Saving Lives One Book at a Time

The Domino Project is an independent publishing company, powered by Amazon.

I started it with a simple notion in mind: I wanted to explore the idea of bringing noteworthy ideas directly to readers who wanted to hear about them. Short, powerful manifestos, delivered with permission and designed to be shared. To date, we've published seven books, and thanks to our loyal reader base, every single one of them has been appeared on the top 10 bestseller list. This book, End Malaria, is our chance to spread messages but more importantly, save lives.

What's an e-book worth? It's a good question. In a world filled with free blogs, $499 hard sell e-books and chain bookstores going out of business, it's hard to tell. One thing is certain: a book that resonates with you is worth a lot. What would happen, I wondered, if we charged $20 for a book like that and gave every penny to charity. That's what End Malaria is. Sixty-two authors, one great cause. Every single penny from the e-book edition goes to Malaria No More, a focused gift designed to stamp out a disease that kills innocent children. Only two people can solve this problem, you and me. Your turn.

It's July 2011 and I'm lying in bed in a tiny rural hotel in Kitale, Kenya, dancing with jet lag. There's a mosquito buzzing in and out of my ear. (I'm not sure why mosquitos evolved to buzz in our ears, because it seems counterproductive to their real goal...)

As I lie, eyes wide open, I break into a cold sweat. No, I'm not worried about malaria -- I have my meds with me. I'm imagining what it's like to be a mom or a dad, living in a malaria-filled region of the world.

What is it like to live here, with a daughter or a son in the same room, knowing that if the wrong mosquito bites them... A simple, sometimes fatal disease. One bite... What's it like to sit up late, having such a heartbreaking conversation, "If I have the money, I'll be able to buy the medicine, perhaps. And if I don't?"

Malaria is easy. Easy to get and easy to avoid. All we need is a bed net, a simple net impregnated with repellent. They last for months. They protect entire families. And they're cheap.

When I heard about the End Malaria book, my first reaction was to say yes, I want in. And that was before that mosquito in Kenya kept me up all night.

To read more and to help us save live, please visit http://endmalariaday.com/