Is a book if it’s not made from paper?
There is a lot of ‘buzz’ about e-books and the revolution that it’s going to bring for both publishers and readers. I’m not convinced. Yes there are benefits. You can store hundreds of books on your computer and not have to worry about them taking up too much space. You can search the contents. You can buy a book and instantly read it.
The downsides are that you need power to read and some sort of electronic device to read from. You also can’t fold the corners down. You can’t scribble notes. You can’t show them off on book shelves. And for me the biggest thing is that they just don’t feel right.
There are other problems – e-books aren’t tangible so you can’t put them on a shelf for someone to take down and buy. You can’t walk into a shop of e-books and browse. You have to click from one item to another and someone it doesn’t feel the same. You can’t spend ages choosing your 3 for 2 offer. And how do you put a value on an ebook? You never go out of print.
I can see one benefit of an e-book when it comes to textbooks when you’re only needing to focus on a specific chapter or section of information but again it’s sometimes easier t have it on your desk plastered with post-its and scribbles.
Give me a real book any day of the week.
