Tuesday, May 22, 2007

Paper Book – A Death ?

From tiny mobile phones to enormous flat-panel televisions, the digital age has stamped its presence long back in the blood system of our daily life. The technology is going cheaper day by day & is easily available to common man.
There is an obvious analogy between what iPods have done to LP Gramophones and what electronic books may do to the printed page. While the physical medium of books is least likely to be changed, there is an emergence of electronic books or e-books. What then of the printed book? Has the Internet made it redundant?

As books go digital, new questions, both philosophical and commercial, arise.

How, physically, will people read books in future? Will technology 'unbind' books, as it has unbundled other media, such as news, music albums and photography ? Will e-books cannibalize their paper counterparts ?

Will reading habits change as a result? What will happen to bed-time stories ? What impact will it have on our lives ?

With e-books giving us company, do you think we are going to pay heed to our handwritings ? Is it the right thing to happen or is it killing some of the finer characteristics of us ??

Personally, I am a bit old-fashioned, I love paper books, love to receive and gift them.. it has a certain personal touch and I don't want paper to go away entirely, but at the same time I won't have any regrets if we achieve a world in which access to all the world's content is instantly available on a global basis, without killing trees, burning diesel, or building warehouses.

And now the question is, what is a book anyway?

A book is a package of large quantities of subject matter, whether it is fiction, art, factual information, educational material or anything else. While books will always HAVE a place, I can't say that books will always be restricted to paper. I can see many great advantages of e-books over the traditional paper books but I still don't think that the rise of the e-Book will be quite as meteoric as some of these other forms of media have seen.

First let us see the advantages of an e-book.

The change has already happened for encyclopedias. Wikipedia, free, collaborative and online, has eaten into sales and usage of paper-bound alternatives. So books that people would not traditionally read in their entirety, or that require frequent updating, are among the top to migrate online and perhaps to cease being books at all. Telephone directories / dictionaries will also fall in this category.
And until recently, classrooms remained virtually unchanged - desks arranged in neat rows facing a chalkboard/ whiteboard at the front of the room, students taking notes on paper, and read from printed textbooks. Things started to change with the advent of projection equipment and individual computers. The trend is continuing, and the next casualty of the technological revolution appears to be the printed textbook.

Another advantage is that e-Book readers can have instant updates and revisions, and electronic contact with all other readers of each book, thereby sharing ideas and reactions more rapidly and with more people. Further, electronic books need not go out of print, are cheaper and less bulky than paper books if you want to carry them.

For children unlike paper books, e-books can be multimedia: letting us mix voice, music, color, motion pictures and leading to animated talking books.
I can see the supremacy of paper over monitor has started diminishing. There are many who believe that the new generation of learners, aka the Net Generation, or N-Gen, are much more accustomed to reading and learning from a screen.

The idea is attractive because theoretically, e-book technology allows you to load many books and periodicals on a reasonably small hand held device, making it easier to travel with lots of reading matter.

And the biggest advantage is it being environment friendly; we can save our trees and environment.

Still, there are many people who remain skeptical about moving from print to screen. Reading on screen and paper for comprehension and accuracy tend to lean in favor of print. There is a decline in speed and accuracy, and an increase in fatigue, when reading from a screen rather than paper.
Many editors still prefer to proofread from paper, where the errors seem to jump out more than on screen. Many e-publishers state that the vast majority of e-book purchasers print before reading. Also, e-books are much in need of standardization.

A paper version appears to be almost necessary and it is certainly convenient. Many students still cannot get to computers easily and many students do not like to work on the computer for longer hours. Many (including me) are of the opinion that a paper version is much easier to use when preparing for a test or exam.

I won’t talk about the piracy as I don’t think it can be avoided in any form.. physical or electronic.

