Print books vs. Ebooks

There is a constant debate over the merits of print books versus ereaders. There is plenty of research that will proves we retain and process information differently when it is on a screen. But that isn’t why most avid readers prefer the printed book. I broke down and got a Nook several years ago. I can’t deny there are some benefits. When traveling, it’s so much easier to pack one device without worrying about running out of reading material. You can look up unfamiliar words as your read. You can adjust the brightness and font size. What you can’t do with an ereader, is replicate the feeling of reading a print book.

Despite all the warnings we’ve been given, part of the reading experience is judging the cover. The start of the reading experience begins with exploration of the cover. While all of that information is in an ebook, it takes a series of searches and clicks to get to it. I often skip it all together and go into the book blind.

Once you move onto the reading of the book it is an entire sense experience. The weight of the book in your hand, the smell of the ink and paper, the sound of pages turning. All of these elements combine to create the full reading experience.

There’s another, often forgotten aspect of the reading experience: bookmarks. Any avid reader has a collection of bookmarks throughout their house. While they perform a function which is just as often accomplished by the closest receipt that the reader happens to grab, they are also the opportunity to express the reader’s personality. The fun of picking out bookmarks is lost to the ereader user. Bookmarks are functional tools that help you keep your spot. But, it’s more than that . Watching your bookmark move through the book, gives the reader a sense of accomplishment. An experienced reader can glance at the bookmarks placement and easily gauge how long it will take to finish. It has taken me years with the ereader to make accurate “time to finish” estimates.

So, no matter how many advancements in ereaders take place, my home will still be overflowing with books. Which looks much more impressive than a shelf a single device sitting on it.