Buying a new iPhone that actually has a decent screen-size and far better memory reminded me of why I love ebooks. Kindle and iBooks are now more readily available to me (because I can’t have my iPad at work) and for a working father of four the ability to snatch bits of reading time when and where I can is invaluable.
Now I imagine you are a little surprised to hear me say that because I so often celebrate print books and decry the negative aspects of reading in the digital age. But though I am an ardent fan of collecting books in print I do recognize that ebooks are a wonderful opportunity for both writers and readers.
The benefits, I believe, are best summarized in one word: Accessibility. Accessibility is the key to literacy.
For writers: it is now incredibly simple to take your finished book and upload it to Amazon’s Kindle platform. It is an unprecedented means of delivering more content with more consistency, in a short span of time.
For readers: eBooks are instantly downloadable, most often cheaper to purchase, and offer out-of-print works that are often difficult to find in paperback. My wife has acquired many books free through Kindle and I have found some great bargains as well.
I have a collection of tiny books, most of them around a hundred years old. They are titled The Workman’s Library. No more than a few inches in width and height these books were designed to fit in the lunchbox or pocket of an average working citizen so that, in the previous few moments he had to spare, he could read Dante’s Inferno, Shakespeare, or Sherlock Holmes mysteries.
Digital books today are the equivalent of those tiny paperbacks. They can be brought anywhere, read in sweet snippets… But eBooks are superior. Within the palm of my hand I hold hundreds of books all accessible in an instant.
While I still prefer print books, eBooks are a wonderful asset to me both as a writer and as a reader.
Q: What are your thoughts on the advantages of eBooks?
I’ve never been a big gizmo guy so I’ve never really given it a try but I will . Thanks for the advice