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John,
I really suggest that you see an eInk display for real before commenting on the lighting issue. You may well change your mind when you see one. You can comfortably read an eInk screen in pretty much any light that you can read a paper book in (ie many situations in which you'd need a backlight on an LCD screen).
eInk screens are opaque - they can't be backlit, so the answer to your question is self-evidently "no - there are no backlit eInk devices". They could, I suppose, use some sort of side-lighting, but that would just add to the weight and increase power consumption for something which, for many people, would be rarely wanted. You'd need some sort of light diffuser, however, for that, which would presumably lower the clarity of the display.
Personally, I just use a reading light, as I would for a book. The clip-on lights which you heap scorn upon do work extremely well for those who want such a thing.
We aren't all idiots (despite appearances to the contrary); the reason that so many of us have gone for eInk devices is that they work so well. Try and take a look at one - you might just change your mind!
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