Found this amazing tweet some time ago: "Ever realized how ***** surreal reading a book actually is? You stare at marked slices of tree for hours on end, hallucinating vividly." Could not have said it better myself!
When I see a person reading in a park, in a café, in a park, on a bus or a train it always makes me curious and often I will try to catch a glimpse of the title - and sometimes that can even lead to a small conversation. That never happens with e-books. When I see a person reading, I instinctly feel that person is a friend. When I visit people, I always enjoy to look at their books. Books are like a part of their personalities. The books you choose to read tell a lot about your personality and your interests. And again it can lead to great conversations about books you have read and books you wish for. Private libraries - big or small - are expressions of who we are, and I think that is crucial to the human race. We have a deep need to tell the world who we are - some people use fashion and makeup, some use cars or jewelry, and some people collect books. And that can never be replaced by books on a screen. 😀
True about the e-book. I remember being a transfer student and I brought a book because phones were not allowed when the teacher is inside the classroom and my popular classmate approached me. I only brought my book to escape conversations or feeling lonely since I was a new student😂
I am always amazed at people's home libraries. Whenever a prominent politician is interviewed in his library, I marvel at the number of books he or she must have amassed over the years, to possess such an impressive library.
Sometimes I am standing in front of my (quite high) book shelf, looking at all those different books. Smiling. Thinking. Remembering. Most of them not only have a printed story inside but also a story surrounding them, which is part of my life. Sometimes there is a handwritten dedication. My kindle is just an electronic tool, indeed useful and handy. But nothing else. In a book, you can easily add notes which might be read 100 Years later by anybody else. Nobody will care about my kindle then. Yes, books will stay. Love them.
I love books.... its the hole experince: the, smell, the feel, the emotions it sparks, the imagination it triggers, and deep sense of entering the mind of the story teller. It gives me piece in a busy day, where i can shot-off the world and concentrate on this one item. Books is the only thing, besides music, that sends me in to a kind of meditive state where i replenese my mental energy and balances my psyche
@Sandy Castles Well, everyone's preference is different. Where non-fiction educates us and gives us practical knowledge, fiction fuels our creativity. Some people prefer fictional books, while some have non-fiction as their preferred type. I'm guessing you're more of a non-fiction reader.
Personally I love to have physical, tangible books. There’s something that can’t be replaced, like an infinite comfort while just sitting down in a comfy chair, being transported into another life, another era. It’s so beautiful. & personally I feel like my eyes get tired while reading on a phone while it takes longer for me to do so while reading a copy of a book. Books are so beautiful & deep.
I tried ebooks for a bit, and will still read them from time to time - but for work on my channel, I need physical books. I highlight, take notes in the margins, and turn the book into a reference that’s more useful for me than just its original text. I know kindles have highlight and notation features, but it’s one more degree removed from me just taking a pencil and jotting a note in the margin. Another great video! This is an awesome series!
meanwhile I hold most of humanity's combined knowledge including stories, which will be further added in time and a connection to countless humans in a hand
We will eventually be able to make sustainable paper from something like bamboo that can be harvested, but digital will obviously be much cheaper. However what he didn’t mention is that a library filled with books is one of the most beautiful sights in a person’s home! The colors, arrangement and everything about it is unique and should be seen for what it is ... a work of art. As beautiful as any painting. When I had my book shelves made I painted the wall behind it in red, had brown shelves and once I arranged my books on there, I literally couldn’t take my eyes off it!
I agree and feel exactly the same. Love to just sit quietly with a cup of tea, watching all my books and remembering all the stories and all the characters I have loved and/hated.
I always loved having a physical copy of a book. I recently got my library card last summer and have picked up reading as a habit again 🥰❤ I used to love reading as a kid but stopped as I got older. Now as an adult, I find true value and meaning in books and have an appreciation for them. Libraries are amazing places and aren't appreciated as much anymore nowadays 🥺 As a book lover, there's no better feeling than picking up a set of new books from the library 🥰
My younger brother introduced me to books when I was 14 in 1959. And ever since then, I have developed a lasting passion for reading. I read on average, a book a week, and derive so much enjoyment from immersing myself in a book, whether fiction or non-fiction.
I still remember the feeling of getting new books every new semester/year. Brought a sort of freshness that followed through the rest of my student life..
Very true. I love books. Some might think i have an obsession lol. And it all started in the end of 2018. And since then iv read 62 books currently on my 63rd. I believe i will always buy and read books. There’s something special about having the physical copy. I just cant do audible maybe in the future but right now ill stick to books. 📚
I believe that books are a medium that wants to be shared, and given on to others. Once I read a book, how can I keep it to myself? It makes me sad, seeing books in private libraries, stacking up, never to be read again.
The reason people have private bookshelf is a mix between keeping something that meant something to them, but also communicate outwards that they are an intellectual.
