Both/And Rather Than Either/Or

The value of a Kindle was reinforced on my recent business trip.

It is truly the equivalent of carrying a small library as well as a bookstore. While holed up in my hotel room, I bounced between books on leadership , customer service, and equal opportunity. I brought along one paperback book on Julius Caesar and read that in bed because, unlike the Kindle, it can withstand being dropped or rolled over.

Clive Thompson at Wired believes that the future of print books is healthy and I agree. My purchases of print books have not declined. Nothing replaces the beauty, the smell, and the feel of a regular book. They are easier to pass around and thumb through and I've noticed that most of the books that I've bought on Kindle are ones that I would not have bought at all in another format. I've discovered some authors who would have remained off my radar screen had they not written inexpensive e-books. In many cases, although their books are worthy, they probably would not have been accepted by a regular publisher.

In short, the decision should not be either/or when it comes to print versus electronic books. It should be both/and.