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Book covers can be plain or fancy - I will always choose an actual physical book over an e-reader. I think e-readers have their place, and are convenient, but part of the pleasure of books is the actual weight, feel and smell of a book and that will never change for me. I also like the look of bookshelves loaded with books.
Are books really in decline at this moment in time? While I do see people with their e-readers, I still also see lots of people holding books in their hand, on the train and on the buses.
I personally just read paper books, because it actually seems more a hassle, to get and download for an e-reader, and right now, and reading that way is just what I'm used to.
I usually borrow books rather than buy them though.
Depends on the price increase that goes with the fancy cover or decorative features. One of the reasons I switched to an e-reader for all my casual reading (other than the ability to change the font size at will, which is a great help to me) is that I was buying the more affordable discount editions (like the ones in supermarkets) and they were falling apart as I was reading them. Cracked spines, pages falling out. The switch to cheaper papers over the last 40 years has also meant that a lot of paperback I bought in the 70s, 80s and 90s have yellow, brittle paper.
There was a mid-point between cheap junk printings and fancy expensive ones.....
ETA - the latest figures (that I've seen, anyway), are that in 2007, ebooks were 1.7% of the total sold and in 2010 they were 9%, projected to go to around 12% this year. Although that isn't clear if it's by dollar or by actual number, and I doubt it includes used book sales at all. In general, older releases are cheaper in e format than print format and slightly cheaper (although not always) for new releases.
Last edited by PNW-type-gal; 12-04-2011 at 10:38 AM..
Reason: added info
I think there will always be 'coffee table' books, and nicely bound things people will want to have to display.
As far as regular books go...I think we are the in-between generation. We like to hold the books in our hands, to curl up with them and savor the stories with the books. It's an experience that began when we were young. But people are changing, like my husband who loves his Kindle.
Then we have my niece who is 13, and most of the books she's collected so far are in her Kindle. She has a different sort of connection to the stories.
I'm thinking by the time my grandchildren have grandchildren, books will be something in libraries.
....I'm thinking by the time my grandchildren have grandchildren, books will be something in libraries.
Or museums.
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