Why You Should Read Physical Books 

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For me e-reader got me hooked on reading. Physical books always feel cumbersome to lug arround and I often read in places with dim light, so a backlight helps a lot. I also like the space saving, I don't have the room to present my books.

One thing we should build over our lifetime is a personal library. It's a time capsule of our life's intellectual journey. To me, building a digital library is possible but nowhere near as satisfying.

The main advantages of an ereader for me are the built in dictionary, built in light, and the ability to change the font size.

It’s just so much easier for me to see my kindle. I love physical books, but at 52 with not great eyes, it’s really helpful to use the kindle.

Why I read from Kindle only: 1. For me most books have way too small font to read comfortably 2. I hate holding paper books 3. My Kindle fits perfectly into my jacket's pocket 4. I can take many books with me wherever I go -> reading multiple books at the same time 5. Capability of reading books without night table light and waking up my wife 6. Usually lighter than a physical book 7. I never take notes, I guess my memory is good enough 8. Ebooks are usually cheaper and paper versions 9. I read better on my Kindle compared to paper book as paper book lines are in arch and not straight Why I would read a paper book: 1. If someone gives it as a gift, but also then I rather search it up as ebook and read with my Kindle

Three reasons I love reading physical books: 1. The feeling of paper 2. The sound of turning the page 3. THE SMELL!(yes I am one of those weirdos who sniff books)

Sometimes if you see somebody reading a physical book in public or the book is on their shelf it can spark a conversation that might not have happened otherwise. It’s not possible to know what somebody is reading if they are just staring at their Kindle or phone. Ultimately reading is a solitary experience, but a book can also trigger a serendipitous encounter with a stranger or spark a conversation between friends. I’ve discovered many great books this way and I also love sharing my thoughts on my reading with others.

With respect to the “memory” aspect - I’m a very spatial thinker and when I recall sections I think of where on a page it was (L/R, top/bottom), which makes it easier to re-find later and also I think contributes to my remembering better than on a kindle!

In about 2011 I switched completely to an e reader and thought of getting rid of my physical books - glad I got over that phase! Nothing like turning a page, underlining sentences, writing notes in the margin. Nothing like curating a collection of books that mean the world to me, which I can view on my bookcase any time I am in the room, and be filled with good feelings. There is nothing at all like browsing in the library, or a used bookstore for some treasure I hadn't heard of a million times on social media!

One of the most important arguments that is pro e-reader and not always mentioned is the sheer number of books that are available for free in many languages (e.g. most classics are free and available as epubs or you could even convert something like a wikipedia article into an epub). And reading from a website on a desktop computer is extremely shitty compared to reading from a nice e-ink device. Plus, many dictionaries are available for kindle or in stardict format which mean you can easily look up words (not just in foreign languages but in your native language too, you don't know all the words even as a native and it's easy to ignore important but unknown words). And sharing DRM free epubs is way way way easier than sharing physical books, although I understand and agree that it's not the same. That being said, I prefer physical books as well for books that are easy to find and buy.

I couldn't agree more with the "remember more" section, whenever I read an ebook it feels like everything I've just read has fade away from my mind, it's a waste of time for me. And there's nothing like the feeling of seeing a full bookshelf and going back to books you read a long time ago just to see what you wrote there and remember the feeling.

I love my kindle, and I read on it daily, but when it’s a book that is a reference book or something I want to keep permanently for my personal library (cook books, gardening books, Gone With the Wind, The Pillars of the Earth, Lord of the Rings etc) then I will keep a physical copy. I prefer physical copies of reference books because it’s easier for me to flip through a physical book for some obscure detail.

The studies on retention of digital v paper are far from conclusive imo. The ones I’ve seen either have unfair comparisons, say comparing reading a book to reading articles on the web, or the results are far less clear than the headlines they produce. One that I saw quoted as proving retention was better with books, actually showed that was true for younger children but not true or even flipped for older students. Still it’s an interesting topic. I love reading and the format that comes in doesn’t bother me too much. I own hundreds of books and quite a few ereaders. Anything that gets people reading is good.

I find varying my reading style helps me accommodate my disability. Physical books can make my eyes strain and make me more fatigued, but I enjoy it and find it more relaxing. Audiobooks make it easier for me to focus and multitask but occasionally my ears just turn off and don’t process anything and I have to rewind. And ebooks are great when library options aren’t available and I am saving money, but definitely mess with my sleeping issues. If I know what mood I’m in that day, I can pick the type of reading that works best for me. I love to collect my favorites in physical form though!

