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Ice Bucket Challenge comes to the literary world

The Ice Bucket Challenge, created to raise awareness of ALS, was taken by such book world figures as author Stephen King, Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos, and author and indie bookstore supporter Stephen Colbert.

  • By Molly Driscoll Staff Writer

People on your Facebook feed aren’t the only ones taking the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge.

Participants in the ALS challenge are doused in a bucket of icy water and nominate others to do the same, according to the ALS Association website. Nominees who won’t participate must donate to a charity focused on Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (also known as ALS or Lou Gehrig's disease) although many who dump the bucket on themselves make donations as well.

Now some famous figures in the book world are taking part, too, including author Stephen King, Amazon founder and CEO Jeff Bezos, and author and “The Colbert Report” host Stephen Colbert.

In King’s video, he took the challenge on a porch and had a friend throw the ice on him.

“I’m doing this in honor of my friend Rocky Wood, who suffers from ALS,” King said. “And I want to challenge John Grisham…. Oh, boy,” he added as the bucket approached.

Meanwhile, Bezos performed his challenge on a stage while standing in a kiddie pool. He said he was challenged by Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella.

“I’ve been following this Ice Bucket Challenge and I find it totally amazing,” he said during his video. He decided to challenge “Star Trek” actors Patrick Stewart, William Shatner, and George Takei. (Bezos said he considered challenging Queen Elizabeth II and Pope Francis but that “this will never work, these people wear hats”). 

Bezos lifted the bucket of ice himself. 

Colbert was challenged by Melinda Gates and performed his dousing outdoors. He challenged Neil deGrasse Tyson, Paul McCartney, and Cardinal Dolan, then was the target for two buckets of ice.

Check out the full videos for each book figure above!

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