno B&N, your first impression ain't a good one despite all the attractive window dressing (read: customer pandering) you provide. Immediately after my book order was processed, I had tried to find a way to track my package but found, not only no way to do just that, but a lot of complaints on B&N's international delivery service. Some people did not even receive their packages! That got me worried but I gave B&N a chance. I was patiently waiting out the 21 business days delivery estimate and when I got the call from my mum about the package's arrival, I thought how lucky I was. Unfortunately, later in the evening, my sister sms-ed me and told me to gtalk as she had opened the package and although the invoice on the front read 'The Iliad & The Odyssey, Homer' or something to that effect, the book inside was 'The New Earth From Above: 365 Days'.
Sigh. I was all excited to get my leather bound Homer. My only consolation is the book I got was a hardcover and cost just as much as the full-price leather bound. Perhaps also I should be thankful that I received a package at all, there has been one other time when I did not receive my package at all from an eBay seller and after complaining and a supposed "re-sending" of my item, it has officially been one year since that purchase and I've chalked it up as a loss. Coupled with this delivery mishap, that would be the only 2 bad experience I have had with online shopping. I'm a great advocate of buying online and although I have had times when things go awry, there are still many honest-to-goodness retailers out there that have continually restored my faith and trust in the online way :)
Anyways, B&N, I am disappointed in you for failing to deliver what I paid money for but I haven't made my mind up if you fall into the 'Never Again' category. As for the book, maybe it's a good way for me to look back on Earth in 2007 when we are in 2030 and see how much the world has changed, God willing of course. I'd be in my fifties by then. I still want my leather-bound Homer though.
UPDATE: I ended up emailing B&N Customer Service to get them to send the book I paid for. This was done at the insistence of my sister who practically demanded I get them to right their wrong. I don't hold out high hopes for anything though as I have read many complaints on B&N's lack of customer care. Guess I can just count on my email to add to their impressive amount of screw-ups :)
The Amazon.com editorial review from Booklist's Donna Seaman of 'The New Earth From Above: 365 Days' by Yann Arthus-Bertrand goes:
"Bird's-eye photography year-in-the-life books are perennial favorites, but famed aerial photographer Arthus-Bertrand is up to more than presenting 365 beautiful images. He has joined forces with a dozen conservationists to create a pictorial accounting of the impact of humankind on the planet. With brief essays on sustainable development, climate change, biodiversity, water, and global economics, and with vividly informative commentary accompanying each page-filling photograph, this is a unique illustrated eco-primer. The strikingly patterned and colorful aerial compositions reveal the unity of life on earth in all its glorious symmetry, contrasts, and complexity. Here are landscapes of breathtaking splendor, spectacular cities and archaeological sites, lively street markets and agricultural bounty. Here, too, are slums, refugee camps, and the devastations of drought, deforestation, industrialization, and war. Candid reports on harsh realities ranging from vanishing species to child exploitation are matched with such surprising revelations as the beauty of an aluminum scrap yard. Arthus-Bertrand's artistically documented whole-earth survey captures life's interconnectedness, the essence of ecology, and forms a map to a viable future."
I'm not entirely sure I'll want to go through the hassle of returning the book. Customer rights be damned. It took me nearly a month to receive the book itself and even then it was not delivered to my doorstep, a trip to the main post office was involved and my mum called to complain about the 5 lbs weight she had to lug around. I dunno B&N, your first impression ain't a good one despite all the attractive window dressing (read: customer pandering) you provide. Immediately after my book order was processed, I had tried to find a way to track my package but found, not only no way to do just that, but a lot of complaints on B&N's international delivery service. Some people did not even receive their packages! That got me worried but I gave B&N a chance. I was patiently waiting out the 21 business days delivery estimate and when I got the call from my mum about the package's arrival, I thought how lucky I was. Unfortunately, later in the evening, my sister sms-ed me and told me to gtalk as she had opened the package and although the invoice on the front read 'The Iliad & The Odyssey, Homer' or something to that effect, the book inside was 'The New Earth From Above: 365 Days'.
Sigh. I was all excited to get my leather bound Homer. My only consolation is the book I got was a hardcover and cost just as much as the full-price leather bound. Perhaps also I should be thankful that I received a package at all, there has been one other time when I did not receive my package at all from an eBay seller and after complaining and a supposed "re-sending" of my item, it has officially been one year since that purchase and I've chalked it up as a loss. Coupled with this delivery mishap, that would be the only 2 bad experience I have had with online shopping. I'm a great advocate of buying online and although I have had times when things go awry, there are still many honest-to-goodness retailers out there that have continually restored my faith and trust in the online way :)
Anyways, B&N, I am disappointed in you for failing to deliver what I paid money for but I haven't made my mind up if you fall into the 'Never Again' category. As for the book, maybe it's a good way for me to look back on Earth in 2007 when we are in 2030 and see how much the world has changed, God willing of course. I'd be in my fifties by then. I still want my leather-bound Homer though.
UPDATE: I ended up emailing B&N Customer Service to get them to send the book I paid for. This was done at the insistence of my sister who practically demanded I get them to right their wrong. I don't hold out high hopes for anything though as I have read many complaints on B&N's lack of customer care. Guess I can just count on my email to add to their impressive amount of screw-ups :)
