Paper Vs. Plastic Part Deaux

Last year one of my slice's was about Paper Vs. Plastic or why I choose to buy and read books, hard cover or paperback, but definitely not e-books.  I try not to close doors in my life so I found myself giving plastic a try again. Having received an I-Pad also made it an exploratory option for me. I tried to overcome my inability to read e-books and failed. I confess I am addicted to paper.

I realized that reading professional books is a tactile experience for me. There are books that I visit and revisit. The post-its left behind are signals for me to dip back here.  The notes remind me of where I was at and the questions remind me of where I intended to go.  This fall I borrowed a book Switch and had permission to write in it.  After the owner read it following me, he told me that he thought I was writing to him, especially with the questions in the margins.  I loved the idea that we were reading side-by-side, a professional journey. I love to follow the thinking of readers who precede me.

I also get a thrill when I see somebody with a book I shared in their hands, especially students.  I love when they pass it on.  My books do find their way back to me and out again. I love receiving a book in my mailbox from Paperback Swap.  I love books slipped onto my desk at work because they are whispers that say, "I know you well enough to share."  They are also calorie and carb-free.

I honestly tried this past month to read not one, but three plastic books. It wasn't my lack of time. It wasn't the genre or the content; it was the format.   I did plenty of other reading while not quite getting to or finishing the plastic books.  To be fair, I do most of my reading in bed at night with my daughter and I am cautious about bringing technology to bed.  But in a world where I spend far too much time linked in via my plastic, I relish the solitude that paper bequeaths me and the connection to others it still allows.