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There are certain aspects of books I "love" and, I suppose, smell might be one of them. Good typography is near the top of the list. Still, with rare exceptions, it's the content, not the physical book, that matters. Some books are works of art in themselves; some books are signed by the author; some books have personal attachments like the copy of The Wasteland I carried to Moscow and back.
But most books are words -- and on an e-ink screen or on paper, they ring as true and as powerful. Nothing is lost in e-ink sans dead tree: "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times ...".
It's not unlike the relationship to music to LPs. Some album covers are works of art in their own right; some specific LPs hold a special place in one's heart; yet most LPs are carriers of sound, like paper is for words, and the MP3 version is as good (or better) than the traditional delivery.
Bring on the e-books!
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