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There are other call backs to the minimalist lifestyle in this process as well. All my primary and secondary research is being conducted online as well. As a bibliophile I miss the feel and smell of moldy old tomes. Still I have access to amazing articles and journals with just one click of the mouse. If I had been told when I was 8 and hording chapter books from my local library that in 20 years I’d be able to read anything I wanted on a computer, I would have called the police on that person for being dangerous and mentally ill. We are truly living in the future.
Other minimalist, I know, have invested in a Kindle or Nook. These devices are amusing, but I just can’t see myself taking one to the beach in order to read a bit of mind rot and enjoy the sunshine. The warmth of a book cannot be replaced by hard plastic, no matter how ergonomic. Still I would have tons of space if I could get rid of all my books. I have at least two book cases in every room of my house. I recycle my books that I do not intend to keep forever by giving them to my friends, selling them, trading them for different books at the local used book store and giving them to charity. I feel that as long as I am getting enough use out of my books (and I do reread many of them dozens of times) there is no need to do away with them in favor of the latest gadget.
What do you think? Have you traded a traditional hobby for its modern counterpart? Let me know your experience in the comments.
ARGH. I just wrote a comment that got lost. Let's see if I can recreate:
ReplyDeleteI don't think it's an either/or proposition. I bought a Kindle last year and I LOVE it. It's lightweight, easy to carry around, and I have hundreds of books on it already. Most of them are free classics that I've been wanting to read or re-read for a while. I take it with me everywhere and usually have 2 or 3 books going at one time.
By the same token, I love real books. I love the history books I have in the bookshelf in my living room. I love my stash of chick-lit and romances in the bedroom. I love seeing a book tossed onto a side table or resting on the dining table. Sometimes sitting down with a glass of wine and a favorite book, turning the pages, smelling that book-smell ..that's what I need after a long day.
So for me, both will always be a part of my life. Real books are part of the soul of my home. But my Kindle - well I'll get rid of it when you pry it from my cold dead fingers! :)
Frugal,
ReplyDeleteI'm sorry your first comment got lost. Thank you for having the patience to re-post. I'm glad to see you were able to strike a balance between paper books and e-books. That is most encouraging as I try to whittle down my over crowded home.