Are Bound Books Becoming Extinct?

As an avid reader, I have had this question placed to me by more than one person, as of late, are E-Books and electronic reading devices taking over the book world? My answer to this question is generally no. While the introduction to devices like the Kindle have certainly opened some new doors, I do not think that we will ever see a world without good old paper bound books and here is my general two reasons why.

Cost: Electronic reading devices are expensive and out of reach for many people. The Kindle is priced at around $250, Sony has a reader that is priced at $300 and there are a few smaller brands in the $100-$150 dollar range. While the investment is less than a computer, it of course does not have as many uses as computers, and you still have to pay for the book downloads. While some books, News Papers and the like can be gotten free most have a download fee, I have seen some as high as $10 but most are in the $3-$4 range. Cheaper than a hardcover, but not always cheaper than a paperback and going to the local library is usually free. There is also the fact that many people like to read on the bus or subway when they are commuting the cost alone of this item would make me want to leave it at home for fear of forgetting it or dropping it and doing damage to it. If you drop a book you can pick it up and the worst harm that is generally done is some water damage.

It is not a book: That may seem a little quaint for me to say, but it is true electronic are not books. By turning reading into something done by electronic means only you are taking away some of the experience that most bibliophiles enjoy. The weight of a book, the feel of a book and the smell of a book. To someone who truly loves to read, to spend an afternoon curled up in a nook and happily sipping a drink while lost in a world of fiction the satisfying turn of a page or smell of an older book can make the difference.

I am not fully against Electronic readers, I do think they have their place and for some people who do not need the full experience of book reading and only want the story they will work just fine. However, I do not think that they will ever fully replace the book. After all books have stood the test of time throughout history, growing from something that was pain staking hand copied that only the most wealthy of people had to something that anyone can drop into a store pick up and enjoy.