Couldn't have said it better myself.

I'll admit it: e-books give me the heebies. I'll admit that someday in the near future I'll have to adapt to them, but I won't be happy about it, I can promise you. I will, in fact, be very unhappy about it, and will continue to be vaguely so even after I adapt (the way I am still vaguely unhappy about books on CD as compared to books on tape). Kindles also give me the heebies, because they are basically e-books, and because Amazon is starting to make me want to puke the same way hearing the name "Wal-Mart" does.

So the folks at Green Apple Books have done my heart good by presenting a series of videos about the Book vs. the Kindle. Embedded below is my favorite one:

Green Apple Books is a bookstore in San Francisco. If you live anywhere near there, please do stop in and support them. They're doing God's anti-Kindle work.

Comments

[Tripp]

I love Green Apple! Back in Oakland days, I used to go quite a bit. They are one of the few remaining independents in SF, so do shop there!

[Citizen Reader]

Tripp, the more I watch this video, the more I laugh. I love the "Erotic Knifeplay" book that he's reading, too. I may poke around and order some books from them online. They look like book lovers enjoying their work, and I want to support that. I wish I could work there!!

[robert brown]

E-books. Better e-books than no books. And yet. Why so expensive? Why so defensive? Why so vaguely evil?

I'm at the library, so I can't hear the video, but it looks hilarious!

I have to admit Amazon has developed a high puke factor. They're not microsoft yet... yet.

[Jessica]

What's funny about this - from the still, as I can't watch the video at this computer - is that I just saw an article yesterday on flirting with books:

http://lifestyle.msn.com/relationships/articlemcmatch.aspx?cp-documentid=20968518&GT1=32023

Imagine trying to get men by carrying around "Lolita" or Proust. If you really want to get men, DUH, carry "Cryptonomicon" or something non-fiction. I landed a guy once when he found out I had read "Voyage to Arcturus."

The danger in flirting using books is that it only takes minutes for someone to figure out if you're out of your league.

[Jessica]

Oh, PS, Green Apple is in my neck of the woods. I once went in there and asked the front desk clerk if he could help me find a book:

Me: You probably hear this all the time, but do you think you could help me find a book if I don't know the author's name or the title?

Clerk: Try me.

Me: It's a memoir about learning to drive that was reviewed in Vogue.

Clerk: "The God of Driving." Upstairs, toward the back by the window, in a stack on the floor.

Me: (two minutes later, with book, turning to store) Does anyone realize how cool that was?

Clerk: [shrug]

[Heather]

I dunno. I do really like ebooks. I didn't think I'd make the switch as quickly as I did, but...

[Citizen Reader]

Yeah, Robert, I should let go of my Amazon Animosity. But they're annoying me recently.

[Citizen Reader]

Jessica,
Are you telling me that once upon a time I could have picked up men by carrying around nonfiction? How did I miss that boat? Good thing I took steps into my own hands when I saw Mr. CR reading a Norton anthology and dispensed with flirting in favor of asking him out.

I LOVED your story of the All-Knowing Clerk. There is nothing better on this earth than the All-Knowing Bookstore Clerk. And they're always lovely humble people too who don't think their massive and beautiful skill set is anything special. Man I miss working in a bookstore, although I was not as good at it as your Green Apple Books clerk.

[Citizen Reader]

Heather,
I know a lot of people like them, and hey, as Robert says, I suppose it's better than no books. I'm just a Luddite. I don't mind the reading screen or any of that, but God do I hate trying to keep up with nitpicky little tech changes and issues. As soon as I buy a Kindle, I know they'll come out with a better and cheaper Kindle two months later, and they'll keep doing that every two months until one of us dies. I just don't have the energy to keep buying the next Kindle and transferring everything over to it. I just want to carry my little paper copy of "Franny and Zooey" around with me for perpetuity.

[Jessica]

Is it possible to pick up men reading non-fiction? Well, you're married, right? And you read non-fiction, right? QED! ;-) Really, I think many men just expect women to read novels, and it stands out more when they see us with something different. Something more like what they read.

The first book RS ever saw me reading was "Lullaby" by Chuck Palahniuk. He didn't recognize the author, though. I'm not gonna claim he saw a book under my arm and fell for me, but I will say a huge part of our relationship revolves around discussing topics from the various non-fiction books that come through the house.

[Citizen Reader]

Jessica,
Well, yes, I am married, but I don't know that NF had anything to do with it. I think it had rather more to do with me having a car when Mr. CR didn't.

Wow, you opened your relationship with a Palahniuk book. Gutsy choice. At least it wasn't "Snuff" you were holding. :) I'd agree that a shared love of books is one of the nicest things about living with another person.

[sarah]

Was the Norton Anthology for class assignments? But at least he was reading it.

[Care]

I found this post when I searched for a review of Proust was a Neuroscientist (loved it!!!) and now I'm laughing at Jessica's How-To-Pick-Up-Men idea. And actually, think the quick finding out if you're out of your league could be a good thing; for the quick 'why waste our time' factor. But I'm married and can't say it hurts our relationship that he's not a big reader. He respects my right to read all the time so that's important. And he listens if I rave about something I read, but that's about it.

[Citizen Reader]

Care,
I got a laugh all over again reading everyone's comments here (thanks for commenting even though this is an older post) and watching the video. I'm glad you liked "Proust was a Neuroscientist"---is that the Jonah Lehrer one? I think I had that home but had to take it back to the library before I got it read. If you say it was good I'll have to get it back...

As long as spouses respect the right to read, we're all good. As long as spouses understand reading is more important than cleaning one's house, then we're REALLY all good!