In a recent post I wrote about how during the American Revolution it was the printed page that was the social vehicle that provided the touch-stone tool that ignited the hearts and minds (think social) of the people to rise up against their oppressors... (http://torreyrussell.blogspot.com/2011/07/revolutions-are-social-events-in-1776.html ) and that in this modern age, Twitter, Facebook and the internet have provided those platforms from which The Workers are unshackling themselves from their gray cubicle desks and the demons and dictators that try to rule them. This is happening right now around the globe in ever increasing numbers. The stars are now aligned, there is no turning back - the tipping point has been reached.
And now apparently we have also seen the tipping point of the death of the printed book.
Amazon.com has recently announced that they now sell more e-books than on paper and the Nook may well save another retailer whose brick and mortar investments in physical plant and equipment are causing them to sink into debt-oblivion.... and this morning, South Korea plans to withdraw printed textbooks from schools by 2015
Many Universities are now issuing tablet PCs and iPads to their students and having them forego their huge investment in books..... Are we in jeopardy of loosing our soul?
With all of that movement into the digitization of bits are we in danger of losing a key ingredient of our social society? Sure I have cherished the printed word my entire life... that thing that happens between the reader and the physical book. How many college texts do I still have on my shelf that are filled with interesting notes in the margins. I have been in sales and marketing management my entire life and read literally hundreds of books on the subject over the years. But I have nearly a one on my shelf any more. Why? Because I lent them to people, never expecting to get them back, to help them learn this craft... a social thing. And I have been given books by my mentors and friends. This lending and giving is going away. This is a critical aspect of a social world. We do this to communicate our love and interest in helping other people. Taking the hand of a young person and giving them the tools to help them succeed in this world. Where is the electronic lending library?
Will our souls and hearts be less full as we lose this simple expression of humanism and history building through the loss of printed books that we share and read to each other?
Go buy a book today and give it to someone else after you read it!
What are your thoughts on this?