However, commercial pressure from Internet-based e-book sellers will cause traditional book shops to struggle to remain competitive. Book publishers may still be in charge of the printing presses, but that may soon be irrelevant. They need to find a new role in the Internet age, and those who don't succeed may become increasingly marginalized.
Perhaps the slow response of publishers to digitize textbooks is a blessing. The delay will give educators and others an opportunity to more closely examine the costs and benefits of using electronic books in a classroom setting.

Personally I would want to read bedtime stories from paper books to my children and grandchildren. I do not want to believe that the electronic format will ever become more popular than paper books, I do not want that personal, human touch to go away, I do not want us to become slaves of this electronic age but at the same time I know acceptance of the electronic format will continue to grow.

And I do believe there is room for both.

Current song- Chandni re Jhoom – Kishore

Technorati Tags:

66 comments:

Aditi said...

i hate ebooks.. its just not the same as a real book u can curl up with

Anonymous said...

I don't think e-books can really replace the real thing. The print version is too cool. Imagine u tossing around on teh bed with your lappie while reading a e-book, adn then doing teh same with a book! I mean I can read in any way I like, while standing, at the bus stop, lying flat on my bed, sitting on chair, while lounging on teh bean bag, while soaking int the bath tub!!
Nah!! e-books are not much my alley, even though I belong to the world of computers!!

Ash said...

i also hate e-books yaar....cos i feel somewhat jumping words so i have to take a print out of any information i need....i love my books and i have a big library yaar

Cuckoo said...

Aditi,
I think the same.

Sam,
Same thoughts came to my mind. I am also fond of reading books...err.. paper books. :)

This girl is,
Hi Girl, Welcome to my blog and pls complete your sentence.. This girl is...

Yeah, e-books are no match to paper ones but it is happening slowly. :(

Thanks for your visit. Keep coming.

Prax said...

Eight reasons an ebook wont stand up to the regular paper book..
1) I cant toss it on the bed
2) Probably the screen will look different at different angles and different light conditions
3) Years later, the hdd might get corrupt, and all the text will be lost forever.
4) I cant put a book mark.
5) I will need to scroll often while just a flip would have done
6) I wont be able to read it in a crowded train, or a bus.
7) The thickness of the book will be the same which will never give me an idea how much i have to read.
8) I reach the climax of the story and.... Battery empty might beep and switch off!

Peter said...

Wow, you have made a thesis on this subject.

Although I have just retired, I feel quite concerned about this matter, having worked in the paper industry for most of my professional life.

I would not be able to add much; your analysis is very complete.

One or two side remarks:
-It has often been thought that all kind of new inventions (radio, television, computers, internet...) would lead to decreased paper consumption. This has not been the case, rather the contrary.
-The environmental issue should be somewhat tempered. Forest harvesting can be well organised (in our company we were shown as good example by WWF and similar organisations) and a large part of paper is today recycled.

But yes, I believe the e-book will come, especially replacing certain books like encyclopedias etc.

Maybe the question is rather if the young generation will be educated to "read" as we do it? Will they look for their info, learn and amuse themselves by other means than books, whether e-books or paper books?

All national, public libraries start now the numeric storage of books and Google has plans.

I hope the "book" in some form will remain! ... and the main thing is that we keep on reading good authors!

maverick said...

HI cuckoo,

I googled for "parag", the children's magazine ... and landed up on ur blog. Apparently there aren't many people who remember this mag. I grew up reading it and somehow ... ppl arnd me have never heard abt it. It's nice to find another "Parag" reader.

Ash said...

Nothing like holding a paper book, feeling the cover, running your hands through the pages....smelling it ( i have always loved how new books smell!)

Ebooks can never match up!

Peter said...

cuckoo: Thanks for you comments on my blog. Welcommmmmmmm!

Maverick said...

a well balanced post. I too am not against e-books or anything, but when it comes to reading something, i go online search for the topics tht im interested frm the ebook or any site and then print out those pages to read. this is wat most of my friends do and so do americans. So i dont c ne imminent threat frm anything. We r jus clever enuf to use things as we need them :)

Amey said...

