Monday, February 15th, 2010
Death of books?
I just read an article that says the Kindle is the death of books.
But I, who love books, say: What is a book? It is a medium that makes an author’s thoughts and creativity available to me. So does the Kindle.
The article also says that if you find Moby Dick, say, free on Kindle, the 656-page classic is now worthless. I, who love books, ask this: If I receive a book as a gift, is it worthless because I paid nothing for it? Have the words, thoughts, and universal themes been erased? Is value measured by a $ sign?
On the contrary, I say that a new world of books is opening up to me because of my Kindle. Through Project Gutenberg, I find old, out-of-print books that I never would have known about or read. These days I’m exploring China through the eyes of 19th and early-20th-century explorers and travelers.
And I think about my missionary friends. I had lunch with Laurie the other day. If she had a Kindle, she could return to her ministry home with thousands of books–many of them free ones that will help her know her country more deeply. AND she wouldn’t have to worry about luggage and weight limits. She also could download books there because Kindle now has international wireless connection.
She could even have on her Kindle her suitcase-sized ESV Study Bible–for only $9.99.
I admit the Kindle is not ideal for every kind of book. Illustrations are in black and white and are small. Charts are hard to read. A reference-type book that requires a lot of flipping pages is cumbersome on Kindle.
But that still leaves almost a world of reading on Kindle.
Do you have a Kindle or wish you did?
What do you like or dislike about Kindle?
What would make it better for you?
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21 Responses to “Death of books?”
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Hi Noel. I met you at our women’s retreat at Wellspring bay area several times. YES I love my Kindle! It’s definitely not the same as picking up a fresh book and turning the pages but it’s so portable it’s wonderful! Currently reading Counterfeit Gods by Tim Keller and I love how I can outline text and go back to it later. I’m a Kindle Fan!
I have a Kindle that my parents gave me for Christmas. I didn’t even know I wanted one! Now though, I can hardly imagine buying a paper and ink book. I find it is incredibly easy to read though I had to mentally retrain the muscle memory in my body to read it. For example, the first time I really sat down to read my Kindle, I was enjoying some alone time at a local coffee shop and when I pushed the button to turn the page, my eyes actually flittered over to the left side of the Kindle expecting to begin reading at the top left. :)
I have downloaded many, many free books from Amazon.com, giving me an endless choice of reading material as the mood strikes.
One other thing I like is being able to buy a book (such as So Long Insecurity, by Beth Moore), which I really wanted to read, without having to pay the cover price, or use the gas to get to the store. Saved me about $13 plus my time and whatever other incidentals I might have decided I needed at the store.
Not sure yet what would make it better… I’m still in the honeymoon phase. :)
Thanks for asking!
I wouldn’t dream of using a Kindle because I can’t read with out a pen in hand, marking up my book!
I just saw my daughter’s friend’s kindle for the first time yesterday. Oh, my! It’s on my someday list. :-) I didn’t think I wanted one because I also read with a pen in hand. Seems you can pen notes and highlight it electronically. Cool!
I’m a missionary and we are looking at going from one part of the world to another. When we first moved to where we are now we shipped a bunch of books over. Now looking at moving again we just can’t be weighed down by them so we got a kindle to help the situation. This also allows people to give us the gift of books without shipping them and them potentially not making it at all. The kindle we got is on its way and I can’t wait to have it. :)
I find it hard to read on digital devices, even my iPhone. I have Logos on it and also look at ESV Mobile on it and it’s not the same as an actual book or Bible that you hold in your hands! There is nothing like having a bookmark or being able to physically highlight or mark up a book! Kindles sound neat, and in the situation you described, it sounds perfect for Laurie, but in everyday use, I wouldn’t be able to do it.
I don’t have a Kindle, but I would like some sort of electronic reading device (maybe a Kindle, but maybe a Nook or one of the other options).
I like that virtual space is “cheaper” than physical space. I think the note taking features would be very useful to me; I dislike writing in physical books because my notes distract me from the text when I read a book in which I’ve previously written notes, but with electronic notes I assume there is a way to hide previous notes.
I would like software and formats that are less tied to specific devices. If I were to purchase a Kindle, I would like to be able to sync my library between a Kindle, my desktop, and my netbook, but my desktop and netbook both use Linux, which doesn’t seem compatible at the present.
I’m struggling with the death of books. I love my paper-in-hand books. But I also know a Kindle is in my future, especially with more availability of FREE books. I’m a huge library book reader, so I’m all about free. I’m encouraged by your mentioning of so many free ones. Thanks for another great post, Noel! Always food for thought.
