Post #2 What is a Book?

A book is a way to see the world from a new point of view, whether it’s the author' or a characters' point of view. I agree with Joe Meno in that a book is a place and it isn’t always about what form it's in, but the story itself. Each book is like a fingerprint, no two are exactly the same.  Books offer different worlds, characters, real-life stories, and allow us to explore our imagination, which is what makes them so unique. I do think some electronic books are missing something, but not all of them. If the book is a work of art, a complex fingerprint, the hard copy is needed, and adds to the book as a whole. Something about holding a book and feeling, smelling and reading the pages of an amazing book adds to the whole experience of reading, as opposed to reading it electronically. Some stories though are just as good electronically as in hard cover; it’s when the book is special to you, personally, that the hard copy is the more magical of the two. With this said I don't exactly agree with Tom Piazza who made his point clear on how much he detests electronic books. He says "it's an anti-world. The computer's ambition is to transcend point of view completely." I disagree with this comment because of the fact that I have had personal experience with e-books, I own a Nook, and I still find books and stories enjoyable. The electronic world is not an "anti-world" it's a whole world all in its own. It is a very different world, and at first it is hard to get used to, but it's where the real world is heading and there's nothing anybody can do to stop it. I do believe we should still keep and make physical copies of books, but I think eventually, everything will be electronic. The electronic world is something everybody, including books, will have to get used to.

Post #1 Why I Read

I read for pleasure and to entertain myself. I mostly read fiction because it's more interesting and is almost like a movie in your head. Reading stimulates the brain and in particular fiction stimulates my imagination. When reading I feel as though I am experiencing what that characters are experiencing and I am able to escape my own problems for a while. When I read I am in the characters world and I block out the outside world. The stimulation reading gives my imagination enables me to be more creative in the real world, and come up with my own stories and ideas that I wouldn't be able to come up with if I didn't read. Reading to me is a form of entertainment that is also educational and stimulating at the same time. Without reading I feel as though I wouldn't be as creative and I also feel like I wouldn't be as good of a writer. Reading opens my brain to new ideas and new language and allows me to expand my writing and speaking abilities. To me reading is a fun and educational way to open my mind to new ideas and escape the real world without leaving the comfort of my bedroom.