The shape of a book
Blog: Culture Check
November 30, 2010
At 5:30 a.m., I set my book on the floor and pad to the kitchen for another cup of coffee. I look back across the room and see the pages' perfect curl — an image that's comforted me almost my whole life.
It makes me wonder if young readers today will feel the same lift of heart at the sight of their Kindles resting, glowing against an armchair in early-morning dimness.
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John_Barta 1 year, 5 months ago
The shape of a book
Very nice! BTW, Kindles don't glow, they're reflective, just like a book page.
irwin 1 year, 5 months ago
The shape of a book
John ... that's interesting. I've held one in my hand, but only in fairly bright room light. Can you read a Kindle in dim light? (Or should I just forget "Kindle" and use "iPad"?)
JimboBear 1 year, 5 months ago
The shape of a book
Just keep reading Mike. The knowledge of the universe is at our fingertips. I don't see that it matters much from which source we garner our dose of words, just so long as we never lose our right to read what we choose. Nice picture, by the way. I enjoy such simple subjects.
KatyDid 1 year, 5 months ago
The shape of a book
The knowledge of the universe is at our fingertips. I don't see that it matters much from which source we garner our dose of words, just so long as we never lose our right to read what we choose.
Says the wise man...
Very well said, Jim.
JimboBear 1 year, 5 months ago
The shape of a book
Well, Thank You Kind Lady!
John_Barta 1 year, 5 months ago
The shape of a book
Mike, Yes, just as you'd be able to read a book in dim light. Bright light is better, just as it is better with a real book, but dim light won't keep you from reading. You aren't going to get a month or more of reading time from an iPad, like you can with a Kindle. Kindles aren't color, just 16 shades of gray. Also, big difference in price, too.
irwin 1 year, 5 months ago
The shape of a book
John ... sounds like you have a Kindle. Is this a good replacement for paper and binding?
cherdt 1 year, 5 months ago
The shape of a book
My husband got me a Kindle for Cristmas last year. (okay, really I got it for him for to give to me!). I love my Kindle. I read it a lot commuting on Link. However, as a avid reader, even after a year, I find it really diffucult not to be holding a "real" book in my hands. There's something comforting about the warmth and feel of a real book in your hands - especially an old worn hard-backed one. At first it just felt wrong but slowly I guess you get used to it. I'v never had any visual problem reading my Kinlde. ITts really easy for me to see/read whevever I am.
Kellie 1 year, 5 months ago
The shape of a book
There is NOTHING like the feel and smell of a book. Books are irreplaceable in my opinion.
knight 1 year, 5 months ago
The shape of a book
I am a voracious reader. I've been known to go through a dozen books in a week. I've been reading since I was four, and have devoured books at a frantic pace ever since.
I've had a Kindle for two years, and I love it. It's SO much more convenient than a paperback...because I do most of my reading on the go. The Kindle is smaller, thinner, and easier to transport. I can buy a new book instantly when I'm done (great when I'm close to the end of a book - in the past, I'd have to carry two books in that instance).
Interestingly, you don't need a Kindle to take advantage of e-books. I now have a Droid smartphone, and there's a Kindle app that allows me to read my Kindle books on that. I've also got the app for my laptop, which allows me to read on a much bigger screen. And a great feature Amazon has built into those apps is syncing - if I'm reading something on my smartphone at the doctor's office, and I start reading it on my laptop later, it starts me where I left off on the smartphone.
I'm actually finding that I don't use the Kindle at all anymore. I'm doing all my reading on my laptop and smartphone. Granted, the battery life is MUCH better on the Kindle than on the laptop or phone, so for traveling, I'd still recommend the Kindle.
And that's where the benefit of the Kindle outshines books - traveling. Carrying one device instead of several books and being able to instantly start another when you finish one has vastly simplified my reading when I travel. I also find it a lot more comfortable to hold for long reading sessions than a book (especially a hardcover), as the Kindle is a lot easier to handle with one hand (leaves a hand free for a drink or a snack, for example).
I still have books - old favorites that I already owned when I got the Kindle as a gift. And I still buy books - if they're not available in Kindle format. Those are the only exceptions. Everything else is a Kindle book.
