What is a Book?

A book is a container for words. There is nothing special to reading a book or reading a book on an electronic device. What is the difference between opening a book and turning on a Kindle? Nothing. They both have words and have the book and the author. The only thing different is the fact that you are reading a book off pages or electronic pages. You can still use your imagination if you are reading off a book or an electronic device. There is no difference. I agree with Victor LaValle on his argument that, “books are no more divine than a toaster,” and that is because it is true.

A book just contains words. Nothing more. I can read off a Kindle or an iPad and still imagine myself as a star baseball player or being richer than Bill Gates. I read off a Kindle and prefer it because it is smaller. I don’t like carrying a 300+ page book around when I can carry a slim electronic device. And ebooks are cheaper than a hardback or paperback. I can save money, still read the same exact words, and still imagine what the characters look like, how I would act if I’m in a situation like that, where I would fit a character and so on. Also I can download more books on the same device rather than carry 2, 3, 4, or 5 books at a time.

So why carry multiple books around when you can carry a device with many? I don’t know why you would rather than the fact that you can get a book from a library or it is more convenient than getting the book on your device at the time. I love to read from a book or from a device but I prefer the device. It is easier to carry around and I can have more books on there than I would want to carry.