Books. How many people still read books ?

[William Gaatjes]

I know i am with some subjects not up to speed ...
But i finally have the time to read this book :
"Surely You're Joking, Mr. Feynman!": Adventures of a Curious Character.
A colleague mentioned it and let me view it. After reading the first 30 pages, i decided to order it. Which i have done.
It is great fun, and i cannot wait until the two weeks have passed that i can return to the bookstore and collect it. There is even a wiki about it.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Surely_You're_Joking,_Mr._Feynman!







Visualizing, learned when one reads books as a child and as a grown up...

 

[Anubis]

i do, ive never read an e book, prob wont TBH not a fan of reading on a tablet/ereader

 

[Veliko]

I got a Kindle about 18 months ago. I won't ever bother reading a paper book again.

Manuals and reference books apart, that is.

 

[Oyeve]

I read around 2 books a month. Either in paperback or on my phone or tablet. To those who don't do ebooks that's your hangup. A book is a book regardless of the format. It could be written on napkins for all I care as long as it is good.

 

[EagleKeeper]

I go through a library book every 10 days or so.

Spot them in new book sections of stores and then order them via library system

 

[Possessed Freak]

I don't care for e-readers. I prefer the feel of turning pages. I read a book every week or so.

 

[TheVrolok]

Not for pleasure often anymore, mostly textbooks/reference books. However, I much, much prefer reading an actual book to an E-Book. I like having shelves field with books, and I like holding one in my hand.

 

[William Gaatjes]

i do, ive never read an e book, prob wont TBH not a fan of reading on a tablet/ereader

Yep, that is something people developing e-readers still do not get.
The physical layout of a book is just handy. The way the brain stores information, a word on a page of a real 2 sided book is easier to find or recall then a single page e-book is.
When two sided affordable non animated e books come out, i will have one for sure.
But maybe in time...
I prefer physical books as well of course.

My wish list for a good e book reader :
An e book functioning as a book. That is what i want.
A single button or single gesture activated "table of contents" combined with a search facility is ideal. And when for example the lower right side of the right page is touched, the book should flip a virtual page over. The same goes for lower left side but then flip to the left. Just as a normal book. No obviously slow annoying animations, just speed. Also, when the page is to large, touching the bottom of the page in the middle should shift the page down a bit to continue reading the page in sections.

I noticed that the comic viewer "perfect viewer" for android phones has a great way to personalize reading a comic as described above. But of course for a single screen. CDisplayex is also a fine reader to use on the pc.
Great to read owned and bought graphic novels again on the i phone...

Almost forgot :
Datasheets i have on the pc only to view with a screen . But when i have to do programming or designing while using a datasheet as a reference, i print the datasheet out. I use my commuting time (That is why i use public transport) to read through datasheets or application notes.

 

[Red Storm]

I'm always reading something. Nowadays it's in digital format. Sure I miss the feel of a physical book, but the benefits of e-books outweigh the downsides.

 

[Anubis]

Yep, that is something people developing e-readers still do not get.
The physical layout of a book is just handy. The way the brain stores information, a word on a page of a real 2 sided book is easier to find or recall then a single page e-book is.
When two sided affordable non animated e books come out, i will have one for sure.
I prefer physical books as well. But maybe in time...

My wish list for a good e book reader :
An e book functioning as a book. That is what i want.
A single button or single gesture activated "table of contents" combined with a search facility is ideal. And when for example the lower right side of the right page is touched, the book shoot flip a virtual page over. The same goes for lower left side but then flip to the left. Just as a normal book. No obvious annoying animations, just speed. Also, when the page is to large, touching the bottom of the page in the middle should shift the page down a bit to continue reading the page in sections.

I noticed that the comic viewer "perfect viewer" for android phones has a great way to personalize reading a comic as described above. But of course for a single screen. CDisplayex is also a fine reader to use on the pc.
Great to read owned and bought graphic novels again on the i phone...

Almost forgot :
Datasheets i have on the pc only to view with a screen . But when i have to do programming or designing while using a datasheet as a reference, i print the datasheet out. I use my commuting time (That is why i use public transport) to read through datasheets or application notes.

its less the physicial aspect and more the fact thay my eyes try to kill me after 10 min of reading on a tablet/e-reader. ive tried them all.