I prefer an e-reader for several reasons, but a big advantage is that it is much easier to check out and return e-books to the public library, especially if you live in a rural area.

As a disabled person I find a small tablet with stylus and options for screen adjustments for i.e. 11" or less is rather handy esp for pdfs. I really like the convenience the e-ink kindle. But for storage physical book can be a bit cumbersome. The brilliant thing about the tech side is you can keep a huge library with you and thousands of old classic are now free. But you as you say always have the option of curating your favourites or important books (eps for grid down scenarios) as your physical book collection. I still like, prefer even, to use physical notebooks. Overall the options to mix and match is great.

I have been a kindle reader for a year or so now, due to travelling around Australia and not being able to take a stack of books with me. I do really miss having the physical copy of a book in my hands, and when I was kindly gifted one recently I found I was more likely to pick up the book and read it than I had been likely to pick up my kindle. Now I am settled in a more permanent location, I think I will go back to physical copies of books, and save the kindle for when I am travelling. Great video, mate!

For me :fiction on my kobo, non fiction physical book (or audiobook). I used to struggle a bit with non fiction coz I'd want to make notes but not while i was trying to read. Recently i started using a blank piece of paper as my bookmark and just noting down the pages to come back to. Eg: quote on page 17. Then when I'm finished the book i can flick through the book and make notes in my journal from the relevant parts.

Enjoyable podcast. Thank you for making it entertaining with your changes of venue and props and of course, the well thought-out content.

You posted this right before I was about to pick up my kindle and read haha. I love kindle sometimes but physical books just can’t be beaten

Sorry, but my wrists and my thumbs greatly appreciate the kindle especially with those long classics. Not going back if I don't have to.

I would like to know if the research considered the difference between e-readers (e-ink display and no distractions) and computers/tablets/smartphones (led display and a lot of distractions). Also, you can still “dog mark” pages (flag) on e-book and copy quotes/make notes, both digitally or physically.

I ran out of space in my room for physical books, hence why I now use my kindle and audiobook more. If I read a physical book now it's either borrowed or a gift from someone because I literally would have to start stacking them on the floor to keep collecting more.

I totally agree. I never got a Kindle, but have tried reading books on a computer or phone, but just can't get into reading that way. It's too easy to get distracted and tap 'New Tab' and do something else. I also love looking at my books--don't have much space for them, but the ones I keep are a memory capsule.

I really like how your videos are varied and you're clearly documenting your self improvement.

I find the most enjoyment I have is going to a different library a few times a month in addition to reading on my kindle. You never know what you're going to find and that's fun for me. A mixture of both physical and kindle seems to be working in addition to being more open with my TBR.

I buy paper books in Ukrainian. It supports the publishing here and makes my room look brighter with the nice row of books in the cabinet.

I read novel in my second language and dictionary in kindle was a life saver for me

You're so right about the quote part. By highlighting quotes on a kindle, it's done immediately. But by making of note of quotes I like, and going back in order to get them down, I experience the quote twice, I digest it twice, etc

I moved abroad and the English sections of the bookstore are quite small, understandably. Ebooks it is!

I've always found that reading on a screen makes what I read easier to remember. Also, I never DNF'd a book in my life before I had a Kindle. Even if I hated the book, I would finish it. I use my Kindle for genre fiction, and I do like being able to change the font size. I don't see any value in reading more quickly. And I would never read a book on my phone!

OMG - Gombrich’s The Story of Art was a textbook in a college Humanities class 30 years ago! Blast from the past that I still own. I’ve started buying and reading more physical books the last few years as well.

Reading books on my phone makes my eyes feel tired very quickly. When I read on paper it often takes 100 pages or even more until my eyes get tired - in other words, I will never get tired during a regular reading session with a physical book

i love physical books, i've always been 100% for them. I've also been considering getting a kindle for years because of the convenience. i really enjoy reading on my kindle app, and i think I'm much faster reading that way, plus i like seeing the percentages of how much I've read and how much is left of the book. but i don't think i could ever give up my compulsion to hoard physical books, and there's just something especially cosy about reading from a physical book instead of a screen. so i think for me, I'll probably settle somewhere in the middle. I'll get a kindle and use it for travel since it's much easier than lugging around physical copies. i'll buy both the ebook and physical copies of books i like (so if i bought it on kindle first i'll go out and get the physical copy, and if i bought the physical copy first i'll buy the ebook too so i'll always have it when I'm out and about in case i want to re-read), that way i can better support the author too. :) i think people who refuse one or the other are missing out. i see having both options as a win-win for sure. 👌

I would say, as someone who prefers physical books, that there are free-to-download books which I could never dream of being able to find in a physical form, and from that perspective, the e-readers are excellent.