Well, as much as I like e-books and audiobooks for ease and convenience, reading is mostly tactile phenomenon for me. I mean, the feel of new book with its crackling pages and unyielding spine is the real "feel"/

Anonymous said...

Working in education I know from dealing with publishers that eBooks are on the increase in use for reference books - as they are easily searched and indexed.

I don't think that ebooks will be the death of paper books - less people reading books full stop might be, however.

Having said that and being someone who has taken up the 52 books in 52 weeks challenge, I am part of a growing number of people who are increasing the number of books that they read.

Books from non-western countries are also increasing in popularity, so that may change things as well.

Me - a PDA or laptop is just not portable enough or as easy on the eyes.

:)

Anonymous said...

Ooops, forgot to include the link:
52 in 52 challenge

david mcmahon said...

Hi Cuckoo,

Another thought-provoking post. I grew up in a house with books on every shelf - and I still have floor-to-ceiling bookshelves in my study and the kids' rumpus room.

I hope nothing ever replaces a real book.

Cheers

David

tulipspeaks said...

its a long post but i understand ur point dear. books are dear to me too. its nothing like reading a good novel page-by-page. although i am a blogger now, i still long to write my own piece of book...

hugsss!



ammu.

Unknown said...

Books... Errr.... what can I say...
"Gora panna gai barabar" is the opposite of "Kala akshar bhains barabar"! Lolz...

Though I like books on Traveling & photography... Tonnes of colorful pictures is a must...

Keshi said...

Real books will always be precious. But at the rate technology is advancing, Im rather worries abt future generations...sadlt most of em will experience a book-free life. Evrything will be e-this and e-that!

Keshi.

Cuckoo said...

PM,
Your most of the points are correct except 4 & 6.
See the picture of e-book I have provided with the post. Don’t want to advertise the brand here but now you CAN book mark, highlight & carry the e-books wherever you want to. You just have to download a few books for reading & off you go on your travels or on your bed. That is the major threat to paper books.

But I still love to read the paper books, would never go for an e-book for the reasons stated by you.
Happy Reading to us !!

Peter,
Bonjour Monsieur. Thanks for all your appreciations.

Well, I would be interested in knowing what your company did for forest harvesting. Maybe a post to that ?

Yes, I am talking about the next-generation .. the N-Gen which will have too much of e-exposure and I sometimes feel sorry for them for missing out on many real things in life.

BTW, Je vous remercie vivement de l’invitation. :)

Cuckoo said...

Maverick,
Aah ! Do you remember I once said we have quite a few things in common ? Well, we are discovering more & more now. Nice meeting you once again.

Thank you for appreciating the post.
Yes, if we print them before reading, it again becomes a paper book which I am very comfortable with. I too am not against e-book as long as they don’t eat up the paper one. ;)
But is it going to remain the same in coming years with more & more people moving towards it ? That was the question.

Ash,
Exactly !! I am with you on that.

Cuckoo said...

Fleiger,
I know how much you like e-things. ;) Always in front of your lappy.. reading something or the other. And when I was writing this post, people like you came to my mind. :)

Given the choice of an e-book (see the picture in my post), what would you prefer, maybe 10 years from now ?

OzLady,
I don't think that ebooks will be the death of paper books - I also hope so. But less and less exposure to paper books may make the industry to struggle for survival. And what will happen to next generation? Don’t you think they are going away from the ‘real’ things ?

I’ll definitely check that 52-in-52. Let me be a little bit free. :)

Cuckoo said...

David,
Thank you. I knew you would like it. Even I have a small ‘library’ at my place and intend to make it bigger day by day.
More than shopping for clothes, I love shopping for books.. for myself & for others.

I do hope that next generation also falls in love with the real books.

Thanks for coming.

Tulip,
Awww.. Sorry to make you read this long post but I just wanted to convey my thoughts.

Yeah, there is nothing like a real book. You can sit, sleep, dream, toss & do a hell lot of other things with it.

Hugs back to you !

Amey said...

