Books – there was something… I just caught myself researching in (admittedly somewhat older) books. Something about software definition or something. But anyway, that’s not the point.
Rather, I ask myself why I picked up a book and didn’t simply “consult” the Internet or Chat GPT. Is it because of my generation? Nostalgia? Do I find the feel or smell of somewhat dusty books somehow stimulating? Is there something in the book that can’t be found online? Why not download it as an e-book or PDF? Have I missed out on digitization? Is there something wrong with me?
Maybe it’s a mixture of all these points. But for me, a book still has something binding about it. Someone has gone to the trouble of writing it, editing it, illustrating it, printing it, publishing it (and finding it again – ok, the joke is old and not good), selling it. And someone else (in this case me) went to the trouble of finding it, buying it and reading it. That’s quite something…
Of course, this also applies to a lot of content available online – but accessing it is much easier. And perhaps it is precisely this “effort” that still makes books so important to me.
When I look at my students as they fiddle around with their e-books and PDFs on their iPads, type in all their notes digitally or scribble directly on their iPads and then think of my wall of books and my writing pad, I feel old. Nevertheless, I still prefer a book, a piece of paper and a pen…
Why am I writing this? Nobody knows. But sometimes a thought just wants to be spread. Sorry for that.
