Goodbye, Books

Kindle, Nook and iPad: you are killing printed books. I shudder at the thought of not being able to hold a book, turn it's pages, let my tears fall on the print and dog-ear my stopping point. As my mom so simply stated, "part of the pleasure of reading is holding the book." Reading, which has been done the same way for a very long time, faces a huge makeover. Will it be the end of print as we know it?!

Am I the only one getting sentimental here? I also have a fond and extreme attachment to physical mail. Don't get me wrong, e-mail excites me just as much. However, I harbor resentment when e-mail activity interferes with the number of articles I receive in my actual mailbox. Laying eyes on a note someone wrote to me with their own hand just cannot be matched with impersonal black and white staring at me from a computer screen.

Does the efficiency of e-books and increasing accessibility of communication through email trump the feeling and experience brought on by physically holding a book and reading a hand-crafted note? I personally feel as though electronic everything makes all of the aforementioned impersonal, cold and depresses the hell out of me!

I confess, however, that I have yet to read using anything other than an actual book. As part of my research on this topic, I will need to obtain a Kindle, Nook or iPad. Quite possibly all three. Until the research is complete, I will hold on to my sentimental ways, clutching my book, newspaper and greeting cards while lounging on the couch reading from my Kindle.....the picture may not convey my point. I will be clutching the book, newspaper and greeting cards while reading from my Kindle but also, at the same time, saying, "Viva la books!" And then maybe switching to my iPad, which is also programmed to turn off my lights remotely. I will probably also use my laptop to blog and email, and also to read blogs and bank online. I may not need to use the iPad to turn off the lights because I may never have to leave the house. I can buy anything and everything online, such as books, clothes etc. and have them shipped right to my doorstep. Technology wins and effectively eliminates the need to interact with people, go to work or live out in the actual world, where the books are. Making these hypothetical purchases are the best thing that ever happened and will probably revolutionize my way of living.

Until next time!

PS-I don't think I will be able to stay home and use my iphone, laptop or Kindle to cut my hair. Whew. Glad I found that loophole. I guess I will need to keep buying real books after all.

Craziness aside, what I'm wondering is: Does the medium through which a person gains knoweldge, books, cards, newspaper vs. Kindle, e-mail, online etc., help determine how a person feels and what he or she takes away from the experience? Does it really matter how we get ideas, facts and information? Will print eventually die and does it matter?

Did someone plant things in my head electronically while I was checking my email? Or while I was asleep? Should I have watched Inception?