The "Real Books, Made Of Paper" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Spent a few hours in front of my desktop iMac working on the Manheim Township Middle School 2019 yearbook.  After that long a time staring at the screen, even though it is rather large, and listening to all the annoying pings, I was so glad not to have to look at it anymore. For a long time!  For the majority of the population of the world, this is probably a daily routine for you.  How can you do it?  Hard on the eyes?  It just has to be and soon there will be a specific eye malady with a name something like "Ping In Screen Syndrome" (PISS).  I work on the yearbook for hours to make a salary that I will eventually use to head to a Caribbean Island where I will relax on a white sand beach with aqua water in front of me.  And, I will read a book to relax!  Maybe a couple books, depending on how long we stay in paradise and what might pass by me on the beach that deserves a look.  And...I know it makes no sense...the book I read will me on my Kindle.  I used to read real, honest to goodness paper books years ago, but as I aged I found it harder to see the type size that is used for paperback novels.  

What's your choice?  Real books or an e-reader?

So, I found that I can enlarge the type font and change the type style to suit my eyesight.  It makes reading so much more enjoyable when you can see the words on the page without squinting.  I've had a Kindle for at least a dozen years, buying my second one before a vacation in 2018.  At first it just didn't seem right, not having a paper book to be able to turn the pages.  I had a really neat book mark that was my constant friend from book to book.  All of a sudden it was put to rest.  At first, when I got my second Kindle, I had trouble finding where I had stopped reading the day before.  So, I made sure I always stopped at the end of a chapter.  When you read James Patterson quite a bit, you know that it only takes a minute or two to read a chapter.  I have read of a few avid readers who have given up their Kindle, since they long for paper pages after spending hours at a time viewing a computer screen where they work.  At times I feel guilty not switching back to paper books, since both my sons are pressmen who are responsible for the printed word.  They rely on people to read printed material to keep their jobs.  I do read the daily morning newspaper while at home, but when on vacation I rely on my laptop to get the daily local news. But, I like to save stories from time to time and find it easier to take a scissors and cut them out than have to cut and paste and then send the job to the printer.  In 2010 the founder of MIT Media Lab predicted that e-books would overtake the printed book in 5 years.  But, guess what.  In 2015, e-book sales dropped 11%.  My biggest concern about reading e-books is the fact that I have to order them online.  As soon as I do that, someone is tracking what I am reading, for a day or two later, I get a notice telling me I may like to read this author or that author.  And, I just may give one of them a try.  But, I hate that nothing is just for me anymore.  Everyone knows my every move.  If I could find some of my favorite authors in large print books, I may give it a try.  Only problem could be the size and weight of the book due to the larger sized type. So, until someone can come up with a way for me see the type easier without special glasses, I will order my books online and use my Kindle.  The biggest advantage is that I only need a small pocket in my suitcase to hold my Kindle.  My wife knows that and always has a half dozen paperbacks sitting next to my suitcase for me to pack, since her suitcase is already packed with a dozen other paperbacks.  At least she is keeping our sons employed.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.