Death of the book?
So the Queen of endorsements, Oprah Winfrey, has come out and said that .
Could this shift the e-book reader away from the niche market and into the mainstream?
And should we care?
I love the physicality of books; there is something special about opening a new novel, or sitting in a book-lined room and perusing through an old one, which is so much more preferable to having all my books hidden in an electronic gadget.
However, I'm not sure the issue here is about being a luddite. It was only a matter of time before books caught up with other art forms such as music, movies and television. And it will be a while yet before the advent of the Kindle or Sony's Reader shuts down any libraries or bookshops. So, the death of the book isn't being announced any time soon.
But the issue of celebrity endorsement though is a fascinating one. Oprah's opinion can change a writer's fortunes, and it's not just her literary recommendations that people pay attention to. Let's not forget that when she endorsed Barack Obama for President, a study by economists at the University of Maryland showed that Winfrey's nod would give the Democratic nominee .
So, the fact that she is saying Amazon's Kindle is the must have brought more than a smile on the faces of those running the show at Amazon.
For all that she has done for books and publishing, her very endorsement for this e-book may reignite a slow-burning fire: The next step for Amazon could be making a bid for the best literary agencies, thereby making a much shorter route from the writer to the reader.
And that really would be a revolution in books and how they are produced.
I'm 
Comment number 1.
At 1st Nov 2008, doubleelephant wrote:One of the great things about Oprah's endorsements is that it seems - from here, at least - as if she's got America reading, which I appreciate is a very simplistic view of the situation. I wonder whether everyone who borrows a book from a library or joins a book group is going to be able to afford a Kindle? My husband is an early adopter of new technologies and a couple of years ago bought a different sort of e-book. He loves it, I hate it. Despite the smooth user interface it can't replace the physicality of a book (for me), and it's had several technical problems that means he hasn't always been able to pick it up and read when he wants to. Death of the book? Probably several hundred years away!
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Comment number 2.
At 8th Nov 2008, Anaxim wrote:Books will be around forever, at least in second hand form. They are, in a sense, a very sophisticated form of information storage that lasts well. Books made fifty or a hundred years ago can still be perfectly readable, if in good condition.
However, I think that it is inevitable that e-books will eventually supplant the paper variety. Maybe not as they are today, but the technology is still in its early stages.
The comments about the physicality of books are strongly reminiscent of all reactions to new technology. The old ways are more authentic, more hearty, more special, more social. I bet they said the same as oral traditions gave way to the written word.
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Comment number 3.
At 19th Nov 2008, Drunken Max wrote:I've played with the Sony version and its good, but not that good. Also, the books are dearer not cheaper than the real thing. Books are a real weight problem going on holiday but my wife and I read the same books, now we'd have to buy two Kindles!
I don't think the Kindle does well with bath water or sun cream either....
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Comment number 4.
At 21st Nov 2008, Hatman2000 wrote:If e-books had been invented first we'd be overjoyed if someone invented the paper version. Guess what? It doesn't need a battery, you can flick through it easily and consult both contents and index in a flash.
You can fall asleep reading it, drop it on the ground and even read it in the bath! Also you can OWN it!
I'm sure the techies will love e-books like a new mobile phone but how long before the technology becomes outdated and you have to upgrade? Also has anyone tried reading a text on a TFT screen or similar for any length of time before having a headache?
The written word on stone, parchment or paper has been around for ages and has proved astonishingly permanent. Already records and information stored in supposedly permanent electronic or digital media are being lost and technology changes so quickly nowadays that current standards are soon outdated. Does anyone remember the Domesday Book being collated for video discs - then the latest thing? Electronic media certainly have their place but paper and print will be around for a long time yet - especially where you need permanence. And somehow the Magna Carta is never going to look good on a vidi-screen.
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