Where reading paper books is like having sex

[UncleDuke]

if they think reading a pbook is better than sex either they have a new way of reading or they need some pointers. the only smell a lot of the old books her have is musk and mold. it rains a lot here i always carred a book with me. the book being more socially acceptable than a ....

[Steven Lyle Jordan]

...porn dvd?

Paperbacks came along as a cheap, mass-production alternative to hardbound books, and the two of them have coexisted since. The e-book is a cheap, mass-market alternative to hardbound books, and there's no reason it can't similarly coexist next to hardbound books (and probably, eventually, replace the cheap paperback altogether). Die-hard "I like the old, musty smell of rotting paper while reading in my bathtub" people will still be able to buy hardbacks. Paperback readers will migrate to e-books.

And yes, e-books are better for the environment: When you can replace hundreds of paper books with an electronic device the size of one of them, you are vastly saving on resources; when hundreds of books potentially landfilled are replaced with one electronic device whose components can be recycled, you are vastly saving on landfills; and growing trees do a better job sequestering carbon than a book in a plastic bag.

I read my e-books at the beach, and in bed. (I shower.)

A lot of these arguments, like the original date of this thread, are getting pretty old!

Originally Posted by Moonraker

I'm getting fed up going into bookstores.
Too often I come home with a new novel only to find that I already have it.

I keep intending to make a list of my p-books and e-books to keep on my PDA to take with me when browsing. I wish I were more organised.

Yes, it's a pain in the tuccus but it really does save you effort in the long run if your make some sort of online database of your library. It took me a week to start out with on mine but then all you have to do is remember to enter your new acquisitions in when you bring them home.

I keep an offline copy on my reader organized into "have", "need to get" and "check out". Makes life a LOT easier.

[Steven Lyle Jordan]

I work from the other side of the street: I put in my PDA a list of books I want to get, and take that with me to the bookstore (or onto Amazon, etc). Less work!

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by stxopher

Yes, it's a pain in the tuccus but it really does save you effort in the long run if your make some sort of online database of your library. It took me a week to start out with on mine but then all you have to do is remember to enter your new acquisitions in when you bring them home.

I keep an offline copy on my reader organized into "have", "need to get" and "check out". Makes life a LOT easier.

That's a great idea to keep my book list on my Sony Reader.

[slayda]

Originally Posted by Alexander Turcic

Where reading paper books is like having sex!

I must have been reading the wrong paper books all my life.

[Steven Lyle Jordan]

True. The only books I know of like that, don't require much reading...

[BuddyBoy]

Originally Posted by Alexander Turcic

Where reading paper books is like having sex

Hurumph. A good book is better than sex. It lasts for hours and hours and I don't have to make it breakfast.

[Steven Lyle Jordan]

And you never have to apologize to your book for all the other books you've read!

[Azayzel]

and it's "Ok" to judge a book by it's cover, right?

[RWood]

and I will still respect the book in the morning.

[yvanleterrible]

Oh! And how does one explain the glued up pages?

[pruss]

Originally Posted by Moonraker

I'm getting fed up going into bookstores.
Too often I come home with a new novel only to find that I already have it.

I keep intending to make a list of my p-books and e-books to keep on my PDA to take with me when browsing. I wish I were more organised.

There is software to do this with a barcode scanner. (I have an old CueCat!)