20 most worthless pieces of junk: #10 -- books in a Kindle world
Filed under: Budgets, Extracurriculars, Home, Shopping, Simplification, Technology, Relationships, Green
There's something about books. For a guy like me, raised in a pre-Kindle, pre-personal computer world, they represent an information delivery system that is convenient, portable, and remarkably sensual. Admittedly, leather-bound first editions have a mystique all their own, but even the most humble pulp paperback is a wonderland of smells and textures. While many people probably cringe at the slightly-musty, sour-milk scent of a cheap tome, I always get a little thrill as soon as I catch a whiff of a freshly-opened book.My passion definitely shows. The walls of my living room, bedroom, kitchen, and daughter's room are all packed with books. Like me, my wife is a book junkie, which means that we need to regularly police our collection, lest our minor addiction become a major problem. Every couple of months, we trek down to a used bookstore or the Salvation Army with armloads of books, culling the collection in order to make room for more.Given my love of the printed word, it's probably strange that I am eager to see the Amazon Kindle take over. On one level, the little plastic readers signal the death of an industry: more convenient and potentially less expensive than traditional books, it seems quite possible that they will end up squeezing out many publishers, printers, and booksellers.
On the other hand, Kindles could also prove the salvation of reading. With their cheap downloads, small size, and light weight, they are far more convenient than traditional books. For someone on a plane or subway, they are easy to carry and can offer hours -- if not days -- of reading enjoyment.
For me, they hold the promise of more space in my apartment. After all, I could happily clean out hundreds of the textbooks and novels that I have been carrying from apartment to apartment for the last few decades. Who knows what I could do with the empty space. Maybe I could take up models, hang art, or learn to play foosball!
Better yet, I could, perhaps, get my wood pulp habit under control. All those beautiful books that I love come from big, beautiful trees that are harvested, pulped, bleached, and turned into paper. Even if I got half of my books in hard copy, the Kindle would represent a massive decrease in my carbon footprint.
The Kindle and its successors promise a reasonably cheap, easy-to-search, convenient way for me to indulge my favorite pastime. While I'm sure that I will always keep a few hundred books around -- gotta love those sweet old first editions -- I can easily imagine a future in which most of my books are on an easy-to-read, easy-to-access tablet!
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)
7-09-2009 @ 7:58AM
Cliff Corson said...
not everyone has the $370 to spend on a kindle device. there are also places that you wouldn't want to take one of these devices to.
Easy to read? that is debatable. the device screen is not much bigger than an average person's hand and there are a number of books that are fairly large or that have diagrams and pictures that such a small viewing area doesn't do justice to
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7-09-2009 @ 8:02AM
mary said...
I agree, besides having a book in hand seems more realistic to me, plus you can take it to the beach, pool, even motorcycles. Yep, books are here to stay for many many of us.
7-13-2009 @ 7:19AM
Carole Wilson said...
I totally agree. It may come to books being redundant but as long as people quilt,craft,etc. a small hand held device will never be sufficient. Also, what is a kindle? Shows my ignorance, I know, but even our cell phones are only...phones!
7-09-2009 @ 8:44AM
Donna said...
There is no way Kindle will EVER replace books in my house. For one, the thing is backlit, like a computer screen. By the time I get home from work, I'm in no mood to read something on a screen - it's headache inducing. For another, it's terribly small, which makes it difficult to read for those of us with that "over 40" eyesight problem (farsighted), and no, I don't text for the same reason. As it is, I use reading glasses, and there's no light bouncing off them when I read a book! The price is *ridiculously* high; for that kind of money, I can hit the bargain tables at B&N and weigh down the trunk of my car with books. And there's something about a book, too. Its weight, its smell, the simple act of turning the page to discover what's next. I currently own more than 7000 books (yes, they have taken over the house!). I probably need to cull the herd, but I just can't bring myself to part with many of them. Once a book goes out of print, it's almost impossible to find again - I spent years trying to find a copy of R.A. McAvoy's "Tea with the Black Dragon", one of my favorite fantasy novels. I finally located one in a used book store; it was tattered and frayed, but it had all the pages, and the cover still had that humorous black dragon holding its cup, and I spent a happy afternoon at the coffee shop re-reading it. Yes, Kindle may bring back reading to a generation that doesn't read for pleasure. Fine. Leave me out of it. I can't see myself curled up on a rainy afternnoon with a cup of herbal tea and an...electronic device. (Shudder) Give me a real book any day.
