Why Books Are Here to Stay

Every now and then, someone speculates that books will be replaced by digital technology. I would agree: eventually, this will probably happen. But probably not any time soon.

John Lochridge, one of my readers, pointed me to an interesting post about a new break-through technology. It’s called the Built-In Orderly Organized Knowledge device, otherwise known as the BOOK.

It’s a revolutionary breakthrough in technology: no wires, no electric circuits, no batteries, nothing to be connected or switched on. It’s so easy to use even a child can operate it. Just lift its cover. Compact and portable, it can be used anywhere—even sitting in an armchair by the fire—yet it is powerful enough to hold as much information as a CD-ROM.

Here’s how it works: each BOOK is constructed of sequentially numbered sheets of paper (recyclable), each capable of holding thousands of bits of information. These pages are locked together with a custom-fit device called a binder which keeps the sheets in their correct sequence. By using both sides of each sheet, manufacturers are able to cut costs in half.

Each sheet is scanned optically, registering information directly into your brain. A flick of the finger takes you to the next sheet. The book may be taken up at any time and used by merely opening it. The ‘browse’ feature allows you to move instantly to any sheet, and move forward and backward as you wish. Most come with an ‘index’ feature, which pinpoints the exact location of any selected information for instant retrieval.

Portable, durable and affordable, the BOOK is the entertainment wave of the future, an many new titles are expected soon, due to the surge in popularity of its programming tool, the Portable Erasable-Nib Cryptic Intercommunication Language Stylus.”

Think about it: it is pretty hard to improve on the technology of an ordinary book.