Blogging from A to Z April 2013 Challenge 

E is for eBook

The invention of Nooks and Kindles has transformed my little universe. First, I don’t have boxes and boxes and shelves and shelves of books that I don’t really want anymore but can’t seem to part with. My books are now in a handy and convenient electronic device. I really think digital print is one of the best inventions ever. I do however miss thumbing through the pages of a real book on occasion, but not very often. Second, the cost of books has come way down since ePublishing. Third, I can obtain a book instantly through my computer from the comfort of my couch. Fourth, the ease of publishing an eBook has opened up the market to a plethora of talented writers, instead of the handful the big publishers tell us we are supposed to read. Fifth, you don’t even need to buy a Nook or Kindle. The apps are available for FREE for just about every electronic device. Not too many downsides there.

Fast forward twenty years.

Do you think the children of today will ever thumb through a real paper book? The possibilities of multi-media integration are endless, and I’m really disappointed it has not already come into fruition. Imagine sitting in 5th-grade biology and reading about the human heart. You could click on the picture and the whole circulatory system would come to life, showing you how the blood pumps, where it goes, and what happens when arteries get clogged. How about sitting in history class and clicking on a link that takes you to History Channel-esque story about the pyramids or the Aztecs? You could actually watch a CGI version of Washington crossing the Delaware. If I had half the technology savvy of my imagination, I would have already turned this idea into a living creature, but alas, I do not. In my imaginary world, schools, career training, and the text books that go with them, would all be amazingly different. There are a few companies putting out books resembling this idea, but they are in their infancy, and are light-years away from the future I imagine.

Here’s to the eBook and to the future!