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7-09-2009 @ 9:59AM
Rob said...
Donna,
Some facts about the Kindle. It is not backlit, you would need a light to read at night. I have been reading on my kindle for about a month now, no headaches. I have read in full sun and also with a light at night, no glare. Also, you can increase the font size on the kindle if you need a larger print. As far as the size of the screen, its about the same as a paperback. Yes, the initial cost is high, but over the long run, I'd rather pay $9.99 for a new edition book on Kindle than $25 at the store for a hardback I have to lug around. I will no longer have to ca. rry 5 or 6 books in my luggage when I go on vacation. (and pay the increased fees the airlines charge for the poundage in my luggage). I love my kindle and would recommend it whole heartedly.
7-09-2009 @ 10:05AM
Rob said...
Also, your book "Tea with the black dragon" is available for download on the kindle for $7.19. Delivered wirelessly in 60 seconds or less.
7-15-2009 @ 10:45PM
Karen said...
As one who owns a Kindle, one of the great advantages of it over the computer is that it is not backlit. Since I have vision issues and migraines, this is important and the fact that I can change print 5+ sizes is greatly appreciated. Have I stopped buying 'real' books? No. I make a distinction between what I really want in a collection for my bookcases and what I would normally buy as a paperback which isn't so cheap anymore. (And there are environmental issues surrounding paper production as well.) Most Kindle books are $9.99 and there are many ebooks available all over the net which are free and are on sites one can download to the Kindle. I even download from Audible books. Finally, I am physically disabled and so have a difficult time getting to the library as often as I might like (and as I know from my rust-belt hometown of Buffalo, NY they are not always open, while here in Raleigh, NC where money used to be no problem and the libraries were open 7 days a week usually 10+ hours - not anymore with the recession! And there is very limited public transport here.). Point is the Kindle is a great addition to one's reading venues and need not be viewed as a threat to Western Civilization nor a be-all-and-end-all for one's reading pleasures. I can also receive a wide array of domestic and international newspapers, magazines and blogs at low cost on a month-to-month basis. If I lose electricity and cannot re-charge my Kindle's battery, there is a nifty gadget that allows me to run it using regular batteries and can plug it into my car's power source. It's abilities keep unfolding day by day much to Amazon's delight and amazement. It's a fascinating gizmo who's wonders keep unfolding.
7-09-2009 @ 9:13AM
Joe said...
The question, "What's your take of Kindle as useless junk," is not going to produce proper results from among people who actually READ. The premise of the piece is that BOOKS are outdated.
Perhaps the question is itself proof that we already live in a post-literate society. There's nothing like books. There is a comforting feeling to having a book in your lap.
Or, perhaps I'm thinking of a cat.
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7-09-2009 @ 9:18AM
Hugo said...
I concur in Cliff's comment: the price of the Kindle is still way too high for most people, and how can a device like that ever substitute for larger books with big color pictures or diagrams?
Nevertheless, Bruce is right about the carbon footprint: if for no other reason, one can only hope that the Kindle or similar devices eventually catch-on to save the environment. While a Kindle may never be a substitute for all books (like big picture ones), a reduction in at least some paper usage on the planet is welcome and necessary. It does strike me as ironic that printers have proliferated in this age of the personal computer. God knows that we are all probably guilty of printing out worthless stuff. Kindles are a step in the right direction, and I can't wait to get one -- if the price comes down!
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7-22-2009 @ 1:28PM
Rick said...
