Wednesday, November 2, 2016

TO NOOK OR TO BOOK – THAT IS THE QUESTION




Yesterday my wife and I visited Barns and Noble Book Store in Augusta, Maine.   As you first walk inside the door you are met with a display of Nook electronic book readers.



My wife and I are both of the generation that appreciates real books.  Somehow reading off a screen doesn’t have the same cozy feel as turning the pages in a real book; and book cases, with books I have read and may read again, are a pleasing sight for me.

On the way home we were talking about the generational difference in the acceptance of electronic everything.   I said I did not believe most young people today will grow up to be novel readers in the future - if writing contains more than 140 characters it is not likely to keep their attention – they would rather see a movie than read a book. 

My wife made a point I had not considered.    A change to electronic book readers may be environmental friendly.   Forrest across the globe are receding.   Paper production is a large harvester of trees and the byproducts of paper mills are major polluter of water and air. 

I acknowledge that the time of paper books may be passing.   I know this sounds like a cynical old man, but I still prefer paper books and am willing to leave the environment for the next generation to clean up.


  
Not the Nook

the Ol’Buzzard

5 comments:

  1. I am with you. My wife has been seduced by the Novels on CD. My daughter, oddly enough, embraces books on the electronic medium and the paper one. Odd I guess for a Millennial.

    I grew up with books. I am right now surrounded by books. If I never read another one, I will still enjoy their company, I need the security they offer me by just existing.

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  2. I love paper books but a downsized reality had me facing the fact that there was not enough room. That was my reality -shrug-
    I bought a Kindle paperwhite, it does nothing but books. It took a day or so but I'm there! Middle of the night? It lights up, not a problem. Outside in the bright sun? Works great! I can mark a word & a built in dictionary will tell me about that word. I like it!
    Amazon & the publishing houses are thieves... if I want to re-read a story it costs more for the electronic version than it does to get a used paperback delivered in the mail. Amazon is more than willing to take $10 or more dollars for a book that is in the public domain & can be had for free from the Gutenberg project.

    I have spent the money to rebuy a lot of books & I will still pick up a paperback from a second hand store or the library sales rack but I pass it on when I'm done. If I 'want'to keep a book I'll buy it & pay what I have to.

    I am sold on the ebook.

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  3. I bought a Kobo to take on a vacation years ago. I haven't used it since. I am a library gal. If I can't find it in the library, they can usually order it for me from another branch. I like a "book in hand". -Jenn

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  4. Kids these days read more than ever, actually. I used to be like you and like paper books. Then I published my first ebook, and my mind was blown. All of these people, a couple thousand or something, read my books on the kindle and e-reader, and I don't have to have a printing press! It's great! And then I discovered reading long fantasy novels on my tablet, in the kindle ap. So much lighter than the thousand page books! And then I got the kindle ap on my phone, and now I can read whenever I want, as long as I have my phone handy. I still offer my books on paper, and I still buy or borrow shorter books on paper, but I have definitely been won over to the ebook.

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  5. I love the smell, feel and heft of a book.

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