Great Reads (With Special Alert for Veritas and Empedocles)

[Kichwa]

I think books are going the way of dinosaurs.  Books were great until the era of information explosion set upon us. It seems we are going back to the era of oral tradition to deliver the information while we use electronics to store and preserve information for references.  Most people now have access to thousands of audible and electronic "books" on their smart phone or other electronic devices literally at their fingertips wherever they are.  Portability is a huge thing. Its the reason why bottled water is a multi billion dollar industry.



On GPS: Obama's book recommendation

Fareed Zakaria, GPS
President Obama recommends that Fareed and his viewers read Colson Whitehead's "The Underground Railroad" and Yuval Harari's "Sapiens."Source: CNN

Kichwa, that's pretty cool. I haven't tried listening to books, I think I'd enjoy it, thanks, will give it a go. 

Moon, I attended church since a fetus in my mother's womb. thank you. very. much.

You are the one who wanks with your book.. .. heresy.

I don't believe in those things; I like to touch and feel my book.  It's like the difference between, say, a flesh-and-blood women and one of those pump-up dolls you can get in a good sex shop: the end result of "use" is the same, but there is something more satisfying with one than with the other. 

[MOON Ki]

I think books are going the way of dinosaurs.  Books were great until the era of information explosion set upon us. It seems we are going back to the era of oral tradition to deliver the information while we use electronics to store and preserve information for references.  Most people now have access to thousands of audible and electronic "books" on their smart phone or other electronic devices literally at their fingertips wherever they are.  Portability is a huge thing. Its the reason why bottled water is a multi billion dollar industry.

2016: UK Example

Books are back: Printed book sales rise for first time in four years as ebooks suffer decline

For years, book-lovers have been lamenting the inevitable demise of the printed book in the face of competition from a digital behemoth.  But reports of the death of the traditional book have been greatly exaggerated, according to the definitive annual survey of the industry. The Publishers Association study has revealed that sales of print books are rising, while digital sales are down for the first time since the invention of the e-reader.

Stephen Lotinga, chief executive of The Publishers Association, said: "Those who made predictions about the death of the book may have underestimated just how much people love paper."

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/05/12/books-are-back-printed-book-sales-rise-for-first-time-in-four-ye/

2017: USA Example

Print Book Sales Rose Again in 2016 . Total print unit sales hit 674 million, marking the third-straight year of growth, according to Nielsen BookScan, which tracks about 80% of print sales in the U.S.   

Most print formats had an outstanding year, with hardcover up 5.4%, trade paperback up 4%, and board books up 7.4%

http://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/industry-news/bookselling/article/72450-print-book-sales-rose-again-in-2016.html

[Kichwa]

Moonki,  I think that's the kick of a dying horse.  Just look at the reading habits of the young generation. The library at most college campuses is more of a quiet place to bring your lap top, smart phone or tablet to study than to look for books. Most college kids are now given the option to get electronic text books or the hard copy and most are choosing electronic books because of portability. Some schools are making audio and video lectures available for students who missed a class or just for review purposes. Online classes are popping up everywhere.  The next generation will be very comfortable with electronic books, videos and audio.

[MOON Ki]

Moonki,  I think that's the kick of a dying horse.  Just look at the reading habits of the young generation. The library at most college campuses is more of a quiet place to bring your lap top, smart phone or tablet to study than to look for books. Most college kids are now given the option to get electronic text books or the hard copy and most are choosing electronic books because of portability. Some schools are making audio and video lectures available for students who missed a class or just for review purposes. Online classes are popping up everywhere.  The next generation will be very comfortable with electronic books, videos and audio.

E-books?   These don't look like days of wine and song  for their producers.  Publishers Weekly:

steadily declining unit sales of e-books.

http://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/digital/retailing/article/72563-the-bad-news-about-e-books.html

Next generation? I wouldn't put all my hopes there.

Units fell the most in the juvenile fiction segment, where e-book sales dropped 28% in the year and accounted for 10% of total category unit sales in 2016,

[Kim Jong-Un's Pajama Pants]

My experience has been that if you want to read without distractions, you want a proper book made out of paper.  A little spittle on the fingers as you turn the leaf of a page has not found a replacement yet.  The electronic versions are not so much a replacement as something that merely increases the alternatives - I use them too, but as a last resort or when I cannot reach the physical version.

[Kim Jong-Un's Pajama Pants]

Moonki,  I think that's the kick of a dying horse.  Just look at the reading habits of the young generation. The library at most college campuses is more of a quiet place to bring your lap top, smart phone or tablet to study than to look for books. Most college kids are now given the option to get electronic text books or the hard copy and most are choosing electronic books because of portability. Some schools are making audio and video lectures available for students who missed a class or just for review purposes. Online classes are popping up everywhere.  The next generation will be very comfortable with electronic books, videos and audio.

There is certainly an element of habit.  But I see it as more of an expansion of the space rather than replacement of one mode.  If you recall the early days of computerization, there was all this talk of paperless society.  The use of paper has only increased since.