Rod's Ramblings: What's the Value of Books? Part 2

1 Conversation

Rod is still pondering the nature of books

Having been born into and brought up in a world where books were, for us common folk, the only repository of and virtually the only agent of, dissemination of human knowledge and imagination, I am almost persuaded that the answer is, nowadays, "Not Much" or perhaps even "Very Little".

There are, of course, some of us who retain their love, respect and reverence for books, but is that true for the upcoming generation and their followers-on?

The advent of t'Internet, along with eReaders and their like, mean that the value of books has diminished and the trend seems likely to continue and here's an example.
On the way out of my town, set back from the road, just before it turns into the highway to Christchurch, is a sizable second-hand outlet. When we first started visiting and when we moved here, there was, each day (weather permitting) a large table with raised edges, full of... Books. Inside there were two long aisles lined with… Books.
Nowadays the books are relegated to a corner on the mezzanine floor and the proprietor confirmed my surmise – not much trade these days.

Can you get a sensual feeling from handling your eReader as you can from a nice, leather-bound, seemingly flimsy-paged book such as my handed-down bible?

The world moves on ... some things are lost while more are gained.

Articles by Rod

Rod

26.01.15 Front Page

Back Issue Page


Bookmark on your Personal Space


Entry

A87847050

Infinite Improbability Drive

Infinite Improbability Drive

Read a random Edited Entry


Written by

Credits

Disclaimer

h2g2 is created by h2g2's users, who are members of the public. The views expressed are theirs and unless specifically stated are not those of the Not Panicking Ltd. Unlike Edited Entries, Entries have not been checked by an Editor. If you consider any Entry to be in breach of the site's House Rules, please register a complaint. For any other comments, please visit the Feedback page.

Write an Entry

"The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy is a wholly remarkable book. It has been compiled and recompiled many times and under many different editorships. It contains contributions from countless numbers of travellers and researchers."

Write an entry
Read more