Throw Some Kindle on that Fire!

A recent post by a fellow contributor, Charles Hussell, led me to a rather prolonged perambulation through two very intriguing blogs – Big Al’s Books and Pals, and Red Adept. Both specialize in the review and promotion of “Indie” authors and both deal almost entirely in eBook format. What? Book sites without any real, tangible books? Nonsense!

Here lies the rub: I’ve made no secret of my distaste of these parasitic e-gremlins which threaten to preserve the trees and forever eradicate my beloved books. But these two blogs may have helped sway me to a slightly less severe condemnation of the medium.

For one, people are buying them. A lot of them. That means people are reading a lot of books. I like that. The authors like that. So lets give the kindle and its kin, the kindlekin, a point. Two, there seems to be a whole new evolution, a bonafied revolution happening in the book publishing world, driven in large part by the emergence of these electronic devices. The once formidable gates of the big 6 publishers are showing some rust, and maybe, just maybe, a crack or two. No longer can they loom menacingly over those less established authors who have yet to be given the key. And as one of those keyless saps I say, Viva La Revolucion! Another point for the kindlekin. Three, a few of these books emerging on sites like the above mentioned are really, really good books. Of course one has to sift through the chaff to find them, which used to be an editor’s job. But I guess that’s what peer reviews are for – we trust them for that LCD TV, for the new laptop, so why not for the books we read as well? Let someone else find the crap and flush it.

So here we tip-toe around the dilemma – what are we giving up? I am a fairly early adopter of almost all forms of techno-wows, yet like a mule (ass) with his hoofs dug in the mud, I have resisted and raged against this ruthless persecution of paper. How can I read a book without the satisfaction of watching the progress of my bookmark? Without feeling it, smelling it, knowing its weight in my hands? What fear does War and Peace instill when reduced to an icon on an iPad? When there is no awesome terror of the sheer mass of the thing – what then? Will any old Joe and Sally dare to read it? Oh wait. Damn. Another point for the kindlekin. How about this angle – what about all those bloated big box book stores that are sadly starved for customers and closing up shop? Will we stand idly by and let some cozy Mom and Pop’s store re-emerge in their absence? Oh, screw it.

But just try, I dare you, just try and read that kindle of yours on the floating mattress in the pool.

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RAM

Musings, ruminations, perigrinations of a sun-baked Canadian-Floridian scribe. We're going to class it up. Talk some books. Because even in South Florida people read. They just don't like to admit it.

(28) Readers Comments

Jerry
April 6, 2011 at 10:33 AM

You sound like a person who would not get down off his horse to ride the Model T.
RAM
April 6, 2011 at 10:48 AM

Ha! Great comment, and probably true. I really really love that horse.
AJ
April 6, 2011 at 11:07 AM

Except, ereaders stand to decimate the used book market, which is quite large (used stores, thrift stores, yard sales and plain ol’ selling your old books yourself). This is especially troubling for young readers born to poor families who depend on inexpensive books. Libraries are nice, but often offer poor/old collections during extremely odd, limited open hours. Publishers are experimenting with making e-lending financially unfeasible for libraries (making ebooks ‘expire’, thus forcing a library to rebuy the ebook after X number of lendings – 26 being the first attempt at control). Not to mention, ereaders aren’t rugged enough for kids and will be too expensive until they are free. Add to that the need to own/operate a computer or navigate the ereader through an Internet connection when there are parents who don’t know how to operate a web browser.

I believe the chief purpose of ebooks isn’t convenience or the saving of earthly resources. It’s to migrate consumers to a medium where they don’t own the books they buy. They own usage rights — which don’t include reselling your ebook. The end result is a caste system in the world of reading, with the haves reading ebooks and the have-nots reading an ever shrinking supply of printed books (or a limited selection of public domain classics in ebook format). It’s one possible future.
RAM
April 6, 2011 at 11:19 AM

Excellent points. I heard on NPR about the 26th check-out rule for libraries’ ebooks. I sort of understand what the publishers issues were with unlimited check outs of ebooks. As our libraries migrate to an online format and essentially become a national resource and not just a community one, they would technically only have to purchase one copy of a book and lend it countless times. That doesn’t seem fair to the author or publisher. The industry in is flux right now, similar to the music biz when napster first came along – they need to find a way to fairly monetize the author’s efforts without alienating the readers. Great points about the poor’s access to literature, though. I hadn’t condsidered that angle before.
Tracy Seeley
April 6, 2011 at 11:47 AM

All other issues aside, the argument that Kindlekins save earthly resources is wrong. Sure, they don’t pulp trees to make paper, but their environmental footprint is still much bigger than a paper book, unless you’re packing 100+ books on an e-reader and not upgrading every two years. Kindlekins are still made out of earthly materials. The raw materials (including oil for plastic, and rare earths among other minerals) are just the beginning. Factor in the energy used in extracting shipping and processing the materials, the water used in the manufacturing process, the toxic byproducts of the process, the energy and C02 emissions all the way down the production, shipping and consumption line, and the energy (and
C02 emissions) required to run server farms…and you’ve got a big environmental impact from mostly non-renewable resources. That doesn’t take into account what happens when the machines end up in landfills.
Mark
April 6, 2011 at 11:59 AM

“I dare you, just try and read that kindle of yours on the floating mattress in the pool.”

