Books Never Age

With the invention of computers, it was predicted that books would become obsolete. Yet, well and truly into the 21st digital century, books continue to hold their own and are still enjoyed and loved by many. Why is that? What does the humble book provide that an endless sheet on a screen cannot?

For a start, the book has the satisfying tactile surface of paper, which in turn has varying textures to please our touch. I, for one, enjoy the simple motion of page-turning and surveying my efforts by the gap between the front cover and the bookmark.

Then comes the art of writing, that which we learn to master from a young age. Though typing (for most keyboard-comfortable Gen Y-ers) is the faster option with software aids to correct programmed spelling and grammatical offenses, there is nothing like watching the ink of a pen weave its way effortlessly and hypnotically across a page. The thoughts and personality of someone is mapped and recorded in their words, in their handwriting. There is the satisfaction of then reading back over the speech of your hand and pen, and even admiring, to a certain extent, the appearance of the handwriting.

A certain perk of the electronic device is the ability to hold many literary pieces in one item. It allows for one device to hold these many pieces of literature with the only space occupied by the device. For situations that require light packing or space efficiency, this is perfect. However, there is something poetic about an old personal library. There is a certain comfort that comes from being able to go to a cabinet or a book shelf and being able to look among the bricks of spines for a piece to pass the time or for something specific. Within my house, we have a bookcase with dictionaries, science and maths books, atlases and an assortment of literary topics, not to mention my personal fiction collection and the plethora of cooking books kept under the bench. There is a certain joy in selecting that one book you want to use.

Computers may allow for instant and easy editing (re-writing can be very tedious) and the strange syncopation of the tapping keyboard can be soothing, but the personal achievement that is felt via this modern method is not parallel to seeing, holding and forming the very letters of our language which we wield so often.

It is with immense gratitude and happiness that I realise that society did not exclude the book when advanced technology was born that could replace it. Not everything that is complex has to stand in place of the more simple, yet very effective ones. For many people, they still reserve a special place in their hearts for the beloved book. The smooth and decorative cover, the satisfying weight, the hush of the pages as they move; every trait of the book makes it a treasured invention of man, one which I hope continues to be embraced as fondly as it has.

Of course, even as I publish this post to my blog, I am aware of the role computers and technology plays in being able to produce many pieces of literature and projecting the words of authors around the world. For that, I am also grateful, but there will always be a certain service that only the book will be able to accomplish.