I'm that weirdo that enjoys and buys both, though I can't stand that an e-book is often licensed and not owned, I take that into consideration. Also reading Consider Phlebas, no spoilers please :D

For some reason I focus WAY better on my kindle. Maybe bc the font is bigger and the other words on the page don’t distract me. I also don’t see the amount of pages I have left. Because of this is read WAY faster on my kindle. I also LOVE laying in bed comfortably to read. I do however have a big physical library. There’s something so magical about owning the physical books. (I’ll often end up reading my physical books on my kindle though)

I love that the add before this video was from audible. Consider me amused.

I think this is a good approach. I don't like those people that say "ebook are not real books", because in the end the content is still there, and I think it's just snob behaviour. My dad has been a librarian his whole life and he likes ebooks because he can increase the size of the words now that he's old and has sight issues. That said, I mainly read on paper and I agree that I feel like understanding better the book when I read it on a physical copy. Now that I live abroad in a country I don't speak the local language of, I struggle to find physical books (book in english are much more expensive and I can't find book in my native language or a little selection in the library) so every time I go home half of my luggage is books. I could easily buy an e-reader but I just prefer this way.

I completely agree with your views of physical books. I learn best from kinetic reading...the physical act of opening a book, touching the pages, and turning them as I read. I even connect with the smell of them. I underline and annotate important ideas and tab sections. It is how I learn best.

I have a kindle and I do use it but I’d choose a physical book over it any day! There’s just something special about a physical book

I enjoy physical books. I have a Kobo, with a lot of great books on it to read. Instead I read library books with a great selection and free. A lot of the time the librarian talks about the books or suggests books. I also love Audible Books. Great video.

I love the feeling of physical books, especially when I‘m annotating while reading, but since I have a chronic pain issue in my wrists I got an E-Reader and enjoy using it just as much - but I still need to read some books in their physical form if I can, it just depends! :)

My eyes and I had a discussion a while back. They asked if I could read physical books since I looked at screens all day.

I start all my books on my kindle and if I really like it I buy the phyical copy. I highlight on my kindle and then every 100ish pages I go into the book with really pretty tabs and I take my time underlining it in the book with a ruler and a pen. I don't like stopping and underlining when I#m reading because it really interrupts my flow. I also read lying down and I hate hate hate holding books up, over my head, or switching sides every page. So, I read on my kindle and the "chosen ones" get a physical space on my bookshelf, I love flipping through the pages and re-reading the pages that really made me feel something.

I don't know, but I can never hang onto a digital book. Having a physical copy reminding me every day about its existence makes it much more likely for me to read it and actually comprehend it easily. Most people say it is a waste of money, but come on for literature?!

You can get Frixon high lighters that you can use in your book or pens that use to under line text but it depends on the paper in the book you can use tabs or flags as well.

Have they done researches for audiobooks? I feel like that's my favorite mode of reading.

Thank you For this videos , I still Read physicals books

For me i use my kindle for fiction and buy physical books for non fiction or books i know I’ll want to read multiple times and annotate

I normally use ebooks to get out of a reading slump or to motivate me to read my main books. I like reading books which are on the darker side so I use ebooks to read the books I normally wouldn’t buy/a bit more lighthearted (romance, ya, and ya fantasy, or ones I’m just hesitant on). They’re also the books I don’t annotate too heavily so I have no problem with simple highlighting and small comments with ebooks.

Yes, this is exactly how I feel. I see ebooks and audio books in the same vain- convenient and great sometimes but not as satisfying as a physical book.

Many good points and I agree with them. The thing is that ebooks are often cheaper so if you're on a budget or you don't want to spend 1000$ on book every year not knowing if you'll like them or not, ebooks will make you save a lot of money. At the end of the day, what matter is to actually read!

I’m visually impaired and the Kindle allows me to read. Not only can I enlarge the font, but in order for me to read a physical book I have to hold it very close to my face and that hurts my arms after a while. The Kindle is lightweight and makes it possible for me to hold it up.

