The future of books

Strangely, I enjoy reading works of fiction in a traditional book form. But when it comes to nonfiction, I prefer reading on my Kindle.

I think it’s because with nonfiction books, all I am seeking is information. I want ideas on how to invest better, market better, teach better, etc. With novels, I want to enter another world. I want to identify with the characters and infer the author’s themes. Holding a physical book helps with this mystique. I can look at my copy of Something Wicked This Way Comes and remember when I read it during the fall of 2001, and then when Ray Bradbury signed it at Cal State Bakersfield in 2007. There’s definitely sentimental value there. For the past few years I’ve taken a look at that book at the beginning of each autumn. Even if I don’t read the whole thing, I like flipping through the pages and reading excerpts because it makes me feel like Halloween is just around the corner.

With nonfiction books, I don’t have that same attachment. I don’t look fondly upon my time reading Good to Great or Linchpin. I read them for the information. They may have inspired me at times, but it was the information I was seeking, not the experience of reading the book. Therefore, ebook readers are the perfect way for me to get my nonfiction fix.