Well, encyclopaedia and reference books apart, e-books are strictly for convenience for me. You don't get the feel of "building a library" if you have numerous e-books, you know.

Let me put it this way, I will prefer to give my kid (we are talking about 10 years later, right?) a paper book, not e-book.

Cuckoo said...

Iceman,
Loll at your sense of humour.
Hmmm so you DO love books. And do you travel a lot or just read travel books ?

Thanks for coming.

Keshi,
Yeah, the future generation is at a dangerous crossroad.Sometimes I feel sorry for them.
Ha Ha.. I feel like a grandmom now. ;)

Lol@ e-this & e-that.

Cuckoo said...

Fleiger,
Oh Did you think I didn't get you the first time ? ;) Bad on you.

You don't get the feel of "building a library" if you have numerous e-books, you know.. Exactly !! You can not call them your own & feel proud of it.

I will prefer to give my kid a paper book, not e-book.. Same here. I would love to read bedtime stories like a grand mom ;)
No electronic gizmo for me. And I'll show him all my precious collections as well. ;)

Alpine Path said...

A great post! I love the ebooks concept only because it helps for easy access(you can access it wherever you are as long as you have a computer and a net connection) and updation. But, nothing comes close to curling up with a good paper book on a rainy afternoon with a hot cup of chocolate :) So, my choice would be paper books for books that we cherish and ebooks for the reference books.

Anonymous said...

Nice read,
You always write with lot of time spent on each post is it? They come so refined? I never had so much patience. Thoughts run faster than keyboards.

Unknown said...

I DO love books...a lot... Really... but... only on the library shelves... they look so good! So much knowledge they hold! :D

And yeah... I travel like crazy all over... Europe has got a lot places of interest to me... Just love traveling... me & my current wife(Nikon D40)... Lol... Work, Fun & Travel form a gr8 combo! Doesn't it?

Deepak Gopi said...

Nice post .I firmly believe that priting paper and all those printed stuff will never disappear.I still prefer reading papers than the electronic ones

Anonymous said...

A very nice post cuckoo.. Both have their own places and cant be killed easily.

cheers
mohan!

Sam said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Prashanth M said...

Another paper book lover here... even if I get a soft copy of a book, I take a print out of it & read it ;)

desh said...

books will continue to hang around
ebooks r boring, kill eyes...
i will suggest reading this one frm a full time book lover

http://pkpingupg.wordpress.com/2007/04/27/39/

neway too much books nwdays

on one thng me always with u...i will also read my children books, no ebooks, lets hope atleast they listen to me :)

KT said...

Hey PM

I agree to only point 1 and 2, remaining all can be taken care of. You have e-book readers where you can put bookmark (which automatically takes care of flipping fast and in fact if you wish to go to a page where a queer word was printed, e-books are fastest)...And I am not sure but Microsoft has released an e-book reader kind of thing. Upload e-books you want to read and then take the console (about as big as the book size) and you can read it anywhere....

Cuckoo well I think you have a point thr in favor of e-books, their interactive content. But even I agree with you that our generation still prefers to read from page wherein one enjoys the feel of the page.

But I think when you say that Wikipedia may have replaced some encyclopedias, I think they are for the good because of the very intent to provide info in widest possible dimensions. That may not be possible in case of paper encyclopedias.

Cuckoo said...

Alpine,
Thank you. Yes, for e-books one has to be ‘online’ first, at least for downloading things.
And you are right, nothing beats a paper book. You said it !!

Thanks for coming.

Bach,
You always write with lot of time spent on each post is it? They come so refined?.. Yes, I do. I believe in quality, not quantity.

Well, even my thoughts run faster than my fingers but I know how to rein them. ;)

Cuckoo said...

Iceman,
Hmmm.. I expected that kind of reply from you. ;)

Work, Fun & Travel form a gr8 combo! Doesn't it?.. Oh yes, when one has a partner, travel becomes even more fun. I too travel with both my husband & boyfriend to give me company. ;)

Deepak,
Welcome Deepak the great. :)

Thank you. Everybody who has commented here has the same opinion as you. Thanks for coming.

