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The Book. Few things are as universal, as ubiquitous and as transformative. On this Book Lovers Day, we’ve compiled talks that examine all the facets that make books great. Do you judge a book by its cover, like Chip Kidd, or get absorbed into a compelling narrative like Andrew Stanton? Were you taken to new lands by foreign authors like Lisa Bu or exposed to nuances of your own language by a master of vocabulary like lexicographer Erin McKean? No matter what gets you nose-deep in a paperback, all you’ll want to do after watching these talks is curl up in your favorite reading spot and crack open (or at least swipe through) your favorite book.

And a bonus:

Every book within walking distance of every home: Arthur Attwell at TEDxCapeTown

Bibliophiles tend to take books for granted but, as Arthur Attwell points out, in many places books are not just a treasure, but an inaccessible luxury. In his TEDxCapeTown talk, Attwell introduces Paperight, a website working with copy shops and publishers to make access to books as common as reading itself.