In theory, I hate Kindle.
I'm sorry, I like books. I like holding them and looking at them on my shelf and reading them again after a long time. Books take no energy, no wall-plug, no battery charger. I can lend a book to anyone. I can give a book to anyone.
Kindle books? Not so much...
The conspiracy theorist in me wonders if they could change the text of a Kindle book without my knowing, thus changing the meaning of things that are truly important. Yes, I know, that's pretty tin-foil-hat. But think about it: If no one has a hard copy, how would you know?
Books are an essential part of the passing of civilization to the next generation and because of that, I will always own real books that take up space and are heavy and awkward to move.
But here's where Kindle shines: in the classroom!
Seriously!
How did I ever manage to write a research paper without a Kindle? I can note the book, bookmark it, even share the quote. Quoting a Kindle book makes creating a Works Cited page dirt simple:- Highlight
- Copy
- Paste
Just cut and paste the quotation to the right spot in your paper than copy and paste your citation to your Works Cited page.
And may I remind you of the size of Brit Lit Anthologies?
(see picture)
If nothing else, the text book load is reduced. Not to mention the impact on the environment and the fact that e-texts are about one-third to half the price of a standard paper text.
So, do I love Kindle unreservedly? No.
But a healthy skepticism of "stuff" is a good thing.
Is it a handy tool?
Oh, heck yes!
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