Pros & cons of physical books and digital books (atleast for me): Physical books: authentic. It always feels good when I hold a physical book compared to digital. It's less stressful for eyes. Easy to track pages. But it takes lots pf spaces and is hard to carry alot of physical books at once. I always take good care of my books that it looks exactly like new ones even after finishing reading. And to keep the book like new one isn't easy. I always open the book at 45° angle so that there won't leave any mark of book folds. And this is really hard reading especially when I'm reading for hours. So physical books need more time and attention span for me. Digital books: easy to carry. Take less time to read. Cheaper than the physical books. Don't take actual spaces. And stay with you forever even after ages (unless you delete after reading). Have inbuilt dictionary which is really a big plus point. But even though I use Kindle, it's still painful for my eyes especially when I'm reading for long hours. And it's hard to track pages.

I agree with you however, i download free books from the internet, because books are a lot of expensive and in this way i can save a lot of money. I prefer a thousand times reading a physical book (the smell, the touch, the experience) but it costs less reading on a phone/tablet/kindle.

I looked at the same studies, the meta analysis is flawed because: the vast, vast majority of people are trained how to tread physical books, yet not even encouraged to read audiobooks or ebooks. The studies show that physical (like paper vs tablets) retention in learning can help. that can be done by taking physical notes from an ebook, or use the audiobook app to make notes, or keep a common place notebook. I say this is both based on the science = if we were to begin giving our kids the choice of all three formats - then maybe we could make an argument on which is best? Until then we have a bias to books ;) I saw this in the Bank and at school. I have always used audiobook when available, ebooks (being in Canada) have been a godsend. I can tell you my retention is as good, or even better than my cohorts in school and at the bank. Was I great day one? No, but neither are we when we begin to read. I find this discussion funny as none seen to see the ineradicable bias in education towards one format, and yet assume that is natural.

That's great as long as you CAN read physical books; I have the body of a stroke survivor and the eyes of a diabetic, however, so they're not always, or even often, an option for me. Obviously there's bound to be some books you can only adequately consume in physical form, especially if they rely heavily on illustrations, but if we're dealing with something that's just plain text like an ordinary novel then I'm going to take the electronic option. The point you make about shareability is pretty much the only one that I wouldn't dispute from my own experience.

Not one to comment on vids usually but have to say a fantastic choice of book for 3:02 😂 To be fair never seen that one. Anyway thanks for sharing this great, well produced video!

What i hate about ebooks is that you can't share or resell them. I recently discovered a whole new world of borrowing and swapping stuff with my friends and now how am i supposed to do that. 😭 (but we found a way to share ebooks to 👀)

thank you for your video joel. i got really jealous with your bookstores in your country. Here in Vietnam, there're few truly genuinely valuable bookstore. in my city, there're, like, 4 of 'em. and about 70-80% of 'em are self-help books, textbooks, mangas and romcom light novels, which really put me off when trying to find a book to read. that's why, for me rn, kindle is a more practical option, though i much much prefer physical books and always hope to place a big bookshelf full of books in my room

As someone with a visual impairment who doesn't know how to read braille, I never got taught because my sight isn't bad enough, audiobooks are amazing and my only way that I can enjoy reading

I always hated e-books, but since in my country not even 1% are translated or even in stores i downloaded a e-book and audiobook platform. Although im first to vouch for physical books in this time where i don't really have the money or place to buy books just using a free trial is amazing

you can never change my mind

Never looked at kindle. I've got over 500 books, some in Florida, most in two locations in Michigan.

Reading a physical book takes me an amazingly long time. I haven't tried e-books though

Link for those studies?

I gave eBooks a try several years ago because there was one book I wanted that was only available as an eBook. I bought the book and read it and then went on to read a couple of others....but it was just very unsatisfying. This was a Kobo reader. Ergonomically it was fairly comfortable but it just wasn't for me. As for notes, what I do is to write brackets around the section I want to take a note on and then in the endpages of the book write down the page number and associated note there.

Reading physical books is almost free if you hit the library or thrift stores. I've picked up 7 new books at thrift stores or used book stores this last month for about $5.

I find it easier with an e-reader. I don’t have space or money for physical books. And they’re heavier to carry. And also I dont like the feeling of paper in my hands some times (autistic things). I prefer paper for writing

Personally i get more distracted when i read physical book. I recently got a kindle and read my first book on it that i need for school and i finished it in just a few days. I'm sure this wouldn't happened if this was a physical book.

Heya, could you provide a link to the study you mentioned in your first point?

