I am the proud owner of maybe 3,500 hardcovers and I only wish I had maybe 1,500 more, mainly to fill gaps in my World War 1, World War 2 and Soviet Union collections. Family members think I’m extravagant because I spend any spare money I get on books and classical music — as opposed to permitted extravagances like big cars, boats, furniture, consumer electronics, vacations, golf, theater tickets, etc.
Honestly, I’d rather read a book or listen to Beethoven in the comfort of my home. I wouldn’t know what to do on a cruise or resort vacation. I’d probably just drink too many of those cocktails they pass out with the fruit and umbrellas on top — and maybe wind up passing out myself.
Books are things of beauty in a way no electronic device can ever be. On a couple occasions recently, I had to tough out the eyestrain and read an entire book from a pdf file. One of them was conservative sociologist Edward Banfield’s classic “The Unheavenly City,” which is still relevant after about 40 years.
Still, I never would have done this if my local library had a copy. I wanted to read Banfield and I didn’t want to wait for interlibrary loan. It’s for situations like this that I can see the value of a Kindle or some other reader. But print will always be my first choice — books are relaxing but I can’t imagine curling up on the couch with some electronic tablet.
If you want beauty in your life, spend some of your disposable income on fine books and classical CDs. Then enjoy them and don’t worry about being a called a technophobe.
Oh, I’ve never worried about being labeled a “technophobe”, in fact I have a somewhat lengthy wish list over at Amazon that seems as though it gets longer and longer. Most of it consists of Civil War related books right now, but if I can find a nice, lightly used copy of a book I clearly intend to read and all I basically have to pay for is shipping, I’ll be right on it.