This was in yesterdays NY Times Business section:
E-Books Top Hardcovers at Amazon
By CLAIRE CAIN MILLER
Published: July 19, 2010
Amazon.com, one of the nation’s largest booksellers, announced Monday that for the last three months, sales of books for its e-reader, the Kindle, outnumbered sales of hardcover books.
In that time, Amazon said, it sold 143 Kindle books for every 100 hardcover books, including hardcovers for which there is no Kindle edition.
I am an old school bibliophile who loves the tactile feel of
holding a book, smelling the paper, underlining and writing in the margins. I
actually found this quite alarming. Is this really a good thing? My gut feeling
tells me it is not. I just can’t tell you why, but this does not feel right to
me. I will probably never have an e-reader of any make or design. I already
spend too much time in the wired world. Last night I finished the 115th
book of my reading year that spans from September 1 to August 31. I am close to
needing another room for my books, I love it it! I love book covers and
everything about books. I understand all the logical arguments in favor of
electronic books. I know that with real books we are killing tress, but with eBooks
are we killing minds? How can I write in the margins, use my multi colored
underlining system, it is just not the same experience. To paraphrase Howard
Schulz of Starbucks fame – it is not about books, sometimes it is about the experience.
I am currently reading about eight books; each one represents a different experience,
a different feel, and different weight physically and intellectually. I am sure
I could get them on a Kindle but it would just not be the same.