Books Are Screwed.

Burn baby burn.

Books as we know them have been around since approximately the 8th century. Before that were scrolls, manuscripts, and slabs of rocks. Years from now, historians will look back to a time when we had the collection of our knowledge printed on vulnerable sheets of dead trees. They will laugh at the massive waste of space required to store these books. Libraries will be non-existent. The current physical attributes of a ‘book’ are outdated and ready for change. It may not seem obvious, but we are in the first stages of a completely new era in written word.

The growing popularity of digital materials such as books, newspapers, and magazines will lead to the demise of the paper book. The internet has already destroyed many newspapers and magazines by offering comparable, or even the same, content faster and cheaper. The internet, combined with a computer has almost eliminated the need for these publications. However, until recently there has not been a viable solution for books.

The introduction of several e-reader devices at reasonable price points has created an entirely new way to read content digitally. These devices offer quick access to content, at a lower price and without the hassle of the physical burden of books. With features such as text-to-speech, dictionaries, notes, and Wikipedia access, e-readers far surpass the capabilities of books.

Just as the scroll replaced the slate and the paper book replaced the manuscript, the e-reader will replace the book. As these devices become cheaper, widespread adoption will eventually kill the now very dated medium. This new destructive innovation of the digital book may be seen as a threat to publishers, book resellers, and authors but it won’t be stopped. The advantages of the digital book far outweigh anything offered from traditional formats. As with music, movies, and news the book will transition to the digital age.