I wholeheartedly embrace this technology.
knight 1 year, 5 months ago
The shape of a book
Oh, I forgot another benefit of Kindle books: immediacy. If the book is available in Kindle format, you can buy it when the hardback is released, usually at less than the paperback price. I NEVER buy hardbacks (because they're bigger, and therefore, less portable, and price), but in the past, I was frustrated at having to wait for the paperback to come out to read the new release in a series of books. Kindle format solves that. Win-win, as far as I'm concerned. I get to read the book right away, without waiting for shipping, and at a lower price. And I'm not costing the author anything, because, like I said, I NEVER, ever buy hardbacks.
KatyDid 1 year, 5 months ago
The shape of a book
Nice image, Mike. I once included a similar image in some Valentine's Day marketing once. In addition to lifting our hearts, books lend themselves to images of the heart - the shadows form nearly a perfect heart, just as the pages do when curved inward... seems only fitting to me.
The debate between traditional books vs. electronic books will most likely rage for quite some time, but I don't see myself ever moving away from the 'traditional' camp. I like having lots of books around me and besides, books are too much a part of me to change now. I spend a fair amount of time online, but even with screen adjustments, my eyes tire when staring at a screen for too long. I'd hate to have to limit my reading for that reason. I do recognize that Kindles, Nooks, etc. have their uses, so when it comes down to it, to each his own. I have a friend from Germany who uses her Kindle to continually practice her English. She reads her books in English and this way she doesn't have to travel with boxes and armloads of books (as she once did) following every US visit.
When I look at an electronic book, I think "utilitarian, innovative, practical". But to look at a book, there's just something enriching and even romantic about it. Either way, I think there's room for both camps, I just hope there are enough publishers (and consumers) that agree with me and that will continue to agree with me for years to come!
knight 1 year, 5 months ago
The shape of a book
Lisa, I just have one point to make: the screen on a Kindle doesn't glow. It is exactly like looking at a printed page. I think they call it e-ink technology, or something like that (too lazy to go look it up right now, lol).
I don't think you have anything to worry about as far as print books disappearing. I don't think that's going to happen in my lifetime, and I'm pretty young. It -might- happen in my son's lifetime, but even then, I think that might only be new books. Existing books will still be around for centuries. We value our history too much to destroy such a valuable resource.
iconoclastinator 1 year, 5 months ago
The shape of a book
A warm and inviting picture. I'm imagining a fireplace tagging along behind the book somewhere in my mental image.
I appreciate Jimbo's words, it's not how we acquire knowledge that is important. What matters is that we ACQUIRE KNOWLEDGE, wisdom, and understanding. We do this often through the written word. Mr. Gutenberg started a revolution and we must respect where said revolution has taken us. I believe he truly would appreciate the fact that just as the printing press took the written word to the 'masses', so can digital information take the information further. Yes, the interwebs and digital media are filled with useless information and outright garbage but then, the same can be said for the printed word.
Yes, there is something conforting about a good printed book in your hands, the musty old library smell, the aged dog ears on the corners where hands desperate for knowledge sought to mark a page for further introspection at a later time...nothing quite makes the mind wander like such imagery.
I do however find it pleasantly ironic that we are appreciating a wonderful photograph of a book through a digital medium. A digital photograph of a printed book. I question dear readers: Would the image have the same impact if Mike had photographed his Kindle lying on the floor?
"I think that I shall never see, a poem lovely as a tree..." -Ogden Nash
I think that I shall never see, a kindle lovely as a .....???
irwin 1 year, 5 months ago
The shape of a book
This may be the most sane and literate discussion to ever appear on this website. Wonderful ideas, along with well-crafted and practical information. My interest in Kindle is sparking.
joanne 1 year, 5 months ago
The shape of a book
Yes, Mike. I enjoyed reading all these well-written comments, and seeing almost all the real identities. I would like to try to curl up in bed with a Kindle sometime, as that is where I do a lot of my reading. It won't happen, as I don't have a Kindle and am not sure it would work at our house, anyway. And that is a beautiful picture. Books have such a "feel" about them that cannot be simulated.
knight 1 year, 5 months ago
The shape of a book
Very true, Joanne...as much as I love my Kindle, it's not the same, exactly, as curling up with an actual book. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE reading real books. If my comments above gave a different impression, I can understand that...but my love of books is very deep.
However, I love the act of reading even more, and the Kindle format has allowed me to read more, get content faster, and to save money while doing it (since Kindle format books are often cheaper than their paperback price)...which translates to getting to read even more, lol.
