My mother-in-law does her Christmas shopping (and mailing) early. She also gives wonderful presents. So last week a Kindle, or more correctly an Amazon Kindle 2, arrived on our doorstep. My wife, who is a major reader, took to it immediately. Within five minutes she had ordered her book club's most recent selection and was happily pushing a button to turn the pages. The price for the e-book was about half what a hard copy would have cost.
I'm writing all of this because I think the Kindle is yet another example of a product that saves money, makes life easier, and helps the environment all at the same time. In the United States alone, 30 million trees are cut down every year for book production. Deforestation is a major cause of global warming. Wouldn't it be better for the environment if we all purchased bytes instead of actual paper?
I think the newspaper business is a perfect example of what will become of physical books. In the past, people were paying good money to have a newspaper delivered to their door, then they read it once and threw it away. What an incredible waste of our natural resources. Today the internet is rapidly making the newspaper business obsolete. I think the Kindle is the killer application that will make physical books a thing of the past. The handing down of knowledge through the printed word has been a force for good on this planet for hundreds of years, but I think the age of the book is coming to an end. If we can share our thoughts and dreams more easily, more cheaply, and in a greener fashion, then I say hello Kindle, so long books.
Recent Comments