I'd suggest that what was presented, while a way to arrive at the solution from a different path, is actually quite pragmatic and not too convoluted (a hallmark of Goldberg). Of course, I tend to think of most Goldberg methods to be quite practical.

A possible Rube Goldberg solution would be to have a ball roll down a ramp into a boot on pole pinned at the top. This would swing as a pendulum into a lever that opens a rabbit cage and sets off a firecracker. The scared rabbit would bolt from its cage past a dog tethered to winch. As the dog runs after the rabbit the winch would unwind and a step-down gear would move a pointer that activates the switch on the Android to page through the e-book.