Learning to Love Paper Books Again

[james_davis_nicoll]

In which I chatter about the benefits of physical books.
Learning to Love Paper Books Again

Comments

[dewline]

I expect - as you do - that we will have to maintain space for hardcopy and electronic formats alike for the long term. Provided we don't get pushed off a societal or ecological cliff of some kind.

[(Anonymous)]

Where are you getting your eye exams? The UW Optometry Clinic is top-notch; they found a difficult to detect yet potentially life-threatening condition during a routine eye exam. I'll never go anywhere else.

-Awesome Aud

[james_davis_nicoll]

UW Optometry. I have weird eye issues students won't otherwise get to see.

[bolindbergh]

“Like the physicians here taking in all the apprentices to look at the weird cases?” asked Phylos knowingly.

— Knot of Shadows by Lois McMaster Bujold

[(Anonymous)]

Good. They have given me excellent care for over 25 years. And I tell all the students how they are potentially saving lives.

-Awesome Aud

[ba_munronoe]

The "permanency" thing really does bother me: I have at least three or four e-books I haven't gotten around to reading because I hardly remember they exist.

[thomasyan]

I used to browse my physical bookshelves to find books to reread. Somehow I basically never do so with my ebooks

I prefer physical books as well- but

[connactic]

I often read when I eat, and so get stains on the books (much easier to clean an e-reader).

I often read in low-light conditions, and it's easier for me to read a backlit eink page than an actual one.

[james_davis_nicoll]

Tor dot com article 360, 2023 article 7

[mindstalk]

My first ebook purchase was instant-gratification new Hodgell after finals one year. Then I started traveling more, eventually permanently, so a virtual library is _very useful_. I have been reading paper books again recently -- been in one place long enough to get a library card from a generous library system, and sunbathing around noon, which I guess something like the Kindle could cope with but my laptops or phones cannot.