I recently received a gift from a friend in the form of an e-book.
E-books are electronic versions of print books displayed either on a computer or an e-book device, which is about the size of a normal paperback book but more closely resembles a giant palm pilot complete with giant stylus used for scrolling through the pages.
In the beginning, e-books were generally used for technical and mechanical training manuals, but in the last few years they have intruded into the literary arena.
Of course there are advantages to an e-book. For example, you can store thousands of books on the same device, you don’t need a reading light because the screen is back lit, and you don’t have to hold open a book and turn its pages, which, depending on where you’re reading (e.g., bed, airplane, bus, solitary confinement), can be a big plus. And, of course, the biggest advantage to the e-book is it doesn’t waste paper, which saves trees.
But isn’t it somewhat comforting owning your favorite books and packing your shelves full of them? And imagine (God forbid) that e-books become the norm and you never have the opportunity to buy a book ever again, or peruse a bookstore for hours on end?
Now here’s the kicker. Last summer, e-books started coming in text-message format for certain youth-lit publications. Some genius figured it would be easier for kids to read only 10 or so words at a time, and these e-books are even equipped with text language! Imagine Holden Caulfield LOLing all over Manhattan, or Sal Paradise telling Dean Moriarty that he’ll BRB. AHHHHHHH!!! It makes me want to smack a kid.
I, for one, love being able to open a book and turn its pages. And when I’m not busy with life, I’m usually in a bookstore—and I’m not talking about some dumb Internet store.
E-books are incredibly new, and the technology will need more time on the market to prove its worth, if it even has any. Will e-books replace traditional books, or will they go the way of the pet rock and the eight-track player?
12thstreetonline's Weblog 
December 13, 2008 at 7:28 pm
You know, i think they really improved upon the book when they made it in paperback… it should have stopped there.
t.
December 15, 2008 at 12:23 am
Have you heard of the Google Effect? check this article out– http://www.theatlantic.com/doc/200807/google. If you don’t want to/don’t have the time, it’s basically stating, with a particular focus on the ability to “Google” things, that the internet has made us less willing and able to read substantial amounts of text. Over time, as we’ve been able to Wikipedia our information and gather the gist of ideas in a few sentences, our attentional skills and ability to read prose have been dramatically impaired.
However, [as a pragmatist] while I do love the weight of a book, the pages, the smell, the ability to write in the margins, I might argue that this day and age of technology has allowed for a much greater range of communication and spread of knowledge. While we might cringe at the idea of Holden Caulfield or Yossarian “LOL” or “BRBing,” the spread of ideas (as in, people actually getting the above references) might actually be worth it.
Again, I love everything that comes bound in a bound book, but if someone gains a new understanding or belief from reading “An Idiot’s Guide to the Old Testament,” is that really so bad? I’d argue that it’s at least slightly better than not having heard of Noah and his dreaded flood.
December 16, 2008 at 11:24 am
And lastly, it appears real libraries are a thing of the past: http://www.bookswim.com/
it’s the NetFlix of books.
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