You might need another objection:

http://www.amazon.com/Version-TrendyDigital-WaterGuard-Waterproof-Generation/dp/B0026GJHVY
RAM
April 6, 2011 at 12:05 PM

Doh! Direct sunlight? On the beach? These infernal devices must have a weakness!
J. R. Tomlin
April 6, 2011 at 12:07 PM

“…Sure, they don’t pulp trees to make paper…” Which is only one, and possibly the smaller, of the environmental impacts of books. You choose to ignore the energy used in storing the books, shipping them to bookstores where MOST of them are not sold, shipping them back, disposing of them. The energy and emissions required is substantial.

As far as your concern about the energy to run servers, those are going to run anyway. Or did you think Amazon only came into existence when ebooks appeared?

The Kindle only has to be shipped once and then can handle literally thousands of books–and I mean literally. Book publication as it is currently done is one of the most wasteful endeavors one can even begin to imagine. From an environmental standpoint, trying to defend it is pissing in the wind.
J. R. Tomlin
April 6, 2011 at 12:18 PM

Read mine on the beach yesterday. Yes, in direct sunlight. Because it’s not back-lit you have to have light to read it. eInk you know (or obviously, don’t know)

Next objection, please. *grin*
J. R. Tomlin
April 6, 2011 at 12:23 PM

Actually, I give you they have a weakness that all technology has. They will become outdated and have to be replaced eventually, although if you’re not an early adapter, not necessarily soon. There are completing technologies between Kindle and Nook. All is not perfect. But it is good.

How good is it for authors? Very good. Very good indeed. It’s something known as Freedom.
RAM
April 6, 2011 at 12:41 PM

Well call me a racalcitrant ass, but I just can’t see myself enjoying a book in the same way without holding it in my hands. Not to say I don’t see and appreciate the many benefits of these new ereaders – that was the point of my article. A confession of sorts… I am a reluctant convert to their worth, but for my preference I’ll stick with the good old fashioned hard cover. Though a friend recently commented to me that if publishers offered an e-version of a book for free or a couple dollars more when you buy a hardcover, I might consider their use as a supplement to reading the hardcover – ie on a bathroom break at the office, or at a long red light etc. They might have me there… as long as I can go home at the end of the day and advance my bookmark accordingly. BTW – nice blog J.R. – I’m now a follower.
Dawn
April 6, 2011 at 12:46 PM

Borders is closing stores because they had a bad business plan. Other stores are still open and still doing good business. (actually our used book store here in town does quite well.) As far as not being able to afford a kindle, Amazon has a free kindle app.
RAM
April 6, 2011 at 1:39 PM

I got it! My books never run out of batteries! ha!
Eric
April 6, 2011 at 2:19 PM

Mine goes for a week or more without recharging unless I’m using it to surf the Internet all day. I don’t even bother bringing the charger on a vacation of less than a week.
B.Tackitt
April 6, 2011 at 2:56 PM

New K3′s have an approximate 1 month battery charge if you are only reading books, not using internet or playing games/text-to-speech/mp3s.

Does your paper book come with 8 incremental built in font size choices?
Does it come with a built in dictionary?
Can you read it easily at the park on a windy day?

I am a full time student. I put my notes on my Kindle after class, and during my 30 minute drive each way I turn on the text to speech function and listen to my notes, effectively getting another lecture over my class work each time I drive.
RAM
April 6, 2011 at 3:02 PM

All right all right. That’s pretty cool. But I still like how the old fashioned ones look on my bookshelf.
B.Tackitt
April 6, 2011 at 3:40 PM

I have 8 large bookshelves filled to groaning in my home. I read 300+ books a year. (yes I read very fast.)
My Kindle account at Amazon has over 1000 books on it (maybe 1/3 were free). This doesn’t count all of the free classics I get from places like Baen.com, feedbooks.net, manybooks.com, and gutenberg.org.

Since switching to e-books I have gone from spending $300-$400 /month to less than $100/month. I have 9 people on my Amazon account all sharing my e-books.

Check out Kindleboards.com there’s a thread in the Book Lover’s Corner with a list of places to get free or low cost e-books, Kindle and otherwise.
RAM
April 6, 2011 at 4:06 PM

Wow – that’s quite a habit you’re supporting there. I’ll buy a kindle if I can do sharesies on your amazon account… deal?
M.P. McDonald
April 6, 2011 at 6:00 PM

@AJ, that could be a dire prediction except for two things. One, there are thousands of free ebooks available. No, make that a million if you include every free book on Smashwords, public domain, and those given away free by the publishers for limited times. (Had my Kindle since November, and have at least 250 free books on it.)

Secondly, music is similar in that the devices to listen to music are not inexpensive and yet just about every child has access to an MP3 player. If families can afford that, why not an ereader? Plus, I expect in a year or two, the prices will come down so that most people could afford an ereader, or there will some kind of ereader ‘grants’.

