In Celebration of Physical Books
Technology is amazing, but nothing can compare to an actual book
“The book revolution, which from the Renaissance on taught men and women to cherish and cultivate their individuality, threatens to end in a sparkling cloud of snippets…For some of us, books are intrinsic to our human identity.”
— John Updike
Malala Yousafzai’s memoir is unsurprisingly filled with life lessons, bits of inspiration, and quotes. One that really stuck with me was:
“I know the importance of education because my pens and books were taken from me by force.”
Malala never took her schooling for granted, but it really is true that most of us don’t appreciate something until it is gone. We take our health, our relationships, and our youth for granted until we no longer have it. The same is true of books.
We have the complete collection of all human knowledge available at all times in our pockets and on our desks and we simply shrug. We use our futuristic technology to play games, take photos of our meals, and say snarky things about someone on television.
Outside of watching a DIY video on home improvement, when was the last time you actively sought to learn something truly beneficial online? I’m no better. Even when I find…