There is something about a printed book, the weight of it, the feel of the pages, the sense that when you open it up you are about to enter another world. Some little digital box that requires batteries just doesn’t hold the same appeal for me- sorry.

Plus Kindle isn’t free and with the state of the economy, libraries are still a haven for those who don’t have the money for more costly entertainment. I love and support my local library. Why pay for something you can have for free?

Call me old fashioned, but I prefer to read something that’s actually sitting in front of me, in print, rather than words on a screen. It’s easier on my eyes and it’s easier for me to focus (and I’m only 22!). I guess it’s pretty obvious that I’m still buying (print) books by the armful; I could never work at Borders or Barnes & Noble because I would easily spend every cent (and more) of every paycheck I’d earn. What can I say? I’m a bookworm, through and through…

Even though online newspapers and sites like CNN are shutting down many of the physical newspapers of our time, look around you the next time you’re on a train or in a company waiting room– how many newspapers do you see? They’re still around, people still read them with their morning coffee. I personally hope they’ll still be around for a long time, although I can see print books outliving print news. Either way, I believe it will still be a long time before the printed word is totally extinct, and personally I hope to be dead before it.

There’s something fantastic about receiving books in the mail – the anticipation for their arrival is half the fun really.

However, of late when I’ve been too impatient to wait the 2-3 weeks it often takes to get a book I have been downloading them through audible.com and listening to them on my ipod. I don’t expect to do this all the time but I must admit it is a convenient alternative to waiting the 3 weeks for postage.

I think this is the same theory about newspapers, there’s just something special about getting the latest edition or newest release in hard copy and sitting back reading it (if and when we have time).

I thought you might be interested in my review of LWM on Blog Critics and cross posted over at Secretary Clinton Blog:

http://blogcritics.org/books/article/book-review-youve-come-a-long1/

http://secretaryclinton.wordpress.com/2009/11/01/youve-come-a-long-way-maybe/

Thanks for giving me the opportunity to review the book!

(I’m also going to put a link to this site on my blogroll if that is ok)

Did you happen to catch ABCNews video on this subject? I just created a post regarding this and thought it would interest you.

http://wp.me/psfW6-8t

Dr. Linda Burke Galloway

Thanks for bringing this important issue to our attention, Nisha. I don’t think I pay enough attention to my insurance and equality!