I didn’t think a Kindle would be something I would love. There is just something about holding a book in your hands… I was very blessed to win one last month, and I am still learning my way around. It’s definitely not what I expected, and I transitioned to the reader effortlessly. I love that, as a busy mom, I can carry a ton of books in my bag to sneak reading into little moments I might find throughout our day. I love that there are so many free an low price books out there.
I haven’t figured out all the features, yet, but I had the same thoughts about missionaries. I had a friend who was headed to Russia a few months ago, and the hardest part was weighing her bags and leaving behind books. With the Kindle, she could have taken them all and easily acquired more!
I do find it a bit cumbersome to navigate the ESV Study Bible on the Kindle, but it’s still nice to be able to have that resource without the weight of the paper version.
I love my kindle! I have discovered I read more and watch less mindless TV (which, for me, is a good thing). Like you, I have lots of free reading material I would never have read had I not had my kindle. The kindle makes reading more convenient. In an instant, I downloaded and began reading Beth Moore’s newest book So Long Insecurity as well as John Piper’s newest, A Sweet and Bitter Providence. When I go on vacation, I take along various translations of The Bible, several devotional books, and a wide array of reading material all in a slim hand-held device that weighs only ounces. I am never at a loss for reading material when I wait forever in a doctor’s office (nor am I as impatient with having to wait as I once was). As for marking up my reading material, I have underlined and highlighted so many passages and can find them with the click of a button! I can even do a word search and find a passage more easily than scanning from cover to cover. My kindle was bought with money I received from two Christmases ago. It’s one of the very best gifts I have ever gotten!
I have read more in the past 2 months on my Kindle than I did in the previous 6 or 7.
My favorite part is reading in bed with it. No more wrestling with hardback books in bed. :)
I love paper books! I haven’t used a Kindle yet and I can see where it had its place, but I don’t want to see the end of print books, or worse yet LIBRARIES! My daughter wrote a great speech for 4H this year on print copy books.
Well, I am a book cover designer, so I might be a little biased, since, you know, the Kindle kind of affects my job. So far it’s not my friend. :)
BUT — aside from that — I really can’t see myself using a Kindle. There’s just something about reading paper books that I LOVE and can’t see translating well to a small electronic device. I’ve tried reading on my iPod and I just can’t do it.
I’m probably just in denial that it’s going to take over like I’m in denial that digital music has overtaken CDs.
Now if you’ll excuse me I’m going to go study up on eBook design. :)
I have Kindle on the iPhone and I love it even with the small screen. I tend to read non-theology books such as devotions, fiction and biographies on it. I was geared up to buy a Kindle until Apple announced the iPad. I will for sure get the iPad and install the Kindle on it.
I do not have a Kindle yet… but I did read some good news about it being ideal for stroke victims who may have difficulty holding a book. What a blessing that could be for someone.
That reminds me of an advantage I didn’t mention. You can adjust the font from very small to very large. That means any book that is available on Kindle is available in large print.
When I showed this feature to one of our cousins, she was ecstatic, because otherwise reading is so difficult for her.
I could certainly see the convenience and benefit of Kindle for certain people and situations. However, as a BOOK lover (not just a lover of literature, reading or information gathering), I hate to see the art form of books die! I love (and collect) beautifully made books – from nice paper (not the cheap newsprint) to font selection, illustrations, binding and, of course, cover design. Nikki, I’m there with you! And no, I’m not in the book business myself. For a quick read or something I’m not sure about, I often use the library, but if I really like a book, I like to own it in a beautiful form that fits the significance of the content. To me books are not just about the function but the form also.
My husband got a Sony Reader for Christmas, and while I still love the feeling of a book in my hands, the Reader sure is convenient! My husband is preparing to deploy soon, and he’ll be able to get new books on demand, rather than wait several weeks for them to arrive in the mail. (Also saving me from carrying heavy packages of books to the post office!)
I’ve got Kindle for the iphone also and think it’s great.
The benefits seem almost identical to the development of the printing press, mainly, that more people will be able to read more at a cheaper cost and greater convenience.
I think note-taking capabilities will improve, as well as pictures and linking capabilities within a book. Its amazing to get to watch it unfold!
Another feature I didn’t mention–Any book I have on Kindle, I can also have on my iPhone.
Test out & Hold your iPad for Free of cost! -> http://bit.ly/cFBuis