Why Apps Will Not Save Us

So Simon and Schuster's children's division has released a Choose Your Own Adventure app for the iPhone available for a mere $3.99. A lot of people are excited about this, because book publishing is dying, at least according to conventional wisdom*, and apps are seen as one potential salvation. Being the optimist I am, I think the whole affair is a stupid waste of money destined to fail.

I will be very happy if I am proved wrong about this (and, to be fair, I am often wrong), but I think...