BOOKS WITH PAGES MADE OF PAPER & NOT ELECTRICAL SPARKS

BOOKS WITH PAGES MADE OF PAPER & NOT ELECTRICAL SPARKS by Newt Livesay

Is the printed book dead, and the century of the e-book upon us? I have some friends that are in the distribution, and production end of the movie industry. They both say that DVD rentals, etc., are also on the way out. The future is going to be rentals over the internet via downloads for single showings. I really hate this as I enjoy the DVD format for going back and watching again or running through the menu, out takes, comments, etc.

Someone had made a comment recently about this very subject, and it got me to thinking. I had posted one of my quotes. It went like this: “e-books are the future like it or not, but oh how I love the gaudiness of those paper sleeves gathering dust on my shelves.”(c) N. Livesay I wrote that little blurb somewhat jokingly, but at the same time I truly yearn for the touch of paper.

I have on average of about a half dozen books placed throughout my house at any given time that I am reading. At the moment I have a book on my desk near my computer Shelters of Stone by Jean Auel, one on the back of the bowl in the bathroom. The Assassins by Ollie North, and another book are on my bed stand while Shadow Divers by Robert Kurson, and Absolute Friends by John le Carre, sit atop a pile of new acquisitions stacked on the living-room floor.

I have so many novels, and books in my living room that they can not all fit on the shelves. There are over one hundred hard backed books stacked on the floor alone. I do not have to worry about batteries running down, dropping one on the floor, or someone stealing one of my book. Maybe I am old fashion but I have never had a airline stewardess tell me to shut my novel, as we were taking off. I have spilled beer, water, sweat, coca-a-cola, blood, hooch, Inca Kola, and a host of other condiments from mayonnaise to pickle juice on books during my life. (blood? .... Don't ask!) They did not short out, catch fire, or have to be send in for repairs; I wiped them off and continued reading.

I would much rather use a nice heavy novel to slap someone up side the head in an emergency than a twinkly-arsed Kindle. To top it off being an avid outdoors man, explorer and adventurer I have on occasion needed the usage of a well read page from a paper back novel, in an emergency item. (Don't ask about that either.)

So it will break my heart if paper book become a relic on the trash pit of history. Not only will we loose our humanity in a world without printed paper books, but when the government bans certain stories; the air pollution from burning plastic readers is going to upset the environmental wack'os to no end.

Newt Livesay

all rights reserved by Newt Livesay (c) 2011