@@Lobos222 yeah, I get that ... but keeping every single book you bought and read is just trying to hold onto every single thing you have. Obviously, if you just bux books you are really sure will Impact you for years to come, keep them! But if you have a library of stuff you once read and will never again just as a display of your intellectual depth, then that's just sad. Don't get me wrong, I don't hate on people with extensive book collections, I just believe books are there to be shared, not stored. If you have a large library but share it with others, I am 100% with you :)
I have many books that I have read many times. I have lots of books that I have read 5 or 6 times. Some books I have read 8 or 10 times. And there are a few books I have read more than 15 times. Sometimes I sit and glare a my books. Then my eyes catch a book that I don't remember - then I pick it up just to read a few pages. I have realized that I forget books that I have borrowed from the library - but not the books in my own collection that my eyes catch a glimpse of every once in a while. When I die they will somehow be passed on to other people. 😀 But right now they are my books and I love them so much. 😃
@@JeDindk I love that :) the books I keep are also only the one's I'll pick up every once in a while, to read them or to just flick through the pages! Of course, those cannot be 300 books or more in total, because I would never be able to serve them all justice; but there are some which I intend to keep forever (although I might lend them to a friend here and there, so they can experience something great, too). But when I see the amount of books stacking up in my parents living room (a few hundred for sure), and I know that most of them will never be read again (some even are in second row), I cannot stop wondering why my mum wouldn't just go to the library to get books. I don't really know what purpose those books serve and I am pretty sure the are already more a burden than a blessing ... btw: how many books do you have?
@@jamodonnahan610 - I have about 1300 books. Unfortunately there are still so many books I want! 😣 I say "unfortunately" because I agree with you, when you mention the number 300. I am close to 50 and I have calculated that with my current reading speed and the expected lifespan in Denmark, where I live, I will only be able to read all my books once more. That is a very depressing thought. 😖 But that means, that I should stop buying books now. But I can't stop. Just the thought of it is about to give me a panic attack. 😁 But I can promise you, that I will never buy another bookshelf. I have room for something like another 200 volumes. If I buy more than that, I will start giving books away. I will NOT do like your parents with double rows. 😁
Thank you , thank you 🙏🏼 I have discovered that a person who has a book collection 📚 is almost always a person you are glad to know. Great people those bibliophiles. PSA... i am a bookgarden
Thank you for this video. I would question, however, this man's definition of a book. I just think it's worth reflecting sometimes on how much of our definitions of things are informed by our experiences and environment(s). Thanks again!
My parents grew up reading Chautauqua books, so I'm thankful they passed their love of reading on to me. I'm also thankful for living in a town of readers where we have used bookstores bigger than our library! Another advantage of books? You never have to charge them or replace batteries....
I really like being able to hold a book, and just flip to a random page, whether I’m rereading a book or reading it for the first time. I can just flip it until something catches my eye, unlike ebooks where I can only jump to chapters or bookmarked pages.
I remember once, my employer trow away few of books but when i see it.. it content about the fate , so kept it and it brings me so much of words to hold on..verry sentimental value for me.
Experience of turning the pages, marking some writings (the theories), and very important: the smell of book, feel it while close your eyes gon makes you fallin in love 😹😹😹
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My father is a bibliophile and when someone asks- what r u going to do with this many books?he replies -i don't buy them only for myself but for generations to come. Its inspiring to have someone like that around, you start seeing books as an investment.
I bought a digital reader years ago, and when I got my first tablet I tried digital books again. Both times it was just short term. Today I still read real books, there is no replacement for the printed word, and I can not tell you why.
Audio books were not mentioned. One distinct advantage they have is that the listener can close her eyes while digesting the information, improving focus and improving memory recall.
I loaned a copy of my huge paperback Sacajawea to my mother and didn't see it again for 15 years. She borrowed it to her sister and it made the rounds of the entire family, aunts, cousins, etc. By the time I got it back, it was in two ratty pieces held together with a rubber band.....I was happy knowing so many had read and enjoyed it. Reach for a book and you touch the stars.
I work at a school that almost have entirely gotten rid of books. We have textbooks for math and some for English classes. Everything else is digital. The library is a few iPads on a shelf and that’s it. Books are like VCR tapes. They are still around but who is profiting off of making new media on them besides for nostalgic or vintage reasons. This is excluding ministry extortion like what happens with school textbooks. Seriously college textbooks cost a lot and are always bundled with digital copies now so there’s no way to avoid buying that made of paper, paperweight.
There is something magical about holding an actual book in your hand as opposed to reading one on a tablet. Reading on a tablet makes the experience more distant while holding a book brings you closer to the text.
My Nook's battery was super fussy, but books can be read with any available light. E-Books are surprisingly expensive, but used books are dirt cheap. And while books tend to be heavy, I've never read more than one at a time. My Nook's dead and I see no reason to replace it.
All physical text sources will eventually become like vinyl records once technology becomes cheaper and more available. Ebook files are still pricey and so are the devices. Now a days EVERYONE has a cell phone. This wasnt the case even just 20 or so years ago. Most cell phones are smart devices. Once tech becomes more all encompassing and cheaper like you see in the movies physical books will fade. People still collect them though unless we move into a society of minimal tony apartments lol.