The sad thing is, that parents who don’t read books now, don’t take advantage of the used bookstores and libraries. I used to live in an area that was low income. It had a great used bookstore. I’d go in and load up, buy a dozen books at a time and pay under five bucks. Some childrens books were only a dime! (and this was just last year, not decades ago). In all the times I went there, the people in the store were middle aged and up. The only kids I ever saw were my own.
Michelle R.
April 6, 2011 at 6:34 PM

Tracy,
I think I have 800+ books at the moment either on my Kindle or archived, most purchased, but I do upgrade to the latest model. I don’t know if I will the next time around though since I think the buttons are as small as I would want them to be.

***

I once did everything but growl at the Kindle ads when I went to Amazon. Every objection people ever had to eBooks, I had. When I did buy one, it was as a novelty. In truth, it was retail therapy since I’d just lost my mother. Now it’s two years later and my Kindle is a daily part of my life. I couldn’t love the stupid thing more and it goes everywhere with me. It gets me through waiting rooms, and waiting for carry-out, and commercial breaks, and insomnia, and Sunday brunch when my husband brings his Kindle and we read in companionable silence, only speaking to tell way too much about the book we’re reading so that the other person can never read it.

Most Kindle owners are book-lovers from way back. They have all the warm feelings about books, all the memories of print books, that the people who are not interested in a reader have. Clearly there’s something there, something that makes these people loyal to this device.

Now that I’ve loaded up some MP3s, I can completely block out the world and officially becomes the hermit I’ve always wanted to be. Really, I can now completely ignore real people in order to spend time with the fictional. I’ve also just added a couple audio books for a car trip we’ll be taking.

The other day I was talking to a friend — which takes away from the hermit image, I know — and we were discussing Christopher Moore books. I thought a phrase in Fool had been used in another book. So, I searched it. How cool is that? Nearly as cool as seeing an author on TV and being able to read it before the host can thank them for their time and get in a final plug.

I don’t mind people who don’t want a book reader. I understand their point because they sound just like I used to. I think when it comes to leisure-time reading that we should read what we want and in the format that serves us best.
AJ
April 6, 2011 at 8:01 PM

MP McDonald, how many of those free ebooks are children’s stories? They create a caste system just like with public domain books, with the poor children relegated to reading free ebooks, not the popular retail ebooks their peers read.

Second point, when ebooks cost 25 cents — the price at which I buy thousands of used children’s books for my daughter’s school — you let me know. I do mean thousands.
B.Tackitt
April 6, 2011 at 10:06 PM

How many free ebooks are children’s stories?
All of Frank L Baum(Wizard of OZ series, and MORE), all of Hans Christian Anderson’s fairie tales, all of Jack London….
And currently on Amazon, and NOT public domain? Free for kids? Here’s 3, there are more.
http://www.amazon.com/Girls-Rescue-Book-1-ebook/dp/B004JZY7R4/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&m=AG56TWVU5XWC2&s=digital-text&qid=1302141797&sr=1-1
http://www.amazon.com/Swashbuckling-Fantasy-Thrilling-Adventure-ebook/dp/B003JTHWAK/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&m=AG56TWVU5XWC2&s=digital-text&qid=1302141797&sr=1-2
http://www.amazon.com/The-Very-First-Easter-ebook/dp/B002WEPFAM/ref=sr_1_9?ie=UTF8&m=AG56TWVU5XWC2&s=digital-text&qid=1302141880&sr=1-9
RAM
April 6, 2011 at 10:13 PM

Well said, Michelle. Couldn’t agree more.
AJ
April 6, 2011 at 10:46 PM

So, in other words, very, very, very few children’s ebooks are free — in comparison to the wealth of reading options available at a cost. Our school is Title 1 (lots of poor families). I know one family who has a Kindle — a gift from a grandmother, but it didn’t come loaded with any ebooks. The family did load it with public domain titles, but the child (a voracious reader) quickly exhausted the electronic options and is back to reading library and used books. The library isn’t a good option though because any popular title is checked out, requiring you to get on a waiting list just to place a hold on a book. For example, he’s given up hoping to read Guardians of Ga’Hoole. The bright point in all of this is the used market which allows us to get books into his hands for 25 cents a piece.

I understand the convenience of ebooks, but I hope they result in a minor shrinkage of printed book sales, not a significant reduction.
Michelle R.
April 6, 2011 at 10:49 PM

AJ,
I recently helped finance a project at DonorsChoose for a classroom listed as high poverty to get an eReader — the teacher didn’t specify which one. Even if they only use it for public domain books, I can’t help but see that as a great opportunity. I don’t think there’s any “relegated” about reading the best literature, especially when it opens doors to greater opportunities.
RAM
April 7, 2011 at 9:47 AM

I’ve posted an acknowledgement of my worthy opponents in this debate as a follow up article… please check it out:

http://sflchronicle.com/news/entertainment/2011/04/the-kindle-conflagration-mea-culpa/
Moses Siregar III
April 27, 2011 at 4:35 PM

I read my kindle while I’m in my hot tub all the time. I just put it in a big ziploc bag
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