I'm not sure I'll be reading from one of these things in ten years time or less, but e-books are said to be the way we'll read books in the future, and there's some big money going into producing e-book readers.
Read: The Future of E-Books - Forbes.Com.
UPDATE: For obvious reasons this has turned into a 'what-are-you-reading'' thread. Feel free to add yours in the comments.
11 comments:
There is absolutely no denying that the sterility of these things pale in comparison to an actual book in your hand, the smell and the feel of a book is all part of the reading experience.
However, I can find a couple of positive aspects for this e-book.
You don't need to bother with a bookmark or fold down a corner of the page.
And when it is really cold and you are snuggled under yer feather duvet, sleeping bag or rug on top of the couch, your hands are left out in the cold whilst holding onto yer book. I hate that.
As for the e-book, you can scroll down with yer thumb and keep one hand under the covers (which just has to be a good thing)!
For the technophile who must have every gadget, this will probably be a welcome innovation.
But I get stuck in front of screens for enough of the day as it is! Reading paper is a relief and a nice end-of-the-day ritual.
"As for the e-book, you can scroll down with yer thumb and keep one hand under the covers (which just has to be a good thing)!"
What kind of literature are you reading Rebel Radius? 80
DenMT
I am currently reading "Voyage" by Stephen Baxter and I am loving every moment. This is one of those books that you never want to end.
"An epic saga of America's might-have-been, Voyage is a powerful, sweeping novel of how, if President Kennedy had lived, we could have sent a manned mission to Mars in the 1980s.
Created from the true lives and real events.
Baxter's voice carries beyond the clamour of military and industrial lobbies keen to develop the space shuttle. Instead, Apollo flights continue, boosted by Wernher von Braun’s nuclear rocket.
Voyage returns to the geniuses of NASA and the excitement of the Saturn rocket, and includes historical figures from Neil Armstrong to Ronald Reagan who are interwoven with unforgettable characters whose dreams mirror the promise of a young space program that held the world in thrall.
There is: Dana, the Nazi camp survivor who achieves the dream of his hated masters; Gershon, the Vietnam fighter jock determined to be the first African-American to land on another planet; and Natalie York, the brilliant geologist/astronaut who risks a career and love for the chance to run her fingers through the soil of another world.
Note: Von Braun also worked out preliminary concepts for a manned Mars mission which used the space station as a staging point. His initial plans, published in The Mars Project (1952)
Needless to say - I thoroughly recommend it as an exceptionally good read.
Bah, you missed my cheap innuendo, or wisely ignored it.
Good excuse for a 'what are you reading' thread though... I'm currently halfway through Catch 22 again, which is one of my favourite books of all time, and always rewards a re-read. I'm also taking the occasional dabble into 'The Curves Of Time' - the memoirs of Brazilian architect Oscar Niemeyer. I've owned it for ages but only now getting around to reading it.
I've also just finished a big run on some trashy Ben Eltons which are an excellent vice.
DenMT
I am currently reading the hilarious "Answered Prayers" by Truman Capote again after some years and just love how funny it is...what the rich and famous get up to when they think no one is looking.
Rebel Radius
That's interesting. What if....?
Well worth thinking on.
What if...?
Let me know what you think when you get to the finish.
LGM
BTW was Von Brausn thinking of using Freeman Dyson's Orion nuclear rocket?
As Den says, this is a good excuse for a 'what are you reading' thread.
For mine:
'Portnoy's Complaint' - Philip Roth.
Rereading it years later I find that every other Philip Roth novel is contained in this one. How 'bout that.
'Beer & Philosophy' - ed. by Steven D. Hales.
Should be right up my alley, but a bit disappointing so far. Too much like academics talking because they can.
'Flushed: How the Plumber Saved Civilization' - W. Hodding Carter.
A fascinating thesis, entertainingly told.
'Neoclassical Microeconomic Theory: The Founding Austrian Version' - Tony Endres.
Dense yet concise survey of the subject by Auckland Uni's 'token' Austrian. I can't say as I understand everything on every page, mind.
Oh yeah, just finished Lee Childs's new one 'Nothing to Lose.' It's up to his usual high standard, and Mickey Spillane's 'The Long Wait.' Godfathers, but Spillane is a great stylist.
Beer and Philosophy...ha ha, that sounds so funny.
Re: 'Portnoy's Complaint' - that's one of those books people keep recommending to me and I've never gotten around to it. Must read, note to self...
DenMT
While on "what are you reading" - check out http://www.librarything.com
Oh, denmt, the Kindle and similar devices are basically paper. They're not LCD screens. I wouldn't buy one at this stage, but in a couple of generations they'll be great (actually, I'd consider the iRex iLiad, but not at current prices)
Post a Comment