Print format - hardcopy or digital?
Over at Publisher's Weekly, I discovered this article, 'Print is Dead' book: Must-read for the New York publishing establishment from Holtzbrinck Internet marketer Jeff Gomez . I've been reading anything I can find regarding the demise of print.
I have to confess, I really enjoy reading books in book form. You know, a bunch of words contained within a cover, usually with an attractive image on the front. I've tried reading using an e-reader, and I don't like it. Crawling into bed, snuggling into my blankets and holding a cold, metallic box with a screen just doesn't do it for me. It seems akin to making love with a robot.
I am hopeful that my great-grand-children will recognize a book when they see it. Although I suspect the only books they'll own will be from Great-Granny Lynn's collection.
3 comments:
When I was in Mississippi and still quite ill, I read books online out of necessity. In a way it was good because I had to really look for things to read. For example, I found one of Rex Stout's earliest novellas online. Even though it was about two society gents traveling to the Andes and not Nero Wolfe, I was able to discern common thematic elements and certain familiar phraseology that I knew from the Nero books. I also read all the books about Pollyanna and a couple of other books by the same author. I also read several books by the author who wrote Daddy Longlegs.
HOWEVER, I agree that having a book in one's hands is preferable. I love the smell of books. New ones. Old musty ones. It just makes me happy. I agree that there's nothing quite so lovely as curling up in a big overstuffed chair with a good reading light, something yummy to drink, and a good book...
Yes, as I've said somewhere here before, there's a tactile experience as well as a cerebal one. I almost associate reading a book with a kind of intimacy between me and the writer. There have been times I've read something by someone I know, and I blush at the thought of them having written the very words I am reading.
I'm just the opposite - not necessarily because I don't like print, but because it's very difficult for me to read. With my poor eyesight, e-books are a godsend. I can adjust the font so I can actually read. Most print books are just a blur.
There are other advantages of e-books, also. I blogged about publishing and the environment for Blog Action Day.
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