The 2:46 Quakebook project started with a tweet and now stands on the verge of something great, a testament to the community response that has characterized the human reaction to the recent natural disasters.

Led by blogger OurManInAbiko, who first put the call out, the book brought together folks from across Twitter for contributors, all with the aim to create a book to raise funds for Red Cross Japan.

The idea of Quakebook was to share the stories and experiences of people actually on the ground during the earthquake, whilst raising funds for the Red Cross.

Soon available for purchase here, the e-book, which after being conceived 10 days ago, is just one more pointer to the power of social media and digital tools that helped many stay informed while traditional communication platforms failed.

Over 200 Japanese and non-Japanese contributors submitted entries, revealing their experiences and thoughts together with visual accounts and supported by a crowd-sourced group of designers. Perhaps the project’s biggest standout is science fiction author William Gibson, who has contributed an original short story.

The tale of the evolution of QuakeBook can be found under the hashtag search on Twitter: Quakebook on Twitter

You can buy the book (and contribute to charity) here.