If you know me, you know that I have an insatiable appetite for reading books. Some of you have also heard that I have recently converted to doing all my future reading electronically. This has come as a surprise to many of you, and believe me…me too. In case I didn’t mention, I LOVE books. There is absolutely no replacement (yet) for the look and feel of a soft page, the shape of a perfectly-sized novel resting in your palms, and the addictive smell of the printing press! I’m not making a case against those things, because I miss them too, and I hear you loud and clear: an e.book simply cannot replicate certain characteristics of a slice of fine paper. I just want to point out a few notable attributes of an e.book that cannot be replicated by paper copies. And as one who makes part of his living by reading, studying, and teaching, I find all of these elements invaluable, hence, my recent conversion to the glory of the e.book.

1. I can buy any e.book, anywhere, anytime, for half the price.
2. I can carry all of my e.books everywhere (hundreds), in an iPad or Kindle that is thinner than its paper counterpart.
3. I don’t have to deal with wear-and-tear (important if you’re OCD!!)
4. I can copy and paste
5. I can do a word search anywhere within an e.book and have it take me to the page where the word is found
6. I can adjust the text size so that I don’t have to use my reading glasses
7. I can read in the dark
8. I can enter any word into the built in dictionary and have the definition pop up on the page without ever leaving my spot
9. I can stand my e.reader up without trying to keep the binding open
10. I can sync my e.book with hundreds of others who have read the same to see where everyone else has underlined or highlighted

I’m not trying to convert anyone. I’m just reasoning that if the only unique feature of a “real” book is the experience of holding real paper, than I will gladly forego that single experience for these 10 new experiences.

Let the record show, that I have successfully been woo’ed.