Today’s Killer Startup: The Book of Life
Elevator Pitch
The Book of Life is a collaborative guide to the emotional problems of living in the modern world.
Why It’s A Killer Startup
The Book of Life is hard to categorize. Is it a startup? Is it an art project? Is it a book?
I think it’s probably all of the above.
The site is a collaborative work covering all of the big areas of modern life: home, capitalism, work, relationships, self, culture, and curriculum. It’s a reimagining of what a book is, much the same way that Wikipedia is a reimagining of the encyclopedia.
While traditional books are static, The Book of Life is dynamic, constantly shifting and changing according to the needs of the audience and the knowledge of its authors. Rather than presenting ideas as static, The Book of Life acknowledges that ideas shift in change, even in the eyes of the author.
It’s also beautifully designed, integrating text, images, and video. It’s an amazing example of where the ancient art form of bookmaking could potentially go in this digital age.
The content itself is sectioned off into chapters, just like a traditional book, and each broad topic breaks down into accessible subcategories. It’s the kind of site that you simultaneously want to dive right into and are terrified to even look at because you know you’re going to end up spending hours absorbing everything it has to offer.
Ultimately, I chose The Book of Life for today’s Killer Startup because I love the idea of technology taking such a sacred art and transforming into something new. Check it out at TheBookOfLife.org. Books have been a part of humankind for centuries and there’s no reason they can’t continue to be for centuries to come, even if their form has shifted.
Tweetable
The Book of Life is the next evolution of the ancient art of bookmaking. Check it out. http://www.thebookoflife.org/ @bkoflife