The wireless service of a Kindle might not work at your actual house (if you have trouble getting cell service, you could have trouble connecting with the Kindle, because it uses cell towers for access). However, you can also connect your Kindle to your computer and download books directly to it...and that thing can hold a LOT of books. And then use the wireless feature whenever you're out and about, if you need to.
I'm not entirely sure how many books I have on my Kindle, but it's over two hundred, and it's not even close to full.
If you're curious about the Kindle, I'd suggest picking up a used Kindle 2 (you can find them all over the Internet, as people are upgrading to the newest model). I have a Kindle 2, and I've loved it.
I do admit, if I used it enough (instead of mostly using my smartphone and laptop to read Kindle books like I do now), I would likely be getting the new Kindle 3. It's so THIN!
KatyDid 1 year, 5 months ago
The shape of a book
Like Joanne, I'd have a bit of difficulty with the wireless service of a Kindle. I have no cell service where I live and the only way I have internet is via satellite - not only does it tend to be slow (much slower than advertised/contracted), but bandwidth limits are occasionally a problem as well. Even so, your advice and information is appreciated Rainne. Like I said earlier, to each his own, but I think I'll be sticking to books... at least for now! :)
Matriarch 1 year, 5 months ago
The shape of a book
What about the books you want to keep? When I buy a paperback, it's mine to read, throw away, or keep on a shelf to re-read or share with a friend. Granted, most paperbacks head straight to a donation center or the second hand book store. But some I keep for years, if not forever. Once you read a book on your Kindle, do you have storage options? And can it be shared short of handing over your Kindle? Don't get me wrong, I want one very much. I'm just curious about the aftermath of reading.
knight 1 year, 5 months ago
The shape of a book
The Kindle can hold a LOT of books. If you don't want to keep them on your Kindle after you've read them (I don't), you have two options.
One: You can keep them on your computer. When you plug your Kindle into your computer, it opens up as a flash drive on your desktop. You can open it up and add and remove files just by clicking and dragging. So, once you're done with a book you've read, you can move it off of your Kindle and onto your computer for storage.
Two: Amazon keeps a record of every book you've ever bought. Once you're done with a book, you can delete it off of your Kindle. If you ever want to read it again, you can go to your Amazon account page on their website (where you have to log in) and re-download it. This is what I do. However, I think there is a limit to the number of times you can re-download a book without having to repurchase it, so if you want to hang on to it forever, save it on your computer.
As far as sharing, I think the only way to do this currently is to allow people to register their Kindle under your Amazon account, downloading the book, then unregistering it. But because of that limit on number of downloads, there's only so many times you can do this. I think that's why they have that limit, to prevent people from doing that.
John_Barta 1 year, 5 months ago
The shape of a book
Mike ... Yes, I do own a Kindle, though only recently acquired. Linda and I both purchased one last week.
I'd say at this point yes, it is a good replacement for an number of reasons, and I've read more in the past week than past years. Of course that could be attributed to the fact the Kindle is still a new experience. There are tons of books stockpiled on one of my networked computers I've been meaning to read, but never take do. In the short time (less than 2 weeks) with the Kindle I've already read one and started another. If these book were conventional, I'd still be trying to get to them. The Kindle is just so convenient that I know I'll be reading a lot more.
My big problem with reading is that I'm always in front of a computer; never the bookcase. Before computers became such a major part of my life in 1984, I did a lot of reading.
Don't even get me started on handwriting; don't do that anymore, either. In fact my signature is about the only thing handwritten, and even that looks foreign.
John_Barta 1 year, 5 months ago
The shape of a book
Rainne ... Thank you for your excellent and informative posts.
The Kindles Linda and I have are Wireless and Wi-Fi, so we've got the best of both worlds. Wherever we go, we've got a connection. Anyone with a wireless router, or access point in their home could have the same flexibility.
Frostygoat 1 year, 5 months ago
The shape of a book
The comments read like an advertisement from Amazon. Books are so much more than words. I use electronic documents daily and love them. BUT, books are MUCH more aesthetic than any made in China electronic device. I don't want to live in a world so homogenized that each book looks like the other because they're all conveyed through the same device. Books have smells, feels, weights that bring the intellectual experience into the physical realm. Somehow I don't think it would be as satisfying to read War and Peace electronically. I want to see those thousands of pages in physical form. Old books have history and real sentimental value. Electronically, they're all about 10 bucks and thats it.
Ask any baby just learning to read. Pages or e-ink?
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