Useless things
I was gleefully informed at work that the new thing I should want is an IPad. It's pretty snazzy and I suppose they are ultimately correct. I heard on NPR a generous blurb about how Kindles and IPads are not books, and the experience is different. Books don't have as many intrinsic distractions like email and blogs and news crawls not to mention a virtually infinite footnote rabbit hole like Wikipedia.
I realized then that I had abandoned books some time ago. I've gotten partway through a few of them, and I'll still devour P.G. Wodehouse on occasion, but while I read constantly, for my career and for pleasure, it's not books any longer.
I think that this is the case for our culture. LPs quickly replaced 78s, cassettes replaced 8-track, CDs replaced those and they're going away soon as well. I think we'll still see them... I've been known to play an LP or drive an antiquated car for fun. I plan to keep my books and maybe collect more since I have a warm attachment to them.
The first SF story about the demise of books that I retained was the Star Trek episode Court Martial and apparently the idea was so profound it sticks with me to this day. Kirk's defense council states that he prefers to use books instead of the ubiquitous computer. I still sympathize but more in a nostalgic way than pragmatic.
I realized then that I had abandoned books some time ago. I've gotten partway through a few of them, and I'll still devour P.G. Wodehouse on occasion, but while I read constantly, for my career and for pleasure, it's not books any longer.
I think that this is the case for our culture. LPs quickly replaced 78s, cassettes replaced 8-track, CDs replaced those and they're going away soon as well. I think we'll still see them... I've been known to play an LP or drive an antiquated car for fun. I plan to keep my books and maybe collect more since I have a warm attachment to them.
The first SF story about the demise of books that I retained was the Star Trek episode Court Martial and apparently the idea was so profound it sticks with me to this day. Kirk's defense council states that he prefers to use books instead of the ubiquitous computer. I still sympathize but more in a nostalgic way than pragmatic.