WHENEVER I mention to my writer friends that I enjoy reading both electronic and paper books and, moreover, that I find myself turning more frequently to my e-reader, they inevitably wrinkle their noses and — with the tone of an upper-crust British aristocrat speaking to a country peasant — say, “Oh, I much prefer paper books. I need to feel the paper. And the smell … Well! Don’t you miss the smell of real books?
Once upon a time, I would have said the same thing, superior tone and all. But now that I’ve discovered the many conveniences of e-books, I find that I’m much more likely to cozy up on the couch with my Kindle than I am with one of the many paperbacks still stacked on my “to read” pile. What happened?
The subject came to mind again recently when I read Sharon Lippincott’s blog post, Hooked on eBooks. In her defense of ebook reading, Sharon lists the following benefits, to which I found myself nodding in agreement:
- You can change text sizes whenever you want. Check.
- You can highlight as much as you want. Check.
- You can attach notes, as many and as wordy as you want — the notes don’t have to fit into the narrow margins. Check.
- You can search for passages or words. Check.
- You can share passages without having to retype them. Check.
- Ebooks save space. Check.
If you saw my overflowing bookshelves, you’d understand why I think this is such a huge benefit. When I buy a new ebook, I don’t have to find a space for it. Like Sharon, I have put myself on a paper book diet — one in, one out. With ebooks, I can store as many as I want. And if I watch the promotions and sales, I can get almost any book in electronic form for free or super cheap. Book gluttony, here I come!
Here are a few more advantages:
- I can read in any light.
- If a come across a word I don’t know, all I have to do is select the word and I have immediate access to digital dictionaries.
- My Kindle and Kindle apps allow me to store and retrieve all my notes online, which means that when I’m looking for a quote, preparing material for a new class, or wanting to re-read a favorite passage, I can perform a simple search and then copy and paste it elsewhere.
- Because I carry my smart phone around, I always have the book I’m currently reading at hand. For this reason, I’ve sometimes bought the ebook version of a print book I’m reading but forgot to bring with me.
The disadvantages of ebooks? For me, there are only three: I can’t give or loan (without limitation) my used book to a friend to read; the e-readers have to be charged, and therefore would not good to rely on if I were, say, stranded on a desert island; and ebooks don’t announce their presence by taking up space on my shelves and tables, so I tend to forget which books I own. The first problem could be solved with a different kind of licensing arrangement, the second can be mitigated with extra battery power, and the third by future technologies … for example, holographic images of book spines.
Do I read paper books? Yes, of course. Because a book in any form, and by any name, is still a book and smells just as sweet to me.
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Journaling Prompt: Write about your views on ebooks and print books and explore the emotions behind your views and reactions.
Creative Writing Prompt: Write about a world in which e-books are the norm when a new technology — print — is invented. What happens?
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I have one more advantage of ebooks. As a child I learned to read while eating (it was absolutely forbidden, though, if anyone else was at the table!), soaking in the tub, or brushing my teeth. I took any available moment to advance whatever story I was captured by. I dreamed of a device that would allow me to read without holding the pages open. Voila!
Lauren, ah yes … that’s another great one. I love to read while eating. Now, I can just prop up my e-reader and read away. Soaking in a tub or floating in a pool? I can place my e-reader in a waterproof bag and still “turn” the pages.
I agree with all the pluses of e-readers and I love my Nook, but still must have the tactile stimulation of paper. Recently I read an online article about “deep reading,” which comes from reading paper. Children espeically are encouraged to read from paper to experience this form of reading. The article stated that distractions from electronic reading kept the reader from benefiting fully from the type of reading they need.
These are not my ideas, and I have not felt deprived of the reading experience while using my Nook. But I can see where kids might not engage completely when they use electronics as they read. Those games and texts are tempting. : )
I think things are a bit different when we’re talking about children and the development of their minds and habits, although I wonder what the distractions of electronic reading would be if the child was using a dedicated e-reader? Perhaps these distractions have nothing to do with the reading experience and only with the type of reader they are using (i.e. does it also have games?). You can only read a book, nothing more. Same with a dedicated e-reader. So I wonder if the research the article refers to was really comparing apples with apples.
I agree with all the pluses of e-readers and I love my Nook, but still must have the tactile stimulation of paper. Recently I read an online article about “deep reading,” which comes from reading paper. Children espeically are encouraged to read from paper to experience this form of reading. The article stated that distractions from electronic reading kept the reader from benefiting fully from the type of reading they need.
These are not my ideas, and I have not felt deprived of the reading experience while using my Nook. But I can see where kids might not engage completely when they use electronics as they read. Those games and texts are tempting. : )
I think things are a bit different when we’re talking about children and the development of their minds and habits, although I wonder what the distractions of electronic reading would be if the child was using a dedicated e-reader? Perhaps these distractions have nothing to do with the reading experience and only with the type of reader they are using (i.e. does it also have games?). You can only read a book, nothing more. Same with a dedicated e-reader. So I wonder if the research the article refers to was really comparing apples with apples.
Oops. Typo alert! I should have said: especially, not espeically. : )
Oops. Typo alert! I should have said: especially, not espeically. : )
Thanks for listing the pros and cons. I think the good of ebooks outweighs the bad, although I did read somewhere that the light from my Nook could interfere with my sleep patterns. I still use my Nook.
That’s a good point, Barbara. Many studies have pointed to the idea that light from e-readers and other electronic devices can interfere with sleep. I have not found that to be true for me (I fall asleep just as well with an e-reader as with a print book), but that is definitely something to consider if you have trouble sleeping. In that case, a print book before bed might be a better option.
Thanks for listing the pros and cons. I think the good of ebooks outweighs the bad, although I did read somewhere that the light from my Nook could interfere with my sleep patterns. I still use my Nook.
That’s a good point, Barbara. Many studies have pointed to the idea that light from e-readers and other electronic devices can interfere with sleep. I have not found that to be true for me (I fall asleep just as well with an e-reader as with a print book), but that is definitely something to consider if you have trouble sleeping. In that case, a print book before bed might be a better option.
I too enjoy my ebooks and for the very reasons you like. But my journal remains hand written and takes up way to much space on my bookshelf.
Mary, the fact that we each have strong personal feelings and preferences for reading and writing fascinates me. Though I usually journal using my computer, there are some very good and documented reasons for handwriting your journal … slowing down for deeper reflection and tapping into the subconscious mind are two that come to mind.