We e-mailed all of our preorder customers and told them to go back and check their shipping address, since FedEx can't ship to a PO box. Customers then came back to our Web site and confirmed their address.

We think it's a great investment to make in our customers. We figure that this is great for people who are current customers of Amazon.com and it will keep them happy with us. And we also think there's a lot of goodwill in terms of encouraging other people to come try out Amazon.com.

This has required a work-around change in our software.

Among other things, we had to quickly change all of the places 'Harry Potter IV' appeared on our Web site. It sounds easy, but there's a lot involved in making that happen.

Hope is like a road in the country; there was never a road, but when many people walk on it, the road comes into existence.

Her hopeless love swelled up inside her, crying for an outlet, and all she could do was hold it silently in her heart.