Dr. Kindlelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Digital Book

I love the Kindle - not just my new(ish) sleek grey reformfactored and very modestly priced piece of Amazon hardware, but also its pure software brethren that make all of my digital books equally and seamlessly available on iPhone, iPad, and desktop. It’s pretty much changed my life, as many of you who’ve spoken to me for more than 15 minutes recently have doubtless heard me profess. I’ll summarize here.

A Kindle is not just a piece of hardware. Kindle Reader apps for all of the major mobile and desktop platforms are free and you needn’t own an actual Kindle to buy and read digital books. What’s better? Kindle books automatically download to all of your devices AND SYNC to  your farthest read page. That means I can read at home on my Kindle at night, get on the subway in the morning and via my iPhone pick up reading the same book at the same spot at which I left off and whilst at the office continue reading on my iPad there, seamlessly. A dictionary is built right in so I need only highlight or touch an unknown word to reveal its definition and all of my underlines/highlights are not only synced but easily viewable in summary. That’s awesome. And book weight or size are no longer a problem or even a thought.

Oh and digital books are way cheap! No paper, printing or shipping. I haven’t yet decided what fate awaits my proud collection of actual books. I’m generally quite a paper-hater, except as art medium and ….decorative antique? Oh and another ancillary benefit? Nobody knows what you’re reading. Take that Stieg Larssen or Dan Brown thing wherever you go - it’s your little secret!

And classics are all free. King Arthur, Sherlock Holmes, Robin Hood, Huck Finn - free! And instant. So, anyway, that’s my spiel. Most of my office has bought a Kindle in the past month, including our dear Kristen Crusius who sleep-bought one last week (and in doing do contributed to Amazon’s single biggest Kindle-selling day!).

If you’ve been wondering about making the switch, I don’t think you’ll wonder much longer. Do it. The money you’ll save in free classics and your first five books will more than cover the $140 or $180(w/ wireless). Read on!