Kindle is a modern day Trojan Horse – disguised as a reading device for book lovers, it’s really a buying device for book addicts. The pull is impossible to resist.
I walk into a bookstore, say, at the airport, look at books that intrigue me and download samples as I walk around. I get on the plane and read them; deleting the ones I don’t want, keeping the ones I do to buy “later” (the more honest word is “soon”.)
Or, a friend recommends a book and instead of making a note of it I immediately download it, feeling giddy.
Or, I’m in my Sunday spot (my sofa) reading book reviews, downloading recommended books that interest me. I feel, in words of my friend Victor, like King Midas.
I can own any book in the world in seconds without ever leaving my house. I don’t even have to turn on my computer. And it doesn't feel like a purchase. It feels like....well, a download.
Just last Saturday I bought five books in less than two minutes. Maybe my eyes were wide and I was cackling maniacally.
In sum, it’s gotten completely out of hand.
I therefore present you with my New Year’s resolution for 2010: to read at least 50% of the books on my Kindle before I can buy any more.
If you want to give me a book, however, I can’t stop you.
Photo: painting by Giandomenico Tiepolo, wikipedia
2 comments:
p.s. I LOVE audio books....but was between books when I was stuck in traffic the other day. I've now resumed my run of Private Detective genre stories!
Nice painting of the Trojan horse. As for Kindle, it's been recommended. Every time I back off from a gadget I'm reminded of the years I spent arguing against owning a computer. I was never able to get across the idea that I wasn't against computers (like I'm not against Kindles), it just wasn't right for me AT THAT TIME. I felt unable to cope with the idea of being swept away by something that would gradually take possession of my life. Now you understand. As for computers, they are my life's blood, because the life we live and the world we live in require this technology, which extends to printers, scanners, CD and DVD players, etc. and it was operationally required in order to function. But I don't own a cel phone because I don't need one. As for Kindles, I can hold off for awhile, until the stack next to my bed dwindles a bit. And after a week like the past one, where I read the same page every night without being able to progress even one more paragraph, I'll just support your decision with my own experience. You can scan lots of books but there are just so many you can read.
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