Barnes & Noble.com Launches eBook Publishing Program; Barnes & Noble Digital list...

Entertainment Editors

NEW YORK, NY--(ENTERTAINMENT WIRE)--Oct. 18, 2001

Barnes & Noble.com (Nasdaq: BNBN) (www.bn.com) announced today the launch of their first list of books from the recently formed electronic publishing division, Barnes & Noble Digital. In September,

Barnes & Noble Digital premiered its first ePublishing venture with the release of The Book of Counted Sorrows, an original eBook by Dean Koontz, which quickly became Barnes & Noble.com's bestselling eBook of the year.

The October list includes several original works plus previously published books, some of which were major best sellers, in fiction, current affairs, business, sports, self-help and true crime. Barnes & Noble Digital will publish approximately 15 eBook titles per month across a wide range of subjects.

"We're very proud to have launched our publishing program with such a diverse and superb group of authors," said Michael Fragnito, publisher of Barnes & Noble Digital. "The power of the Barnes & Noble reach, both in the stores and via the Internet, offers our writers the best opportunity to connect with the broadest possible readership. eBooks have the potential to be the next form of mass market distribution. We've listened to our customers' concerns over the erratic and high retail prices of eBooks, and therefore will retail our books at mass market prices."

The October list includes the Mark Twain lost novella, A Murder, A Mystery, and A Marriage. This enhanced eBook was produced for Barnes & Noble Digital by LiveReads and includes many illustrations and annotations as well as a comprehensive timeline.

Helter Skelter, the authoritative book on the Manson murders, by Vincent Bugliosi and Curt Gentry, is the bestselling true crime book of all time. Mr. Bugliosi's recent bestseller, The Betrayal of America, attacks the Supreme Court's decision on the presidential elections last year. Sherman Alexie's highly acclaimed collection of short stories, The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven, chronicles modern life on the Spokane Indian Reservation.

The complete Barnes & Noble Digital October list:

- A Murder, A Mystery, and A Marriage by Mark Twain (Retail price: $9.95) Long
thought to be lost, this bizarre tale chronicles the fortunes of a humble
farmer, John Gray, determined to marry off his daughter, Mary, to the scion of
the town's wealthiest family. But the sudden appearance of a stranger found
lying unconscious in the snow not only derails Gray's plans but also leads to a
mysterious murder. In addition to a "Foreword" and "Afterword" by the Southern
novelist and humorist Roy Blount Jr., the book is also graced by six newly
commissioned illustrations by Peter de Seve. And exclusive to the eBook edition
is The Wit and Wisdom of Mark Twain, a collection of some of Twain's best
witticisms.

- Helter Skelter by Vincent Bugliosi with Curt Gentry (Retail price: $4.95)
Vincent Bugliosi has revised the number-one bestselling crime book of all time
with a new "Afterword." In August of 1969, the nation was shocked to learn of
the brutal murders of actress Sharon Tate and six other innocent victims--all
shot, stabbed, and bludgeoned to death in a two-day rampage of terror. The
murderers were young men and women from middle-class families, followers of the
now-notorious serial killer Charles Manson. Prosecutor Vincent Bugliosi takes
readers behind the scenes of the longest trial in American history--and inside
the mind of one of America's most compelling criminals.

- The Betrayal of America: How the Supreme Court Undermined the Constitution
and Chose Our President by Vincent Bugliosi (Retail price: $5.95)

[pilcrow (paragraph sign)] Bugliosi writes that the U.S. Supreme Court, by handing the

election to George W. Bush, committed the unpardonable sin of

being a knowing surrogate for the Republican Party instead of

being an impartial arbiter of the law. That an election can be

stolen by the highest court in the land under the deliberate

pretext of an inapplicable constitutional provision has got to

be one of the most frightening and dangerous events ever to

have occurred in this country, he believes.

