Which Side are You On?

There's a bit of a battle raging concerning electronic books -- or electronic "books," depending on where you stand.

Lots of folks deplore the very idea of any thing other than a physical printed-on-paper book. Others have joyously adopted the new technology. 

It doesn't, of course, have to be all one way. Plenty of people who adore a "real" book will still make use of an E-book for travel, commutes, what have you. Then, too, there's the advantage of being able to adjust the print size. Or order on the spur of the moment and receive your download instantly.

I think I've made it clear how much I love books. Our house is overflowing with them and I'm quite attached to the heft, the smell, the memories connected with certain well-worn favorites.

Nor do I own an E book. I did download  Kindle to my laptop for free, just so I could see what the reading experience was like. (It's okay, but I spend enough time at my laptop as it is. And I did download THE COMPLETE WORKS OF CHARLES DICKENS for an amazing 99 cents. Just because I could.)

But the E books are coming. I don't spend a lot of energy lamenting the possible eventual demise of 'real books' -- they'll continue to be around for years to come for those of us who love them. If future generations get their stories from electronic devices, so be it. Here's an article pointing out some interesting innovations ahead.

I'm already dreaming about a book that could have illustrations like, well, this blog. And links, instead of footnotes, for readers who wanted to follow a particular train of thought. I think it could be really amazing. And much greener, come to that.

And whenever I hear someone bemoan the fact that they'll just never be able to enjoy anything that isn't a real book, I think about all the folks who were really attached to their scrolls.