Books are dead!
Long Live Books!
Since the dawn of the computer age in the 1980s, pundits and experts have continually sounded the death knell of all things paper. Offices would be paperless (Businesses now create more paper trails than ever with hard copy emails). The newspaper has been headed down for at least a decade. Books are being replaced by eReaders. Publishing will be done online and people won’t need to lug around smelly, heavy books.
For some, this world view seems like a utopia. For those who know what books bring to life, this is a nightmare. Books create better readers. Those who read tend to be more empathetic because they have learned how to live through the eyes of a character. “This secondhand experience is qualitatively different from the empathy we develop as readers.” (Future of the Book p. 53)
They have journeyed through a story using only their minds, and the occasional woodprint. They have focused their attention on one subject, one story without the distractions of links, ads and the ever present “message” notification. “A book is a machine for focusing attention; the Internet is [a] machine for diffusing it.” (Future of the Book, p.51)
Science has recently come out on the side of good, old-fashioned books as better for people than the same information read on Kindle. The problem with computers and reading on them is that people do not actually read in the same way. A book requires that people read the information word for word. People reading on computers do not really read. They scan. The eye movement is different. The comprehension is different as the words are seen out of order. Even the physical turning of the page is something that our brain’s use to place the word in context and reconstruct the memory of the words. EReaders can’t match that.
What this means for the publishing world is that it must adapt. Publishers bring valuable skills that writers need, like editing. Rather than assuming that books will sell on their own merits or because of a certain author, publishers are going to have to change their advertising strategies and start talking about the benefits that hard copy books bring to the reader. While eReaders may have adjusted to keep people from having dry eyes, computer screens can still result in eye fatigue. That doesn’t happen with a book. Books could also become what they were in the past – something that rich people had as status symbols and works of art.
While many people believe that books and the publishing industry as a whole are failing, it is important to recognize that the challenges presented by the digital age can be overcome.
Other references:
https://www.um.edu.mt/vle/1415/pluginfile.php/62719/mod_resource/content/1/Horowitz_Dowestillneedpublishers_Guardian_270212.pdf
For some, this world view seems like a utopia. For those who know what books bring to life, this is a nightmare. Books create better readers. Those who read tend to be more empathetic because they have learned how to live through the eyes of a character. “This secondhand experience is qualitatively different from the empathy we develop as readers.” (Future of the Book p. 53)
They have journeyed through a story using only their minds, and the occasional woodprint. They have focused their attention on one subject, one story without the distractions of links, ads and the ever present “message” notification. “A book is a machine for focusing attention; the Internet is [a] machine for diffusing it.” (Future of the Book, p.51)
Science has recently come out on the side of good, old-fashioned books as better for people than the same information read on Kindle. The problem with computers and reading on them is that people do not actually read in the same way. A book requires that people read the information word for word. People reading on computers do not really read. They scan. The eye movement is different. The comprehension is different as the words are seen out of order. Even the physical turning of the page is something that our brain’s use to place the word in context and reconstruct the memory of the words. EReaders can’t match that.
What this means for the publishing world is that it must adapt. Publishers bring valuable skills that writers need, like editing. Rather than assuming that books will sell on their own merits or because of a certain author, publishers are going to have to change their advertising strategies and start talking about the benefits that hard copy books bring to the reader. While eReaders may have adjusted to keep people from having dry eyes, computer screens can still result in eye fatigue. That doesn’t happen with a book. Books could also become what they were in the past – something that rich people had as status symbols and works of art.
While many people believe that books and the publishing industry as a whole are failing, it is important to recognize that the challenges presented by the digital age can be overcome.
Other references:
https://www.um.edu.mt/vle/1415/pluginfile.php/62719/mod_resource/content/1/Horowitz_Dowestillneedpublishers_Guardian_270212.pdf
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See other essays and reviews of books
Review of Colorworld by Rachel E. Kelly Read my interview with Kelly about writing Read Rachel E. Kelly talks 'Colorworld' Read the Top 6 quotes from 'Colorworld Read reviews on examiner.com |