Friend of the Book

There are some things in this life that should remain timeless. In a social media fueled world, we live in a digital environment where a computer is the closest some of us come to human interaction. You can have a conversation with an art student in Japan, promote your business on a fan page and twitter to your heart's content but all of it lacks the charm of the tangible. Some could argue that wearing out the keys on your keyboard is as tangible as it should get, I disagree.

Don't for a second believe that I don't twitter, update my facebook status or skype a colleague instead of walking to their office, I'm guilty of partaking in the allure of having the world at my fingertips but I wonder if I'm missing out on the simple, more realistic times. Penguin, the publishing giant is concerned and in turn has made me concerned.

The iPad, a cross between a smart phone and a laptop, is helping foster a market for tablet computers that is expected to grow to some 50 million units by 2014, and with it, also expand the market for e-books. The term e-book makes my brow wrinkle. Books are one of life's true joys, curling up on the couch and reveling in a story that touches the imagination. There's a timeless romance connected to a book. Walking into a library or a quaint bookstore is a thrill in itself, rummaging through all the titles, taking in the silence and the smell that can only be described as that "old book smell".

In fact, a survey of 600 college students conducted by pollster Zogby International found that 43 percent of people identified smell, either a new or old smell, as the quality they most liked about books as physical objects.

I'm sure e-books are the way forward for us all, but I cant help but feel like we are missing out on something greater, better and a lot more appealing. Books are a timeless joy, let's not lose sight of that!