I am not a technology-person. Well, at least not when it comes to books. Ebooks and ereaders are all okay; but for me, books need to have a physical presence.
It reminds me of dialogue I loved from ‘Buffy the Vampire Slayer’, where Giles says, “Smell is the most powerful trigger to the memory there is. A certain flower or a whiff of smoke can bring up experiences long forgotten. Books smell… musty and rich. The knowledge gained from a computer is… it has no texture, no context. It’s there and then it’s gone. If it’s to last, then the getting of knowledge should be tangible. It should be, um… smelly.”
I love the smell of paper and ink; old as well as new. I love to hold the book in my hand, curl up on a couch and get absorbed in that world. I love the sense of satisfaction I get, as I turn the last page. I do read a lot on the computer now, but it hurts my eyes after awhile. I don’t like to scribble in the margins or dog-ear my books, but I like the option of getting to do it. Reading a real book is so much more personal, than looking at a screen. I don’t like audio books either – I like to listen to myself read the book, inside my head – not someone else.
As the world “develops”, more and more things are getting replaced by screens. I don’t like that – I don’t want the world of real, paper books to be replaced by all things digital.
As much as all of this is true, it’s also true that real, paper books are not that durable. It’s also much easier to carry books around in your phone, than to actually carry a dozen books. If I had to carry as many books on vacation as something digital can carry, I would probably end up with a hunchback.
I would like to have a book that could stand the test of time; but still be an actual, physical book. Something that isn’t made of a material as bio-degradable as paper, yet is eco-friendly – something that would last centuries without damage – something that actually allows me to turn the pages with my hands – something that smells and has texture – something that won’t turn soggy if dropped in water nor will there be any kind of electric current thing – something that is light in weight – something that is all this but affordable. A super-book of some sort. Something that is new, but it’s still the same old book, you know? Yes, that’s it. I don’t have many demands from technology; hell, I don’t even understand most of the stuff that is there – but this, the super-book, that’s something I’d love to own!
Tabula Rasa 
and then you spill water on them!
LikeLike
I did NOT….not on purpose, anyway!
LikeLike
I agree.
Physical touch gives the full satisfaction which is not available on ebook.
LikeLike
Thanks! Reading a book is an experience that should involve the smell as well, I'd say!!
LikeLike