Mmm, take a deep breath and take a whiff of that beautiful smell of…books! I love books and I love going into a book store or a library and just stare in wonder at all the books the world has to offer. Books about love, books about hate, 
books about pirates, books about princesses and fairies, books on college, books about history, books about food, books about books, comic strips, graphic novels, how- to’s, do-it-yourselves…. name it, they have a book on it. Crack open a spine of a majestic book and you’ll enter a whole new world. You’ll get transformed into a different person and live a whole new life. See through someone else’s eyes and learn to think in a new way. You’ll learn something new, you’ll get entertained, and you’ll love it.
Since the dawn of day, humans have had the need to express themselves. They had to write things down and record the events of their lives. This appeared in the form of cave paintings. In more civilized eras, people recorded things in tablets and clay booklets. When the Chinese invented paper circa 104 A.D., it was a revolution. Now, something humans can write on! Then the printing blocks were invented and mass productions of the writings became available. The first libraries, or a place where a collection of books could be found, were in Greece. They held the portal of knowledge on math, science, and the arts.
Now fast forward to the present day. Books are still prevalent and as abundant as ever. About one million books are published every year worldwide. Walk into a library and new books are being shipped in every month. But there aren’t as many people checking out books to read anymore. The shift has gone to a new technology called “the computer”. 
You can find everything on the computer nowadays. You can find information, you can find directions, and you can even find whole volumes of books and their reviews and summaries. Now there is also this thing called the Kindle which allows you to store books in an electronic form. Read whole books without ever having to turn a page!
Although I see the many uses of having books online or in a computerized form, I think the whole purpose and beauty of reading a book has been lost. 
You can’t snuggle in bed and stay up late reading a book and you can’t inhale the beautiful scent of an old book. You lose the feeling of getting so wrapped up in story that you can’t wait to turn the page. While the Kindle is a nifty tool to carry around, books are so much better because they are the real deal, the whole sha-bang. Living a life without books is basically a life with a void where your heart should be. I know most people don’t like reading nowadays because there are other things to distract their minds, but they don’t know what they are missing. So pick up a book today and get wrapped up in its magic! 
http://thegirlfromtheghetto.wordpress.com/2008/11/11/my-favorite-50-literary-characters/
The invention of paper: http://www.wipapercouncil.org/invention.htm
The history of printing: http://communication.ucsd.edu/bjones/Books/four.html
The history of the library: http://www.history-magazine.com/libraries.html
Images: http://copland.udel.edu/stu-org/tutor/books.jpg
http://www.rso.cornell.edu/hellenic/images/stories/computer.jpg
http://images-1.redbubble.net/img/art/size:large/view:main/1459733-2-the-magic-of-books.jpg
wow! Your post was extremely well written, however on this topic I am your polar opposite. I cringe at the intoxicating smell of books, I flee and avoid rooms filled with books. Libraries are the worst, there are books everywhere. Walking down rows with big shelves of books I often feel that the books will just leap off the shelves and crush me. Believe me that is not the way I want to die.
Books over 150 pages seem never ending. And classics, there is a reason they are called classic. It is because they are old. Just because Shakespeare is old doesn’t mean he is good. Just because he invented a bunch of new words doesn’t make him interesting. Contrary it makes him crazy. What kind of a person creates over 250 new words so that people can be confused in a whole new way?
I do not transform, I am not entertained, and I know what I am missing. I know that I am missing the link that would hook me to a book because it doesn’t happen. I have only liked probably 2 books, and then the whole Harry Potter series, others I read because I have to.
I agree that real books are 100% better than books online, because there is nothing than flipping that page and knowing that I am a step closer to done. I love to slam books closed when I am finished and celebrate my victory.
First of all, thank you again Kay, for reading and commenting. I know that you bring up points on the other half of the population who absolutely abhor reading.
While I do agree with you on Shakespeare and some of the classics, we still have to honor and respect them because they made the basics of our writing and our stories today. Their eloquence in language is simply magnificent. (Even if I do not understand half of it.) But just because we don’t understand it or we do not like it, we still have to respect and say, “Yes, they were the geniuses of their time.” It is like respecting different cultures; even if you do not have the same beliefs, you cannot be judgmental of them.
We have to embrace the ability to read and utilize that ability to the fullest because what about those people in parts of the world (and here in the U.S. also) who can’t read? What about when there were times when children weren’t allowed to read?
And yes, I have written about books and how they are better than computerized forms of writing. Of course, we all have the choice of slamming books down if we do not like the story, but at least you know that you didn’t like it because you have already read it. As for me, I too, like to slam books down after I am done reading them, but to celebrate my own victory of having completed yet another good story.
Funny how it goes, Crystal. My mom and I were just watching 2012 and we were talking about the kindle. While we both agreed its technological advantages, we felt that nothing could ever replace the good ol’ paperback! Although I must admit, my iTouch currently has 4 different books or so. I know that without this advancement, I’d cram those 1000+ pages into my backpack!