I love physical books and wish this were so. Sadly what I see from companies makes me suspect we will see them pushed out on some scare or hype. I will keep buying the physical paper books as long as I can though and much prefer them to digital media. Not to mention I actually finish reading more books I start on paper vs lower rates on digital.
Books are fundamental to our learning. My mother encouraged me to read at such a young age, and now I love reading for pleasure. I am working so hard to get my little brother to love reading too, but that 13 year old has his mind on other things.
I got a kindle for christmas, I don't remember how long ago (it's a first model). I used it for less than a year, then I went back to paper books. The holding of a book and the smell is, for me, too much of a novelty to give up.
Paper will also last longer than digital data. Doubt that? They try to access any digital documents pre-1995. If it can be found, a program to read it may not, let alone someone who knows how to use that software.
...and may I add the feel of a page, being able to riffle through the pages while thinking, the weight. Computers don't come close to the tactile friendliness of a 3-dimensional book.
Please please please tell me how you edited this video.... Please . Those transition effects are amazing. I was mesmerized more by the editing....Please 😔
What about the history of printed books in China's civil service bureaucracy examination?? This was long before guttenberg's olive press, it deserves to be acknowledged.
Well, Johannes Gutenberg's Invention had a much bigger impact than these chinese printing techniques. They were developed seperately from each other but the Chinese incorporated the German System in the 19th Century as well. So that's that. In a 3,5 minute video, I think there is only room for the more important innovations rather than interesting fun facts like this one.
@@lukasschrage8935 868 AD: oldest known printed book, the Diamond Sutra. 877 AD, math charts, vocabulary guides, etiquette instructions, funeral and wedding guides, children’s educational material, dictionaries and almanacs are being printed in China . Scrolls begin to be replaced with books. Woodblock printing is being used by Japan and Korea as well. Metalblock printing was developed and used for Buddhist and Taoist texts. 970 -1051 AD Moveable type (moveable individual letters that can be reused) is invented by Bi Sheng. Thanks to these inventions, books become prevalent in the Song Dynasty, creating a scholarly class that can become civil servants, and massive printed book collections become a status symbol for wealthy people in China. 1297 AD: Nung Shu, a treatise on agriculture and farming practices, becomes the world's first mass produced printed book (and used wood-block printing and a revolving table for more efficient typesetters). It was exported to Europe. Many of the chinese inventions it documents have been misattributed to Europeans. Why are these not important innovations? They have had profound effects on civilization, much before the Gutenberg press was invented.
I love books. I hate sponsored videos that don't even try to present reasonable arguments. "It delivered a user interface that was unlike anything people had before", "..purpose is to report our existence and leave it behind .. in a library" - you can literally make the exact same argument for any kind of computer. The only actual reasons presented are the feel and smell of a book. While _I'm_ a fan of hat, I'm not so naive as to assume that guarantees that "books are here to stay". Before books, there where stories told by actual people. You could argue that the personal transportation of knowledge has many advantages a dead object like a book or computer can never emulate. Yet books replaced story telling around camp fires completely. Sadly there is no reason that ensures that books are here to stay. The smell and touch we enjoy stems largely from positive memories about the stories we read, I'm not convinced I would be that attached to either if I had never read a book in my life. Even less so if I had instead read stories in some other device, which would have captured that place of my heart and left little room for any competition. Topic aside, I find it sad that TED is becoming less and less a place of facts and logic and more and more a platform for sponsored content. Even if I happen to like the content, at the end of the day there is nothing in this video other than some well-known history, biased opinion and groundless claims.
I think we're at a good place now. People who want to read a book and then toss if afterwards can now get ebooks. Now when we invest in the hard copy of a book, it's because we want to keep it forever and display it on our shelves and cherish. So in my opinion, that's not a waste of trees. Books used to be a waste of trees when mass produced paperbacks were still a big thing, but now ebooks have mostly replaced them :)
Books have only a marginal impact on deforestation, if any. The lumber used for paper, furniture, and construction is often farmed like any food crop. The only difference is that trees are not harvested annually. They are planted and harvested in a rotation based on a desired tree age. If you're worried about old forests, don't be. In the US at least, our forest coverage has remained fairly consistent over the last century. We realized a long time ago that we need to plant trees, if we want future trees to harvest and use. This has allowed many forests to be free of harvesting. The largest threat to forests is farmers and ranchers in third world countries. They're slashing and burning forests to grow other crops and raise animals.
@@stuartwithers8755 To add to that, the paper in books is actually made from pulp -- the waste product from trees that we are already cutting down for other purposes. I doubt if an entire tree has been cut down solely for the purpose of making books, when very little pulp can make multiple books.
Samwell Tarly: I read about it in a very old book. Gilly: You know all that from staring at marks on paper? Samwell Tarly: Yes. Gilly: You're like a wizard.
I can appreciate the sentiments around physical books, but you can't bring an entire library around with you like you can with an ereader. Ereaders are lighter and arguably more accessible due to their weight.