I read fiction on my Kindle. but non fiction I like reading on paper.

I deliberately avoid smart phones and only use the cheapest flip phone I can find. I've also eschewed e-readers, favoring printed books and periodicals. But now I am seriously considering getting a basic Kindle. The reason: establishments with waiting areas, like auto repair shops, barber shops, and doctor's/dentist's offices have largely ceased stocking reading materials to peruse while you wait. Such places often had extensive varieties of periodicals piled about. They realized most people prefer to amuse themselves with their phones while waiting and decided to eliminate the expense of magazine subscriptions. This will probably be the only way I'll use an e-reader, but for me it is a big concession. It is tough to resist the prevailing culture.

I read romance or whatever book I don’t want to be caught in public with on my ereader and I also read physical books cause physical books just hits diff. I like reading using both

I love both but for me it all comes down to space. I love physical books but im in a small room and space is very limited.

i don't know man, at this point in time physical books just feel dirty, maybe the print quality dropped along these years but everytime i leaf through a physical book i need to wash my hands because the ink and stuff is on my hands, not that my hands are actually inky or something but it needs washing all the same. Now there are books that demand a more spacious representation than most readers will allow to get a fuller picture like a textbook or a manual or a more concept rich book. Sometimes it will benefit your reading if you could constantly leaf back and forth between some concepts etc. But a paperbook also won't do justice to this reading technique. So hardcovers are expensive too. It's complicated.

I prefer my ereader because of the bigger font. 😊

I own a Kobo Clara HD, and it makes me feel like I'm not wasting money when I don't like what I'm reading. I read all my downloaded e-books to the end, and then I decide if I want to have a physical copy of it, so I end up buying books I really really liked, and stop hoarding books that I just bought for whatever reasons and that I ended up not liking!

U gave me a new way to start reading tho. No wonder i read so slow

I have a book in my library that has a little flip book animation of a starship exploding on the top corner and you don’t get that same thing on electronic copy

Gifting a book with a handwritten message can change lives.

Do you annotate the books you read?

I love and prefer physical books but the kindle is essential for self-published stuff

I’m sorry, but for me personally I don’t get joy from holding a book. I prefer being able to have them all digitally. Also eBooks are way easier to share. Only yesterday my sister and I were talking and she recommended a book to me. She apologised for not being able to lend me her copy as she was visiting from out of town and it was at home. Also I could never write in a book or especially dog ear a page, so the digital notes in the book bring me immense joy.

I love reading and collecting physical books, but because of space, recently bought an Amazon Kindle.

I like physical books a lot more, but lately I've been running out of space, so I've started to consider buying a kindle.

Physical books (I read only fiction don’t judge lol) are just nice to look at. When I read at night I use one of those 10 dollar Amazon grandma lights that attach to the back.

I tried a kindle but quickly realised the experience just wasn't for me. I love books, actual books! 📖📚

I prefer reading most books in my kindle. But for studying I prefer paper

In my country books are so expensive and an english book, untranslated can cost close to a thousand liras which is crazy. I can download the pdf of whatever i wanna read for free if it's available. Digital makes reading accessible when money is an issue, sadly.

I have been reading physical books my whole life but my eyesight has been deteriorating progressively. I am thinking of starting audiobooks but I'm not happy about it 😫

I can reference bible scripture better when I read the physical book verses e-reading, or audio bible. In those cases I would have to relay on typing the bit I do remember into google.

The sharing thing is very curious, when people share me a physical book or game, im pretty much 90% sure i will read/play it. When people just send me a link i will very much likely ignore it, and forget about it some minutes later. There's some kind of subliminal vet with physical media, someone buy this thing i took the time and effort to bring it to me, so maybe deep in my mind im thinking its more likely to be good.

For me I don’t care to “remember “ everything because I read fiction books on my kindle. BUT for academic reading I would never use a kindle. I would most likely use a physical book or e-book on a laptop. Kindle for me is a fun hobbit

I would love to hve more physical books. But E-books are cheaper, plus I don't live in a 3 bedroom appartmnt. I have minimal space 😂 and having an e-reader saves up 2K+ book spaces I don't have

just live in argentina! the books prices are around 20 dollars, and the wage salary is 500 dollars😭

Idk I feel like I read way faster on my kindle. When I read physical books I’m more likely to lose where I am on the page, and I kind of just want to put it away. I’m more likely to pick up and read an ebook instead of a physical book. 🤷

the reason why physical book are still being around is you own it :D forever