In a thread here there was a link to BookCrossing.com. I read the “about bookcrossing” page and the “frequent questions” page. Neither really bothered to tell me what it is about and what I’m supposed to do. “Releasing” books in the “wild” is a concept that is not obvious to me. I once took The Prince deer hunting and it was the only book that I saw and I’m not so sure I’m up to shooting feral books with my 30-30. (Feral cats are another story, but that’s for a different thread.)
Could someone give me an intuitive clear narrative as to what this bookcrossing.com is all about?
www.bookcrossing.com
It’s all about being randomly nice to a stranger.
I took a copy of “Of Mice and Men” with me to a restaurant, then left it at the table when I was finished eating. I had already taped a bookcrossing label into the front cover, which explained that the book was a gift for whatever stranger might find it, and encouraged the finder to leave a note at the bookcrossing website, where I had registered the book.
The next day, I got an e-mail directing me to this response:Bookcrossing note
I felt good, because I had given a present I didn’t want anymore to someone at random. He felt good, because it’s always fun to get unexpected gifts from strangers. The book went to someone who would read it.
Everybody wins. Yay.
Now, if he’d been inclined, he could pass the book on to someone else, or leave it for someone else to find, and there might be more notes added under his.
Just think about how many hands a book can go through as it gets passed through used bookstores and yard sales and lendings. Why not track its journey?
I’m a bookcrossing nut - I’ve released probably 25 books and have a few that have been reported back. I’ve gone book hunting a few times, too - I’ve never found one, but my husband has, including one he had recently mentioned wanting to buy on the light rail. We just shipped scads of books here from our childhood homes on our last trip back; a huge pile of them are earmarked for bookcrossing.
It’s a great concept - making the whole world a free public library. Basically, you register a book, drop it off anywhere in public that someone else can find, and leave a sticker on the inside cover explaining bookcrossing.com. Whoever finds it is supposed to go to the website, mark the book as “found” and leave a note and explanation. Then, they’ll hopefully enjoy it, love the idea and system, find books about the house they don’t want anymore, and do the same thing.
MmmmMmmMMMmmmmmmMM free books.
I’ve released about a dozen books, but not yet had any follow-up. (I’m looking at you, Steve Wright) 
I did get 2 books in a prior SDMB bookswap that had been registered (Hi shadowkat!) and dutifully submitted a journal entry. I passed them on again in a White Elephant, but that person hasn’t submitted anything.