Posted on 09/21/2013 6:53:41 AM PDT by SES1066
Just as some of the other responders have discussed the intimate feel of holding a book, similarly is the feel of fine machinery. A while back I indulged myself in buying one of the finest pieces of excellent machining that I believe exists; the Curta Calculator. I have not regretted this rather unnecessary purchase as every so often I exercise my mind while 'feeling' the sensuous synchronization of fine gearing. An amazing piece of machinery with an equally amazing history.
I prefer actual books. Just another way in which I don’t belong in the world anymore.
Right now I’m re-reading by beat up old copy of David G. Chandler’s Campaigns of Napoleon. Got it for Christmas when I was 12 years old and finished it by the end of the following summer vacation. Paying more attention to the political aspects of the Corsican’s career this time through.
Uh, which one? ;’)
This is the darndest thing.
I picked up some books at a used book sale a couple of weeks ago. A couple of days ago, I started reading one I THOUGHT was by Kurt Vonnegut. Just now, I looked at it and noticed it was NOT by him. For 101 pages, I thought I was reading Kurt Vonnegut. Geez.
It’s by Kim Wozencraft. Her first novel called “Rush.”
Very well written for a first novel.
The Screwtape Letters
All the books at your fingertips until the power goes out.
And I have some photographic memory recall. Thumbing through a book, I can often (but not always) find a historical passage or quote I want to cite.
There are word searches in digital media I know, but I don’t file things in my head that way.
Being able to go to google and search for something isn’t the same as knowing it yourself and having the recall. I reference the books for FR and elsewhere to provide exact wording vs. my memory recall.
I just finished a book on the mafia, MCA, the music business, the justice department, the IRS, and LA courts.
Not sure what I’ll pick up next. I’ve got far more reading “to tackle” so I’m not looking at buying something right now.
Dead Tree.
I have a Kindle, and it’s still in the box. Was a Christmas present 2012.
Jack Vance’s Planet of Adventure. The best classic lasers and swords planetary sci-fi ever written, all with the unique Jack Vance take on it. Actual book, a whopping big collection with all the books in the series. I might have to go electronic eventually to get some of the harder to find stuff from Vance.
Freegards
Ghosts of the Broads by Charles Sampson. The author not only has collected many very old ghost stories of England’s Norfolk coast area but wrote them in incredibly historical and entertaining way.
The stories are hundreds of years old and often capture the medieval tales that otherwise would be forgotten. Ancient Saxon battles, ships of pirates floating in phosphorescence, lady of the lake phenomena, Roman battles, an ancient religious ceremony repeated every year in ghostly haze for whoever is sensitive enough to ‘see’...much more.
Very entertaining. All tales sworn to be true.
I have a Kindle. I use it to download free samples.
Then if I like a sample, I usually buy the book in hardcover.
Science Has Great News for People Who Read Actual Books: http://mic.com/articles/99408/science-has-great-news-for-people-who-read-actual-books
Thanks for the link, very interesting and thought-provoking. I have a library room in my house that I need to work upon, problem is the siren-song that my friends weave, enticing me to spend some time with them ... Uh, where did the day go?!
Again thanks for reminding me of this posting of mine!
Totally agree, real books involve all the senses. I have a Nook, but prefer real books because of the look, feel, smell, and sound. Mostly I use my Nook for internet when in bed. It’s smaller and lighter than a laptop.
All being read on my Fire Phone/Kindle Fire though I have Franklin's Autobiography several times over in dead tree media (both paperback and hardback) and also have King's Needful Things in Hardback.
I love my Kindle Fire and my Fire phone for reading. But I still buy books in hardback form and sometimes paperback (which I detest) I know eventually the inevitable Zombiepocalypse will be upon us and electricity will be at a premium. Dead tree media needs nothing but daylight to function and if need be can be used to start fires and/or as a source for emergency T.P. ;)
The Wife had to drag me kicking and screaming into the land of Kindle. Now I have a Fire Phone as well and you would need to do violence to get them away from me. I love real books in Hardback, but being able to peruse literally hundreds of thousands of books on the internet and having any I want with just a few clicks on the Kindle is so awesome especially when you can read a sample for free.
It is like the difference between digital music in the earbuds and going to the Symphony! :-)
Enjoy your reading! :-)
Kindle best buy for the money, hands down.
The amount of free and low cost books is amazing. And the Kindle is easy to handle compared to a book.
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