Digital Books: Some great wins and a subtle loss

Amazon Kindle came out last year, almost 4 years after the Sony Reader. Kindle is a better experience because it offer instant gratification. If I am talking to a friend about a book I have read, I can load it and show them the book instantly. If a friend is telling me about a book, I can look it up and buy it instantly and start reading.

When reading late at night and my eyes are tired, I can increase the font size and easily continue reading for some time longer. I have also used the larger font sizes when reading in a car to make the slightly bouncy text easier to read. Font size adjustment can be a big advantage for people who are having difficulty seeing the small text. I recommend buying one for aging parents who may be loosing their passion for reading.

What is the subtle loss I fear as we move to digital books? The other day I was riding the elevator to a lunch meeting. In the elevator with me was a man holding a copy of "Made to Stick," one of my favorite reads of last year. "That is a great book," I said. His eyes lit up and said, "You've read it?" During our conversation, Eddie told me that he was starting a business and was greatly impressed by the insights he gained from the book. I suggested another book, "Meatball Sundae", that discuses the differences between the ways old school businesses produced products then mass marketed, verses new school companies find a market then develop products for it.

The suble loss is that as we move to digital books, we might loose the ability to know what people are reading. Without book covers being visible, we cannot tell at a glance who is reading what. An age old ice breaker could be lost. How can this be preserved?

I chuckled as I pondered this. Registering for a book online one could recieve a temporary tattoo, or a pin to wear. But that seems more like an endorsement of the book rather than a simple statement that one is reading the book. I thought perhaps that book covers could be made availible for printing. The printed cover could be slipped into the ebook protective cover. Then I realized that the e-book readers already have a high-contrast screen that requires no power to maintain an image. So, two simple changes would improve this situation. First, the e-book reader would display the book cover when in sleep mode. Second, the protective cover for the reader would have a transparent front cover.

While I am excited about having a Kindle, actually I have bought 3 so far one for my parents, my wife, and myself. I am far more excited about the competition in this space that Kindle has sparked. The next couple years will show a many options and new features.

Kindle On Amazon

Made to Stick
On Amazon On Kindle On Audible

Meatball Sundae
On Amazon On Kindle On Audible

Is Medium OK?

One day I went to lunch with two coworkers. We got in line at a small sandwich place and Brian ordered his sandwich and a large soda. The server said, "Sorry, all we have is medium." motioning to the single soda cup taped to the top of the dispenser. "Will that be OK?" "Yes," Brian said.

Peter, who had been talking during the previous exchange, ordered his sandwich and a large soda. "We only have medium, is it OK?" "Yes, that is fine," said Peter.

Finally it was my turn to order. I had been wondering why, with no other sized cups taped to the soda dispenser, this particular cup was a medium. The same 12 ounce cup at other food places might easily be a small or a large. I ordered my sandwich, "And a soda." Keep it vague, I though, and leave cup be with its delusions of medium-ness. The server paused, "The only size we have is medium. Is medium OK?" I smiled, careful not to laugh, "Yes, medium will be fine."

There are times it seems like the world has a grand sense of humor if only we are lucky enough to notice and patient enough to listen.