Wednesday, November 21, 2007

The Amazon Kindle

Amazon has released a handheld electronic book reader. It has free wireless access for downloading books and some limited ability to write and send email.

AWFUL AWFUL AWFUL
Now, I admit that I have not tried this or any electronic book reader. Perhaps my snap judgement is part of why I'm not a well-known book-industry pundit. BUT, I could NEVER give up reading real books. I love paging through a book, I love hating the books that have pages with slightly different-sized pages. I am a dog-earer. I also love the weight of a pile of books as I walk home from the library. In fact, one of the best moments of my week (or month) is getting into bed with five new books from the library and re-reading their jackets to decide which one to read first.

To add insult to injury, Amazon is now SOLD OUT of this product and Michael Lewis (whom I idolize) has endorsed it as a great product. Traitor!
My Aunt Ellen pointed out that I read the newspaper online, something she would never do. Good point. Now I know how she feels.