Peter said...

I have appreciated go through all these comments - as of course and especially the original article! As already said, this was fairly linked to the industry for which I worked most of my professional life.

There was a suggestion from cuckoo that I should write something about paper making vs. ecology (forest harvesting etc.). Maybe I will one day, but for the moment I'm concentrating on other subjects, more directly Paris- related. ... and if I start here, I will write pages...

Cuckoo said...

Mohan,
Welcome again. Thank you for liking the post.

Yes, I agree. Both can survive but my contention was what’ll happen to the new generation ? Won’t they become slaves to this electronics age ? Won't they be missing a human touch ? How people will gift books to each other ?

Thanks for coming. Keep doing that.

Prashanth,
Welcome. Another paper lover ? Who else loves it ? ;)

Ha Ha.. Everyone I guess. And you are like me. I am very comfortable with hardcopy instead of a soft one.

Cuckoo said...

Desh,
Welcome again. Thank you for liking the post.
Yes, I agree. Thanks for the link. I’ll definitely check it.

Ha Ha.. Yes, reading to the kids. 100% with you. That way we can make our children listen to us. ;)

KT,
Welcome again after a long time.

About your points to PM.
Well, I didn’t want to take names of any maker but now since you have already mentioned one, let me also add one more. E-book reader from Sony has everything in it what a book should have except the paper and its feel. Click on the picture in my post to have a better view.

And that was my fear. Won’t we be addicted to it slowly. If not us, then probably the next-generation ? loll.. I am talking like a granny here.

And on that wikipedia thing.. Heyy I appreciated it very much. I am for it. I never said it was bad to have an online wikipedia. And why should I ? It is doing its job of reaching more & more people including me.

Cuckoo said...

Peter,
Oh thank you for reading all the comments. Many of my readers do that. It helps in getting all the info & participating in discussions.

And on my suggestion to you to write about paper making vs. ecology.. I never meant it should be your next post. Maybe one day, when you feel like. I would be very interested in knowing all about that.

And as you know I am enjoying your posts on little things about Paris.
Again a request... Whenever it is possible to show, please click some pictures of Paris metro. I was amazed to see 4 levels of platforms, the subways & the complicated rail system when I had visited Paris.

SiD said...

I am so much with you for the paper books..
no doubt as you pointed out that e-books have their benefits, the biggest being the enviroment.. but may be for the next gen...
I tried 2 - 3 times reading a novel or book on lappie... cant read more than 2 pages.. literally... specially books which are "page-turners"
as fleiger said, the 'feel' is not there...
and like KT pointed out, I also saw that MS e-book reader thing where you had book like feel... bUt still...............

Miraj C. Vora said...

i guess an ebook ll never hav the feel of the real book..
ve bn readin a lot of e books..here n thre..but havent finsihd any yet..sumhw aftr like 50 pages or so or max 140-150 it s jus nt happenin..
like d title of the post..

Pijush said...

Very good post Cuckoo. I liked it because of the lucid narration. Nothing is comparable with paper books but with the progress of technology the digital books are capturing the market very fast. We grew up with papers so all like paper book, but no one knows future. Just wait and see next generation.

GMG said...

Great post Cuckoo! I don't mind using electronic format for getting information I may need. But to read it has to be a book, and a book is to be touched, felt and it also smells... No e-book can match this paper qualities!

Ranjeet said...

Hey Cuckoo, you have blogged on a subject close to my heart !

I think that ebooks are good as a concept and they are here to stay for good reasons. With technology taking over our lives to make it more comfortable, they will come really handy and enable humans to travel lighter, especially on long international flights. Somebody will make e-books avaliable and others will make them free eventually thereby coming out with a new business model of revenue for authors and writers and of course, publishers! But it will all be for good of general public, not to mention usage of lesser environmental resources.