- The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven by Sherman

Alexie (Retail price: $7.95)

In this poignant collection of short stories, Spokane/Coeur

d'Alene Indian Sherman Alexie paints a picture of reservation

life that is at once lyrical and darkly ironic. Amidst poverty

and police cars, the Indians of the Spokane reservation find

relief in alcohol, laughter and stories of their shared heritage.

- No More Mr. Nice Guy! by Robert A. Glover, Ph.D. (Retail

price: $5.95)

Dr. Robert Glover, an eminent psychotherapist, has devoted his

career to freeing men from the "Nice Guy Syndrome." In a

revealing look at this widespread yet unexplored phenomenon, Dr.

Glover explains how--by trying too hard to please others and

neglecting their own needs--supposedly nice men become unhappy,

resentful, and lash out against those they love.

- Zim: A Baseball Life by Don Zimmer with Bill Madden (Retail

price: $8.95)

Don Zimmer's baseball life crossed paths with some of the game's

most memorable people and events. His American Legion national

championship team received congratulations from Babe Ruth; he

played alongside Jackie Robinson on Brooklyn's only world

championship team in 1955 and for Casey Stengel as an original

New York Met in 1962; managed the Boston Red Sox and Chicago

Cubs; and was on the bench for the Yankees' world championships

in 1996, '98, '99, and 2000.

- The Green Berets by Robin Moore (Retail price: $5.95)

In 1965, Robin Moore's shocking expose of the Green Berets--the

U.S. Special Forces--hit the bestseller list as the Vietnam War

raged abroad. Robin Moore, a civilian, received special

permission from President Kennedy to train and fight with the

Green Berets. His resulting novel, now considered a classic, is a

compelling insider's account of guerilla warfare from the front

lines.

- Peanut Butter & Jelly Management by Chris and Reina

Komisarjevsky (Retail price: $5.95)

How can teaching a child to ride a bike prepare you to delegate

authority in the workplace? What can a shoebox full of mementos

teach one about an employee's need for space? In this lively and

practical guide to business management, Chris and Reina

Komisarjevsky reveal how the lessons learned at home can be

naturally applied to the office.

- A Day in the Life by Mark Hertsgaard (Retail price: $7.95)

Based on the Abbey Road archives, journalist Mark Hertsgaard's A

Day in the Life is one of the most comprehensive biographies ever

written about the Beatles. The book explores their lives, their

creative process, and, most importantly, their music and contains

a new introduction by Mark Hertsgaard exclusive to Barnes & Noble

Digital.

- Goat Dance by Douglas Clegg (Retail price: $3.95)

In this horror story, seven-year-old Teddy Amory should have died

that winter's day on Clear Lake, when she fell through the ice

while skating with her older brother, Jake. But strange,

nightmarish forces lay lurking in the water. Now a haunted town

must face its terrifying past, as a possessed child threatens to

unleash hell on earth.

- Baseball Trivia Quiz Book by Paul E. Gangi (Retail price:

$2.95)

This book of baseball trivia tests your knowledge of every aspect

of the game, from the majors to the minors, the great hitters of

the sport's early days to today's most infamous bat throwers and

base stealers.

About Barnes & Noble.com

Barnes & Noble.com is an Internet commerce company offering a comprehensive range of books and related information products, and has the largest audience reach of any brick and mortar company with an Internet presence. It stocks the largest in-stock selection of in-print book titles, supplemented by more than 20 million listings from its nationwide network of out-of-print, rare and used book dealers. Its college textbook store offers a vast selection of new and used textbooks and its recently introduced eBookStore has established the company as a leader in the delivery of digital content and intellectual property. The company's product ranges now include a full complement of information products, including DVD and video. The company's focus on information products is manifest in its Barnes & Noble University, a distance-learning forum offering free classes. Ranging from "Introduction to Programming" to "Introduction to XML" to "The Night Sky: An Introduction to Astronomy"" to "Walking through Shakespeare," Barnes & Noble University has quickly established itself as a leading Internet hub for learning and community.