Books vs. Computers, Phones, and E-Readers

I love books. Not just the stories, but also the physical book in and of itself. The same goes for cds, art, etc. These are the reasons I've thought of for why people should buy books instead.

1. No electricity required to read.

•  Laptops and e-readers need to be charged before they can be used unless there's an outlet nearby. Desktop computers require an outlet and cannot be charged. You may argue that you need light with which to read, and yes, you do. However, if the light of a star (as in our Sun) isn't good enough for you, there is no hope for you.

2. No need for an internet connection.

• At the very least, you or someone else you know has to have access to the internet to get the "book" in the first place. With an actual book, you could read it in the middle of Antarctica.

3. No need to wait for the it to load.

• Depending on what you use and how it works, loading times may vary. Regardless, it is impossible to skim or browse through a digital "book" with the same alacrity as a book (this is especially pertinent to comics and graphic novels).

4. No digital screen.

• I personally HATE when things are pixellated as they are on any digital screen. The more important reason is eye strain. When you have eye strain, your optometrist is likely to tell you to ease off using the computer or watching television. If mild eye strain continues, it's more likely to affect your sight, in which case (if it's bad enough) you must purchase glasses, contacts, or eye surgery. How fun (and potentially expensive).

5. In the case of anything you don't already have, no need to purchase it.

• These things are NOT cheap and generally cost hundreds of dollars. Whoopee. Depending on how many electronic "books" you wish to purchase, it may pay for itself. Casual readers will have a harder time of recouping their loss.

6. Going to the bookstore.

• I realize many people don't care much about this, but it still must be considered for a couple reasons. Firstly, it's easy to browse. Step 1: Walk into store. Step 2: Walk to a section that interests you (i.e. Romance, Thriller, Literature, Health). Step 3: Look around. Step 4: Pick up any book that you think looks interesting, whether it be because of the cover, title, or author. Secondly, kind and helpful bookstore employees do, in fact, exist. These people can and may offer recommendations based on your obvious or implied preferences. They may also talk to you about them, perhaps starting an interesting conversation.

7. I'm not sure if this is true, but I think it's reasonable to include anyway. Because online "books" are cheaper, it may be depriving your favorite author of his or her well-deserved compensation.

• If I'm not mistaken, this has been (or was) one of the problems with iTunes. Even if selling electronic versions doesn't unduly affect the author's profit, pirating certainly can.

8. The feel of the paper in books is much better than whatever cheap material is used for the device (likely plastic).

• Though this is mainly subjective, I think it's important. And not just the feel, also the smell. Even if you don't like either, surely there are people that don't enjoy having nearly everything they touch being made of or coated in some unnatural material.

9. Purchasing books, in a way, helps the economy.

• Think about it. Your money spent purchasing a book goes to the store, which is used in part to pay its employees, who then spend it on what they want and need. Going further than that, it also goes towards all the people who worked on the writing of the book. It also goes towards the place that makes the book itself, which can then pay the people that operate and maintain the machines and can also pay for the materials purchased from a supplier (paper, ink, machine parts, etc).

Invalid Arguments Against Books

1. They're heavy.

• Unless you're stupid, crazy, or a student, the books you have are only heavy if you purchase and carry ridiculously huge volumes (like encyclopedias) or only buy hardcovers.

2. They take up a lot of space.

• Firstly, this doesn't apply to casual readers as they are unlikely to be buying as many books as an avid reader. Secondly, again, unless you only buy hardcovers, they really don't for various reasons. The story may be of short length, the font may be of a decent size (as opposed to all the Harry Potter books I've read. Idiots.), or the publisher may have been wise in the placement of the text. I've noticed in most things I've read that there are places where the  spacing   appears to  be   off  in the  middle of   a paragraph  or  sentence. That would make a book longer than necessary.

3. Going to a bookstore is a hassle.

• Big fucking deal. Suck it up and stop being lazy. Unless you live an hour away from the nearest bookstore or work exclusively at home, it's likely to be no farther away than your workplace. Would you decline a job offer just because you have to drive 5 minutes to get there? If not, I see no reason to complain.