Which is better – the book or the e-book?
There is no getting away from the fact that the e-book is here to stay. It is increasingly popular, but many people still cling on to the printed book and refuse to even consider the notion of buying an e-reader. So in a debate that often arouses such passions, who is right? Which is better – the book or the e-book?
They both have their strengths. The benefits of the printed book include the fact it has so many years of history behind that can often bring out an emotional response in people – it’s something we like to hold on to, both literally and figuratively. The printed book also doesn’t require people to make an investment in a new bit of technology before they can use it. Many of them also have rather nice covers and look impressive on your shelves.
E-books have plenty of benefits of their own, too. For instance, they help to save paper by displaying books on a screen instead. All of your books as easily accessible as they are stored on one device. When you buy a new book online, you can access it almost instantly rather than having to wait for it to make its way to you through the post. E-books are also convenient for publishers, especially self-publishers, and allow us to create new and enhanced reading experiences thanks to the increasing range of technology at our fingertips.
Books and e-books both have plenty of things going for them, but I think that in the debate over which one is better, a crucial point gets lost. They are both part of the evolution of stories. The story is the main thing: it has evolved from the spoken word to cave art to the written word to printed books to e-books. It is something that is always evolving, that we are finding new ways of expressing, but the underlying thing remains the same: the most important thing is the story.
We all have our preferred ways of reading or viewing stories, but as long as the story is told well, in the right way and grabs our attention, that is surely the main thing. Long may it continue, no matter how books might evolve in the future.