Having said all this, I, for one, cannot imagine replacing my dear dear dear books by e-books for following reasons:
A book is not just a book, it is a companion that tells u stories, makes u cry, allows u to hold it close, you can smell the story written in the pages, you can sleep with a book below your head if not in your arms, its always fun to 'open' a book and start reading it, to flip through its pages, to keep dry leaves hidden for months and years and then to open the page and see them, it doesnt bother your eyes by straining them looking at the screen, carrying books make u look intelligent ;-), to hide some stuff among the pages, to hide another book in a bigger book, to hit someone in fun, for balancing your catwalk and I can write so many more logical reasons but this is an emotional response, so i stop myself here. But you get the point, right? :-)
A Wodehouse is not a Wodehouse, if not in a paper book. Jeeves will agree.

Keshi said...

lol yeah and I felt like a fossil saying that.

Keshi.

Peter said...

I really like this way of commenting and express opinions. Something more than just giving a compliment for a nice photo (I have nothing against nice photos). Your type of article pushes us to do so.

Thanks also for the idea about the Paris metro. I will try to do something fairly soon!

Sigma said...

I am LATE !! ?!!

A wonderful post. Well, I think that all of us here are in agreement with one thing - that an e-book cannot give the same joy and convenience as reading a paper book. I almost always prefer to read from print rather than screen. However, sometimes, when I am reading a book (or a document that I have taken a printout of), I rather miss the "find" button :-))

Prax said...

Cuckoo,
When I said Bookmark, its not the technical bookmark i meant, it is the bookmark you get from crossword or Lotus. I just love those bookmarks... with quirky and nice messages. I just love it.

About reading in a crowded environ, imagine u r reading and some nred just puts his hand up to hold the bar on top and oops Crash Boom Bang!!

KT,
It depends how you look at technology. Once the next big thing was 'PAPERLESS OFFICE'. It was the biggest disappointment in Technology forecast. Similarly, I am of the opinion that e-Book though sounding good in concept, might not work. The reasons behind it being what Cuckoo has mentioned. A paper book is so personal. It is mile. I own it. Its just like a love letter. The paper, the handwriting, the scent, all of it makes the love letter so wonderful than an email with different fonts. It might look better than a handwritten letter, but, it is impersonal, and that is what goes with books. For me, my relationship with a book is a love affair!

Prax said...

Ranjeet,
I would disagree on the environmental front too. Many publishing houses are now into recycling of paper and also dwelving deep in solving afforestation. BTW, Computer waste is now plaguing the world as the technical parts are getting redundant faster than anything else. The amount of monitors, cabinets, mother boards... the electronic wastes are mounting fast. Soon it might be of a bigger concern and we would wonder if paper was much better!

Cuckoo said...

SiD,
Exactly !! We all know the benefits of an e-book and its slow emergence; still we all want to go for a paper one. Isn’t it amazing ? I feel happy about it. :)

Irresistable Desires,
First, let me welcome you on my blog.

And yes, given the choice, no one wants to go for an e-book.

Thank you for liking the title and for your visit. Keep coming.

Cuckoo said...

Pijush,
Thank you Pijush. Ohh that’s my writing style. :)

Well, we GREW up with paper, and maybe the very next generation will also do the same but can’t say the same about the next one. E-book HAS come and it is going to stay. We just have to adjust ourselves not to become its slaves.

Gil,
Thank you Gil. Where are you these days ? Traveling again ?
I have exactly similar views as yours. For getting information –> e-book and for reading .. my old paper book. :)

Cuckoo said...

Ranjeet,
Now what to say ? You have written so much for my love paper book, nothing is left to write now. :)

And I 100% agree with each one of your reasons about it. It is our companion, our love, our collection, our pride. Not repeating again the golden words spoken by you. :)

Thanks for opening the book of your thoughts. ;)

Keshi,
:)

Peter,
Thank you once again. Yeah, it is very interesting to see all participating in the discussions. Sometimes I just let it go, without even acknowledging the comments. :)

Your type of article pushes us to do so... And thank you for saying that, I just put my thoughts across on a particular topic.

