How Important Are Books To You? What Purpose Do They Serve? Could You Go Without Them

[QuantumIguana]

Originally Posted by BWinmill

I agree that movies and television programming tends to be more shallow than books, but this has more to do with how they are produced than it has to do with their potential. Video has the potential to demonstrate ideas through motion and sound in a way that would be difficult (if not impossible) to do through the printed word. It can also replace the written word with the spoken word.

Of course, it rarely does so. I suspect that this has everything to do with production costs. Higher production costs means that you're liable to create a product that is shorter and that targets a broader demographic. That kinda kills off the notion of depth.

Video can show you something in a few seconds that would take quite a lot of text to describe. Video is highly emotionally evocative, it's much easier to stir up emotions with video than with text. But text is much more informationally dense than video is, there's only so much information you can get into hour of video. Some video is more shallow than others, of course, a PBS documentary is likely to contain more information than a History Channel video.

[Dngrsone]

Taking away my books was the worst form of punishment my parents had-- grounding did nothing if I rarely left my rooom to begin with.

Sure, I could live without books, just as I can live without internet; but it diminishes me to not have that escape, that means of exercising my brain and imagination.

[tubemonkey]

Originally Posted by QuantumIguana

Some video is more shallow than others, of course, a PBS documentary is likely to contain more information than a History Channel video.

Please tell me you're not placing PBS shows like Masterpiece Theatre and Nova above History's Appalachian Outlaws and Swamp People?

[elemenoP]

Since I was about 9 years old, I have been reading in bed to help myself fall asleep. That's a 34-year habit. Even if I accidentally fall asleep without reading, I will wake up later and then I have to read. So if I suddenly could not read, I would have severe insomnia.

eP

[Marcus365]

All great answers

[dreams]

Originally Posted by Ravensknight

I would rather die than go to the rest of my life without any books.

My exact feeling also.

Originally Posted by Marcus365

How Important Are Books To You? What Purpose Do They Serve? Could You Go Without Them?

Originally Posted by Marcus365

All great answers

Since you asked the questions, how would you answer?

[Tarana]

How Important Are Books To You? What Purpose Do They Serve? Could You Go Without Them?

Books are pretty important to me primarily for entertainment. TV shows (even Netflix movies) don't hold my attention as much as a good book. Yes, I can and have gone without books. Once I was out of college, I probably only read 12 books a year, then went 6 or 7 years without reading any novels (due to vision issues) until I discovered audiobooks. Ereaders helped a lot too.

[Sweetpea]

Originally Posted by shanghaichica

Books are really important to me. They are a source of entertainment and escapism and have been a constant companion since I was a child. I'd rather not give up books. I'd give up music, TV and the Internet before I'd give up books.

This. Except I wouldn't give up the internet, because where would I get my next book then! (I don't think I could go back to reading from paper....)

[Billi]

Originally Posted by Sweetpea

(I don't think I could go back to reading from paper....)

Then the love of books can't be so great/books can't be so important ...

[Sweetpea]

Originally Posted by Billi

Then the love of books can't be so great/books can't be so important ...

Define book... (yeay, the old argument )

A book for me is a medium on which there is written a story. The paper medium has come and gone for me, however, the electronic medium is something I cannot do without.

[Catlady]

Originally Posted by Sweetpea

Define book... (yeay, the old argument )

A book for me is a medium on which there is written a story. The paper medium has come and gone for me, however, the electronic medium is something I cannot do without.

But then you're saying that the medium is more important for you than the story/content.

[Anthem]

Books are extremely important to me. I use them for pleasure/entertainment. I use them for gathering knowledge. For thinking about big ideas. For learning.

I could go without them (I can go without alot of things) but I most certainly do not savor the possibility.

[arjaybe]

Originally Posted by Catlady

But then you're saying that the medium is more important for you than the story/content.

I took it to mean that the concept of book is more important than the medium.

[Lin2412]

Originally Posted by QuantumIguana

I could live without books if I really had to. I find it quite dull to be around non-readers, and if there were no books, life would be like that every day. But what purpose do they serve? They put words on paper, screens, scrolls, stone, clay or whatever to be read later.

I could watch movies and TV instead, but those are shallower formats. A documentary is never going to go into the detail that a book will, there just isn't time. If there were no more books, I suppose I would have to write some.

Best answer yet, in case books will be gone for good, that is, a thing that could/should never happen. Life is so dull without books. Fictional books, educational books, can't live without them.

I always thought books are there to teach us lessons that we don't need to learn by experience, sure it doesn't apply to everything but you get to see wrong actions done by some characters and once you flip through the pages to see their consequences, you are well aware you will never do things similar to those.

The same is true with looking at inspirational characters and their certain situations. The beauty with books is that it takes you anywhere your imagination can take you. It's not as limited as your tv shows where it only shows the visual details. Imagination and making your mind work up makes books the best thing ever to grace the world of learning.

[Catlady]

Originally Posted by arjaybe

I took it to mean that the concept of book is more important than the medium.

But sweetpea didn't feel able to go back to paper for books. That's saying that the digital format trumps the content.