Why e-books?

[Luffy]

Originally Posted by HarryT

I wouldn't even try to persuade someone who doesn't enjoy reading. I wouldn't want someone nagging me to watch soap operas when I get no enjoyment at all from them. We all have different tastes.

Nevertheless, I've tried to persuade my mother to switch to books on grounds of inference. You see, I myself have stopped watching movies, and TV stuff. I've also stopped buying singles and albums, given that I don't find modern music appealing. I just think that there's an outside chance that she'll take to books naturally.

So I think there's a chance that she'll enjoy reading. What do you suggest now?

[Luffy]

Originally Posted by spindlegirl

I'm getting older and am downsizing my physical stuff gradually. Books are among them. I'm losing my sentimentality for the paper kind, and am getting down to a precious few. By the time we're done, people who judge others by "how full of books their home is" will determine at first sight, that we don't read much! But I have 500 books on my devices, and love the freedom.

Is there any book among these 500 that you love to re read? I'm asking because I have about the same number of books, and recently I've gone from never re reading any book, to re reading the same book multiple times.

[spindlegirl]

Originally Posted by Luffy

Is there any book among these 500 that you love to re read? I'm asking because I have about the same number of books, and recently I've gone from never re reading any book, to re reading the same book multiple times.

There are several. I have favorites that I revisit every couple years or so, or when a "new" read just isn't doin' it for me.

[barryem]

I do that, too. There are at least a dozen and maybe more books that I've re-read every few years for the past 60 or so years. I recently read Edgar Rice Burroughs "Tarzan of the Apes", which is the first book I ever read, probably about 70 years ago. I hadn't read it since then and I'm surprised at how good it is. I kind of doubt that I understood much of it the first time although I don't recall not understanding it.

I first read Pearl S Buck's "The Good Earth" sometime around 1956 or so and I've read it every few years since. I have a lot of books I do that with.

I generally forget enough detail in that time that it's pretty new to me when I re-read it.

Barry

[Barty]

Originally Posted by barryem

I kind of doubt that I understood much of it the first time although I don't recall not understanding it.


Barry

I know the feeling. I read Les Miserables when I was 10 (I didn't have a lot of choices in reading material). I wonder now how much I understood, but I ploughed through it with the fearlessness of youth. I got all the plot points at least.

[Fiat_Lux]

Originally Posted by spindlegirl

By the time we're done, people who judge others by "how full of books their home is" will determine at first sight, that we don't read much!

Keep a bookcase full of books for people like that, and never mention the 40,000 books from Project Gutenburg on your computer.

But I have 500 books on my devices, and love the freedom.

The received wisdom, based on research done decades ago, is that in a home wtih 500 books in it, the reading level of each child is 2.3 years above that of their classmates.

Amber

[spindlegirl]

Originally Posted by Fiat_Lux

Keep a bookcase full of books for people like that, and never mention the 40,000 books from Project Gutenburg on your computer.



The received wisdom, based on research done decades ago, is that in a home wtih 500 books in it, the reading level of each child is 2.3 years above that of their classmates.

Amber

Indeed, all my children have grown up loving reading.

[Alohamora]

Why e-books?

Save on heating bills. With paper books, I had to keep my bedroom warm enough to hold a book open above the blankets. With tablet in one hand, I can lay on my side, fully under the electric blanket, reading all snug and cozy.

Mostly kidding there, but everyone else already mentioned the main benefits of space and being easier on 40+ y.o. eyes.

[avid01]

I always wanted to read the (legally freely available) content from the Internet more comfortably than a computer screen allows.

[Sweetpea]

Originally Posted by spindlegirl

Indeed, all my children have grown up loving reading.

My parents had a huge library of books and my older brother and me devoured it. Which is probably why my younger brother never got into reading

He only started some serious reading once he started to play Warhammer with his friends (with real hand-made manikins and terrains, on an old train table of my father's). He often was the story teller in these games, thus needed to read to have stories to tell.

He's still not as big a reader as his two siblings, so even having a lot of books doesn't make a person into a reader...

[PurpleStar]

Originally Posted by johnnelsonus256

As per my busy schedule, I don't have enough time to read books. But now I used to read ebooks on my iPhone when I am travelling in a train....I can spend my travelling hours with ebooks...

John Nelson

I do the same on the bus. Although one time I was so engrossed in a book I almost missed my stop. Lucky I looked where I was on time!

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by HarryT

I wouldn't even try to persuade someone who doesn't enjoy reading. I wouldn't want someone nagging me to watch soap operas when I get no enjoyment at all from them. We all have different tastes.

It sound's like Mom doesn't know if she'd like to read and if afraid to take that first step in case she does because it would eat into her watching rubbish on TV.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by Luffy

Is there any book among these 500 that you love to re read? I'm asking because I have about the same number of books, and recently I've gone from never re reading any book, to re reading the same book multiple times.

What sort of TV shows does your mom watch? maybe we can recommend something based on what she watches.

[Dazrin]

Originally Posted by PurpleStar

I do the same on the bus. Although one time I was so engrossed in a book I almost missed my stop. Lucky I looked where I was on time!

Only one time? I have missed my stop at least half a dozen times and I can't remember how many times I have almost missed it. Oh well, means I get 15 more minutes to read while waiting for the train back to my stop.

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

It sound's like Mom doesn't know if she'd like to read and if afraid to take that first step in case she does because it would eat into her watching rubbish on TV.

There's just as much rubbish printed in books as is broadcast on TV. I certainly wouldn't assume that switching from watching soap operas to reading would automatically equate to an increase in intellectual stimulation (and reading doesn't necessarily have to be intellectual, of course - nothing wrong with reading trashy books for fun if that's what you enjoy).