 

[ichy]

I like having a physical book to hold, plus I can get them for free from the library.

Last week I did something rare and actually bought a book. I was in a used bookstore and pondering how sad it was that places like that are doomed by the internet and e-readers when I saw a copy of Skipping Towards Gomorrah by Dan Savage for a few bucks. I was looking for some light-hearted entertainment so I picked it up.

Re: Feynman's book, that guy is one of my heroes. He sometimes comes off as a little fully of himself, but then again if I were one of the smartest people in human history I probably would be as well.

 

[Arcadio]

I read tons of books. I've never liked e-readers, but recently the temptation to get an e-reader was so great I almost bought one. Then I started reading the paperback edition of The Baroque Cycle by Neal Stephenson and immediately decided NEVER to buy an e-reader.

 

[lokiju]

I read all the time. I just tend to mostly read ebooks now days but still do read printed books from time to time since I have a good backlog of physical books I'm still working through.

Actually reading 1984 currently in ebook on my Kindle Fire since I've never actually read it.

 

[waggy]

I don't care for e-readers. I prefer the feel of turning pages. I read a book every week or so.

same. Also i make notes and put markers so i can look back at things i think are important.

 

[DAPUNISHER]

My neighbor gave me approx. 200 hard sci-fi, sci-fi, fantasy, and fiction books. I took them all. The ones I have already read, or don't find interesting, I can trade 3 for 1 at the used book store.

Until e-books get as inexpensive as used books, I'll be mostly reading physical books still. I do catch-up on classics and other interesting stuff in e-book form through Project Gutenberg.

 

[FoBoT]

i switched to listening to books, audio cd books
that way i can use the internet while listening to the story or listen while driving/commuting in the car
and most of the readers are so good they add a dramatic element that you don't get reading to yourself

 

[alent1234]

used to read on my ipad but my wife has repossessed it lately. so i'm stuck in the amazon cloud reader and the iphone kindle app

don't plan on reading a paper book, ever again

 

[waggy]

i switched to listening to books, audio cd books
that way i can use the internet while listening to the story or listen while driving/commuting in the car
and most of the readers are so good they add a dramatic element that you don't get reading to yourself

i know a few people that have switched from reading to listening to them. they have said the same thing. they get a dramatic element from it (if the person is good)

 

[Red Storm]

same. Also i make notes and put markers so i can look back at things i think are important.

This is easier to do with e-books, which is one of the reasons why I made the switch.

 

[slayer202]

I don't read as much as I should, but 99% of the time it's a physical book. I have a kindle I never use.

I like the look and feel of a real book. They can be found cheaper and they can be resold. The only downside is that they take up space, but I love the look of a nice bookshelf

 

[bigrash]

Been reading a lot since I went ebook. Started with the Nook reader a while back and now I read on my Kindle Fire. Currently reading Game of Thrones.

 

[DAPUNISHER]

i know a few people that have switched from reading to listening to them. they have said the same thing. they get a dramatic element from it (if the person is good)

Much like how it was in the days of radio, before T.V. Radio productions took it to another level of course, with sound effects and multiple actors.

 

[lokiju]

used to read on my ipad but my wife has repossessed it lately. so i'm stuck in the amazon cloud reader and the iphone kindle app

don't plan on reading a paper book, ever again

This is exactly what happened to me and I was reading on my iPhone for awhile but just got a refurb Kindle Fire for $169 shipped and am loving it for reading and playing with.

 

[zebano]

I've got a kindle, but due to my families insistence that everyone get half-price books gift cards every major holiday, I read plenty of books in paper back form.

 

[waggy]

Much like how it was in the days of radio, before T.V. Radio productions took it to another level of course, with sound effects and multiple actors.

they do? oh then might try one. i listened to one and it was 1 guys voice the whole time.

This is easier to do with e-books, which is one of the reasons why I made the switch.

it is? I been looking at getting my daughter a reader (taht i can steal lol) she wants the kindle fire.

If i can mark places and highlight sections that would be great. IF its a good detailed book (or long heh) i like to make notes and such.