Even if Shakespeare was a genius in his time, I do not consider him a genius now. We have billions of books, why do we have to continue reading the same old stories and the same old authors? We never seem to evolve. We don’t read new authors, we only read stories written by authors that have died. My father read the same stories in high school and middle school as I have. We should move on already and let people have a chance to enjoy reading rather than hate reading.
I disagree, I think that stories that are unclear are not good stories. If they cannot keep my attention than that is no good. Just because they are old does not make them good. I think that we can respect that it was a different time for writers, but we do not have to dwell on it.
It is sadder to me that the people in countries were most citizens are illiterate are suffering in corrupt countries, starving, not receiving proper medical care, and not teaching their citizens to help defeat their problems. Being illiterate is the least of their problems when they have to worry about diseases, genocides, shootings, and starving. They need to learn and be taught, but they need to learn other things before they can enjoy reading. (I don’t know anything about the illiterate in the US)
I understand your points, but I still am not sold on your opinion about books and old authors.
I am not saying that all old authors and old books are good; I am merely saying we have to respect it. It’s like learning history, not all events seem important or significant, but it’s still history and it’s good to be informed. Many people and movies make references to these classics, and it’s just good to know what they are talking about instead of being clueless. It does not mean you have to like the stories or books at all.
And in those countries that are having worse problems to worry about than learning how to read, wouldn’t you think that that is the reason why they are poor? It’s because of lack of education. In Africa, kids and adults are starving, but the U.S. is trying to help them, by giving food, and also by providing education. You see, if we are educated, then our range of choices open up and then we can defend ourselves. If we are educated (aka, learning to read) then we have choices and therefore, the other problems (starvation) will slowly be solved. Why do you think the white people were hindering the slaves from learning how to read back in the days? It’s because they were afraid the black people would rise up and rebel once they learned something. And it’s true, knowledge is power.
Although I wasn’t debating on the value of education or the value of reading (I was merely giving kudos to the good ol’ books as opposed to technology) you do bring up a good point since books, reading, and education go hand in hand.
And Kay, I do believe we have been reading new books. I.E. Maya Angelou, Ray Bradbury, etc. Not all classics are good, but we should still learn it because everything makes references to them because they have greatly impacted society then and now. Plus, we need to read it for college!
I know but learning how to deal with their problems is much more important than reading for fun. They need to do a lot of educating before that can even happen.
I feel that on a ratio or percentage most of the books we read are old.
We were going to read Ray Bradbury last year, but we didn’t we read old stuff instead.
My question was why do we have to read these old books for college?
But I understand your points.
Thank you so much for responding to my comment!
I wasn’t talking about reading for fun. How can they read for fun when they haven’t even learned how to read yet? And like I have stated before, we need to read the old books because it is like history. Why do we have to learn history?
And it’s been interesting refuting each other’s points. ^_^
“It is like respecting different cultures; even if you do not have the same beliefs, you cannot be judgmental of them.”
^ this is 100% true, i completely agree.
and i agree with your blog too!
people should read more in general..
its sad to see that nowadays most kids aren’t into reading and despise it
they’ll never truly know the wonders of reading =/
and its also sad how they are butchering our language in general with “text speak”
I really liked this post. i agree that books are in a way, being lost. the best things about books are when you are reading a really excitiong part and you just cant wait to turn the page and find out what happens. the saying, “it’s a real page-turner” didn’t origionate from a Kindle. the same thing goes for audio-books too. the most enjoyable reading for me is just reading a phisical book of print and pages and getting lost in the story.
Thanks for commenting everyone!! And yes, I love turning pages. I also love turning back pages to reread certain sections. I feel, with the kindle, you can’t really do that. And I know Mrs. Lahaise loves the kindle because I always see her using that to read her books, and I’m not trying to offend anyone or anything. I’m just saying I love a good ol’ book over computer any day. =]
CRYSTAL!!!!!! I super-freaking love this post! Okay, so maybe I put a little too much emphasis on it……but So What! I really believe that “technology” as in hand held book-thingamajig’s and online books you need computers to read from. A book is always best. The feel of it in your palms, as if you control the entire existence of the story. And the way you feel suspense in a part that has you hesitating to turn the page. The way you can take it around everywhere and not be worried about someone wanting to steal it….. (Except for this one book I lent to my friend who left it alone for a second, and when she came back, it was gone……*Crazy nut-job Twilight fan….*) But besides the point, no matter how many tree’s we have to kill to print words of gold. And I am pretty sure that last part didn’t help with my argument but whatever……I love books, and I am not afraid to say so…….And I really hope people would see the beauty of a good novel……kay………Anyways, nice post, loved it! See ya Crystal.