Are you thinking of buying a Kindle?
I used to think the idea of owning a lot of books was cool. I spent one summer making bookshelves outside the breezeway in student housing at seminary. I was poor, yet excited about a place for my commentaries to live. It took me a couple of weeks in my spare time to make the bookshelves.
The glamour of being a librarian is fading. The older I get, the more of a pain I find owning so many. I haul books back and forth between church and home, stack them in corners, donate them, sell them on the Internet when possible. I treasure some and regret buying others.
I have had great ethical debates in my own mind about how many pages I can read, and still return them in good conscience to a bookstore.
All of which is to say that the idea of being able to store a lot of books on one little device, and carry them with me wherever I go, is increasingly appealing.
I read today an article outlining 20 reasons that 2009 will be the year of the e-book, see here (HT: Between Two Worlds).
Do you think e-books are the wave of the future?
I can see the benefit if you carry large books around (Commentaries, Text Books, Technical Manuals), but for in depth study or for sheer enjoyment I just can’t see an electronic device replacing printed books.
Good question, Chris. I sure pondered getting a Kindle too…that is until I saw the newest edition has limited storage without the possibility of upgrading. It’s a grand idea to have so much so available in so small of a device. My Blackberry has 4 Bible versions on it and several e-books/devotionals; it’s been a lifesaver while sitting in hospital waiting rooms or parking lots. A good case for getting one can be found here.
Having said all that, there’s nothing like having a physical book in my hands, reading left to right, actively turning pages and writing down or highlighting occasionally. That, combined with a sunny sky and cup-o-joe is a heavenly experience! Well…almost ;->.
Don’t give in Chris, owning a lot of books IS cool. Unfortunately, I’m not half as cool as you…
It’s just that it gets difficult to have shelf space and lug them around.