Let's see;Kindle, which is made from Hydrocarbons and non biodegradable plastics is better for the evironment than paper; made from a renewable, biodegradable resource? Also, What happens when KIndle goes to candle, the way floppy discs went to hard drives? How much useless crap will be recycled and how much will be dumped in landfills?
7-09-2009 @ 9:24AM
Charlie said...
Who put this list together? It's almost like it was done to get a rise out of people. Books? As already said not everyone can afford the equipment needed. You can bend a book. And avid readers love the smell and feel of a book too. You open the cover and escape into it. You close the book and that place to escape to is safely hidden until you want to escape there again - by opening the cover - not powering up! Boo...hiss to books on the list.
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7-09-2009 @ 10:09AM
Rob said...
Donna,
Also the book you spent years looking for "Tea with the black dragon" is available on kindle for download in 60 seconds or less for $7.19.
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7-09-2009 @ 11:10AM
Kim said...
Our world is filled with electronics....tv's, computers, etc. Books are the one thing that SHOULD NOT go electronic. But, unfortunately it has and will continue too. No one can stop that. However, in this house there will be books...and lots of them! I want my 9 year old to experience the creativity of imagination that ever author has put to paper....on paper! Not some electronic device. I think using the Kindle or any other such device for reading books is laziness. And, personally, spending $300 on a Kindle just to read a book is a little ridiculous...I could buy alot of books for that...and books can always be resold or better yet, donated to those who can't even afford to buy a book, much less a Kindle.
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7-09-2009 @ 11:16AM
Angela said...
There would be no cost savings to me because I go to the library for all of my books. I can't imagine sitting down with a piece of plastic rather than 400 pages of paper. There is just something about flipping through a book as you read. I can see the allure of the Kindle, especially for trips, but I don't think it will ever make books obsolete.
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7-09-2009 @ 11:01PM
Laura said...
I am with Angela. I would not save money with a Kindle because I use the library for most of the books I read. As far as my absolute favorites, I do buy them. After all, I do need something to go in my bookshelves! Without books, it would not be the same crawling into bed with my daughters to read off of a computer screen! The Giving Tree, Cat in the Hat, Angelina Ballerina, Night Before Christmas and all the other wonderful children's books would lose their impact without the actual book!
7-09-2009 @ 1:14PM
Kathleen Harris said...
I love the feel of a book, I have no desire for a Kindle, they may be great for the younger generation, but for those of us, who are avid readers, nothing feels the same as holding a book.
My favorite activity is going to book stores, I wish our town had a used book store. Those are my favorite. i don't think books will ever go out of style.
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7-09-2009 @ 11:28AM
Diana said...
Kindle has a lot of appeal; however, they'll pry my book from my cold, dead fingers. Let's face it. Drop a book and kick it across the room, and you can pick it up again, unbend the pages, find your place, and start reading again. Drop a Kindle and you now have a $400 piece of junk--not counting the value of the books that are now inaccessible.
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7-09-2009 @ 11:35AM
Clydie Bridgeman said...
A book is a book is a book (to misquote Stein) and a Kindle is not a book. No number of Kindles could ever bring the same pleasure to me of just looking at the shelves of books I have collected and read over the past 50 years. My granddaughter and I find great pleasure in coffee and books at Barnes & Noble -- the only problem is that we are limited in the number we can bring home. I can't imagine life without the smell, feel and especially the contents of books. Although I enjoy the internet and other electronic devices, I think I'm glad that I lived the greater part of my life in an age in which books ruled.
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7-09-2009 @ 11:41AM
Me said...
You've GOT to be KIDDING!!?? Some of the items on this list are clearly only junk to yuppies. I mean COME ON - an Iron? a Rice Cooker? BOOKS???? How can you say that books are useless? It makes me cringe to even SEE books on this list! Do you let podcasts read your child to sleep at night? SHEESH!!!!
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7-16-2009 @ 10:20AM
clem said...
I love my Kindle!!!! I have poor eyesight and have a hard time reading my beloved books. Because the Kindle has adjustable font size, I can comfortably read the Kindle.
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