Books

The world of eBooks is not new. They have been around for awhile, whether on a dedicated reader or just a computer or PDA. But they haven’t really taken off. The market is plagued with high prices and relatively small selection. Plus, it is hard to compete with good old paper. It is difficult to improve on something that has not only stood the test of time but also changed the world as we know it.

Amazon recently released an eBook reader called the Kindle. It started selling on Nov. 19th 2007 for $399 and was completely sold out until recently. It is about the size of a paperback book, but a little thinner. The Kindle utilizes an eInk display, which reads just like ink on paper, to prevent eye strain. One of the key features that sets the Kindle apart from other eBook readers is it’s wireless connectivity. You can connect directly to the Kindle store and download books all through the device itself with no monthly charge.

I received my Kindle at the beginning of February and I absolutely love it. This is my first foray into the world of eBooks and the Kindle has been an excellent host. At first, I was extremely skeptical about the device. I had heard about it through many different blogs and podcasts but it just never caught my attention. I thought it was neat, but still more of the same thing. Mainly it was the price that held me back. I couldn’t imagine paying so much for this device. After hearing more about it, I decided to hit up the product page for more information. That is when it got me.

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In our increasingly busy lives, there is less time to do everything that enters our life. This forces us to make choices. One of these choices deal with entertainment.

I am having an internal struggle over the decision to choose a form of entertainment. Currently I’m a total TV junkie. I love TV shows and have 23 season passes set up in my TiVo. I have intense loyalty to my TV shows, I mean I am still watching Lost after the numerous let downs and frustrations.

At the same time, I love to read books. Books are one of the greatest sources of entertainment. It is great to be able to picture the story in my own way and be immersed in the world. The problem is my stack of books that need to be read is large and growing.

I have a limited amount of time to devote to entertainment, and currently TV is the winner. TV isn’t as rewarding as a book, but is much easier to absorb. You can have TV on while doing something else and still enjoy your show. TV is the low hanging fruit that is easy to grasp but contains the occasional worm.

TV can be extremely entertaining, but can leave you with endless unanswered questions (LOST). This helps the networks boost future ratings, but is very frustrating. You can also get involved with a show that ends up being cancelled due to low ratings. Now you are stuck with a story that was never finished properly. Also, TV shows are developed to run on for a long time, this can lead so a series finale that is unsatisfying. It can feel unfinished, like it should go on.

Books on the other hand are high up in the tree. They are difficult to obtain, but twice as large and extremely juicy. Books entertain you for a longer period of time and feel more rewarding. After a book, you feel a great sense of accomplishment.

Although books are more rewarding, they require a lot more energy and devotion. When reading a book, you need to devote all your attention to the book. Unlike TV, you cannot read a book and do homework at the same time. Also, it is hard to determine whether a books is going to be good off the bat. Sometimes you will be one third of the way through before it really turns good.

With so much of my time already invested in TV, I am having a hard time giving more of it to books. I need to find a way to get off of TV and onto books and feel good about it.

TV is the low hanging fruit that has the occasional worms. Books are the hard to reach, yet plump and rewarding fruit at the top. This is my battle through the tree to get the good stuff on top.