Before I start this blog I guess I have to give a little back drop to my curiosity. My better half has been begging me to purchase a Kindle2 from Amazon since 2009 so that he can have access to all the books she desires with just the click of a button. Well all those that are sold on Amazon that is. I have been on the fence due to its single function, knowing that this is the year of the slates, tablets, and e-readers, some that can be utilized for much more than just reading books or magazines. I ask you this, in a world of always connected can we actually use a devise like the Kindle for its single function and actually be content reading, or because it’s a devise would we want it to do more? I’m sure I could write an article on just the war between i-pad and Kindle and their functional differences…., maybe for a later date.

Now as I am writing this blog I just received a text message from my wife who at this very moment out looking for a new book to read, which now leads to more questions. E-Books vs. Paper Books, I-Pads vs. Paper Books? So on and so on... My wife has purchased e-books in the past from different sources online to read on her tablet or laptop, over 50 in the last half of 2009 alone, (I think she is going for some sort of record). Yet she finds herself fighting the erg to purchase the actual hardback every time we walk into a book store, just so that she can add the book to her personal library. Now that doesn't say that in e-form she doesn't have the option of re-reading the book as well, in fact most e-books are PDF files that she can save to her Documents and re-reads whenever she wants, saving me actual space in our library. Yet the enchantment of e-books seems to be lacking a key ingredient. That feeling of holding an actual book in your hands, the smell of the paper and ink that brings out a comfort that up until now no mechanical device can replicate.

 I on the other hand can’t understand this sensation because I make excuses as to why I can't find the time to sit down and read a good book for leisure like, "War and Peace". “I'm too busy”, I always say, or “I have dinner to make”, or “I can spend more of my time working on something productive”, like this blog. I have grown into the twenty first century automaton, you know the ones who is checking their email while posting a notice on Facebook while updating the Twitter account all while watching "Deadliest Catch" on Discovery Channel. Reading for leisure has never been something I would choose first hand over a good sports game or movie, but again that's just me. There is a large population like my wife who find their escape from the chaos of their daily lives by picking up a good book and reading in peace, not that you would find much of that in my house, (peace that is) but you get my point.

I know there are many good reasons why a devise like an e-reader would be practical, I mean the environmental impact alone should be reason enough for anyone to consider a devise like this. Yet in the end would an e-reader and it’s single function really change the way people like my wife read or are we going to be finding ourselves lacking something and end up back in the book store looking for the hardback so that we can add them to our collection?