And, waiting for the metro. :)

Shruti said...

hmm,paper still has its charm..
And ya, there is room for both..

Cuckoo said...

Sigma,
No, you are not late. The heat is still on !!

Thank you.
I think that all of us here are in agreement that e-book cannot give the same joy… Yes, I didn’t expect this kind of response !! I thought only a few would think like me.

I rather miss the "find" button :- Ha Ha… Same here. Again I am reiterating.. You are nuts like me :P

PM,
Ohh my bad. I thought about the other one. Oh those bookmarks are my favourites as well. My each book has at least one.

Yes, it depends on how to use technology. I never said it is bad to have it… my concern was where are we heading for ? Slowly we (or N-gen) will become robots… without any emotions / feelings.. just doing the work assigned to us. Without thinking about any environmental issue, oxygen/CO2 etc. And I hate to imagine that.

And you argue so well, I don’t have any words to even appreciate you. :)

Cuckoo said...

Shruti,
I agree. :)

GMG said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
GMG said...

Hi Cuckoo, I was last week in Ann Arbor, Michigan, attending a conference at the University of Michigan Law School. Then, made the week-end in New York and flew back home. Glad that you suspected the travelling...
Loved your post and the discussion around!
Gil

Prax said...

Yes Cuckoo, Probably the day we as humans will realise what we have done to the world is when the last tree is cut and the last drop dries. That day we would realise that we can neither eat money nor drink it.

And you argue so well, I don’t have any words to even appreciate you. :)

Thank you :-)

Cuckoo said...

Gil,
:) Thank you once again. And my guess was right. :)

PM,
:)

Shrink Wrapped Scream said...

Hey, bonny lass,

That was a very well-observed and neatly written piece. I am sure both will co-exist together, but I do despair for the high-street book retailer, I can see them being squeezed out of the market-place altogether, not because of the decline of paper book sales, so much as them being unable to compete on price with on-line stores. I can never pass a book-store without my feet taking me inside. On-line browsing is nowhere near as much fun.

It saddens me my children do not often read for pleasure, at least not from paper books, they are much more likley to turn to their laptops for this. Most of their homework is also expected to be returned in type-written, it is actually a requirement. They do not write many letters either, preffering to e-mail, and with the aid of spellcheck, their own spellings leave a lot to be desired!

Swings and roundabouts, I suppose.

Leziblogger said...

Old-fashioned, me too!

Agree with your conclusion, Cuckoo! Very comprehensive piece on the matter!

I would be ok with e-books for things like journals, manuals, white papers.

When it comes to a typical 'book', has to be the paper version!

Cuckoo said...

Carol,
Thanks for appreciating the post.

Yes, I am aware of education system in western countries. India still has some old fashioned methodologies but catching up fast with other countries.

And I agree, there is no match between a hand written letter and an e-mail. Good word- roundabouts. :)

Lazy,
Where have you been ? Still lazing around ? ;)
And thank you for the appreciation. I have the same taste as you. Paper books have some feelings, they are our companions.

Keep coming. :)

Catmoves said...

Pyare Mohan has it right. And it's darn difficult to highlight a few lines on my computer screen. I'm running out of glass cleaner!
And how do I let my child run his/her fingers over the imaginative pictures and colors in, say, a Dr. Seuss book?
You've done it again, cuckoo. Thank you.

Shrink Wrapped Scream said...

Hurry up with that translation from your most recent post, please!

Pingu said...

very well-written post!

...what iPods have done to LP Gramophones and what electronic books may do to the printed page.
That's a scary thought...
but i do believe as long as staunch paper book lovers remain we can prevent paper books from becoming objects on display in a museum!

My books are my best friends :)

Thanks for dropping by my blog and do keep visiting!

mathew said...

exactly echoed my sentiments...I hate e-books..nothin beats the pleasure of reading books in hardbind!!