Book vs. eBook
[caption id=”attachment_6770" align=”alignleft” width=”254"]
Book vs. eBook Infographic by Elizabeth Kimmel[/caption]
John looked both ways as he hopped down the stairs that descended from the populate city street into the underworld of the subway system. As he walked onto the platform, he noticed the amount of people dispersed among the length of where the train was about to appear. Almost by the command of that thought, there was a whoosh and a loudspeaker instructed everyone in the station to mind the gap as they boarded. As John settled in, he grabbed the metal railing to steady himself, and reached into his bag to pull out his eReader.
John looked at the list of books to choose from. Today was a Game of Thrones kind of day, but that may have just been because The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People was a tad too preachy after a particularly busy day in the office. Just like that, John immersed himself in the story.
On the other end of town, Diana opened the door to her apartment. It had been an equally long day for her. She dropped her bag on the kitchen table, and immediately went to make herself a cup of tea. She was in the mood for something fruity and sweet, but warm against the harsh winter evening outside. Once the water had boiled, she dropped in the tea bag, and went to the couch where she plopped down.
Diana opened the book that had been lying on the coffee table. Immediately, the scent of old paper washed over her. She smiled as she read through her favorite book, gently flipping the pages, sometimes catching little notes written in the margins of things she had noticed and thought throughout the numerous times she had read the book.
When it comes to the debate of which is better, books or eBooks, the two opposing sides can dig their heels in regarding which style of reading is best for their lifestyle. Really, there’s little of the discussion that hasn’t been said before. Of course, both sides have their pros and cons. Ultimately, the purpose of both types of reading experiences is simple — to read. The question is, how do you decide which method of reading is best for you?
Part of this process requires having an open mind; during different parts of your life, you may flip between eReaders and books. It might even be possible that, depending on the time of day, you switch between different forms of reading. In fact, so many publishers and book distributors are aware of this, which is why many books come with access to an eBook version.
The facts are simple: if you know that you will need access to multiple books, you need them to be easily transported, and you have access to electricity, eBooks are really the way to go. On the other hand, if you want to be a little gentler on your eyes, prefer having physical items to share with others, and lack electricity, books are the better option. While eReaders allow you to carry your collection with you, physical books allow you to pass your collection on to family and friends. With an eReader, you can read in the backseat of a car, traveling on your way to a weekend destination. Books allow you to read on the beach without worrying about battery life or glare.
Sometimes, however, you don’t have the ability to have both an eReader and a large library of books. When you have to make the ultimate decision between the two, which do you choose? Whichever one makes you happier. I travel often, but I will go out of my way to find a bag big enough to fit my physical book. Many of my friends and family will only read eBooks, and that’s okay, too. I’m just happy that we’re all reading books, and are able to talk about them and share our thoughts on them with each other.
http://the-girlygeek.blogspot.com/2014/09/the-great-debate-ebooks-vs-physical.html
http://www.uloop.com/news/view.php/134689/E-Books-vs-Printed-Books-The-21st-Cent
