E-Books Vs P-Books Continued
Just resonantly, as in two blogs ago, I wrote a post about how paper books are here to stay despite the advance of electronic books. I don’t believe e-books are going away, nor do I want them to; they are here to stay. But I also believe p-books are here to say.
I received a few comments on the value of e-books. They save space when one is traveling and want to bring several books along. They also save trees. If I could invent another way to print books without using paper, I would. I love trees.
Paper books have smell and feel. Something e-books will never have.
I don’t want e-books to go away. I agree, they have their place. I’m just saying they are not going to completely take over printed books.
But the real reason I write this post is because of Picture-Bandit. He posted a link to TED in a comment on my post, Electronic vs Printed Novels.
This TED talk is by Chip Kidd, a book designer. I planned to clean my kitchen while I listened, but soon after the video started. My dishes waited as I sat, listen and watch.
When I wrote the first post, I hadn’t considered book covers. Now I do.
For the most part, we are visual people. When something pretty or interesting catches our eye, we want to check it out. That’s what book covers are for. They are a visual design to peek our interest so we will pick up the book, read the back, and the inside jacket, if there is one. Then we might read the first few pages before we decided to keep it or put it back.
I don’t have an e-book, so I don’t know if you get the same experience with a reader.
Chip does a much better job explaining the importance of book covers. He’s been designing them for twenty-five years. I’d love to have Chip Kidd design my book covers. I’d also like to learn public speaking from him.
Here is the link.
Picture-Bandit is a photographer and artist. His work is great. Take a look.
Wow… that is a lot more feedback than I thought. I am glad that you liked the video that much. I love TED.com it has always something eithter to cheer me up, make me think… or just go… “what is that possible?”… like the laser-system that only shoots down female mosquitoes.
Saw that one. And how mushrooms can save the world.
I also like TED.
thanks for the blog complement.
Reblogged this on picturebandit.
I was having this conversation with a friend just yesterday. We were wandering through a bookshop and looking at the covers. Occasionally one would call to us and we would stop and read the back, then flick through the first few pages.
I think Amazon’s best ever invention was the “Look Inside” feature. No way would I ever buy a book without reading the first few pages. However, even with that, Amazon still lacks something that you get from bookshops. That’s why I agree with you – paper books are here to stay.
I’ve only recently discovered Kindle and the concept of e-paper. And while I would agree when it comes to any e-reader that generates light, that this won’t replace books, now e-paper is a really terrific and paper-like. So I wouldn’t be so sure about the future of paper.
And the TED presentation is really cool and fun to watch 🙂
I don’t know what e-paper is. I’ll have to look it up.
Ebooks are practical, a lot cheaper, easy to use, you can discard them when you are finished or just store them; no need to dust them ;), still there are some books that will always be cherished by me in their hard copies. I currently own several hundred paperbacks and hardcover books and a few thousand of ebooks in several languages. I love all of them.
How do you have the time to read all of them? You must inhale books.
😀 I have whole life ahead of me 🙂
Good Point.