There’s a thoughtful essay by Julian Baggini in the June 20, 2014 Financial Times on current research comparing reading and comprehension using eBooks vs. paper. Baggini cites a lot of different research on reading speed, comprehension, learning and other issues relating to how we process information which we read. The essay summarizes a very wide-range… Continue reading Reading eBooks and Paper (Julian Baggini in FT)
Category: E-Books
Enhanced eBooks and One Art Historian (Chronicle of Higher Education)
In the Chronicle of Higher Education‘s opinion section, art historian Jacob L. Wright advocates for print and enhanced ebook publication. Fascinating perspective, although I dread the consistency issues–not to mention the fairly serious issues around a self-designed book being published on a proprietary platform without consulting preservation experts: My book was produced in two forms.… Continue reading Enhanced eBooks and One Art Historian (Chronicle of Higher Education)
eBooks and doing the reading for students
PROmedia eBook Reader (Photo credit: PiAir (Old Skool)) Pierre Tristam at FlaglerLive (Flagler County, FL) writes about new EdTech software from CourseSmart that allows teachers to see how much of the reading a student has done. Setting aside pedagogy and the old tradition of fooling the prof, Tristam argues about the nature of reading: Reading… Continue reading eBooks and doing the reading for students
Peter Osnos on Google Editions at The Atlantic’s blogs
What Is Google Editions? – Culture – The Atlantic Peter Osnos on Google Editions: Assuming the program works as planned, Google Editions will put up for sale a vast universe of trade e-books, plus technical and professional titles and out of copyright works (which will be free) for use when, where and how the consumer… Continue reading Peter Osnos on Google Editions at The Atlantic’s blogs
Google Editions and Open Source
From GigaOM at Salon (and a bit dated), but this article by Matthew Ingram has some more reporting than the WSJ article. Open vs. Closed: Google Takes on Amazon and Apple in e-Books – Technology News | GigaOM Network – Salon.com Whatever pricing scheme it chooses, it seems clear that Google wants to come down… Continue reading Google Editions and Open Source
E-Book Dodge (Randy Cohen on eBooks)
Randy Cohen’s Ethicist in the NY Times Magazine responds to a reader who asks about buying a hardcover when he really wanted an eBook edition, and then downloading a pirated eBook copy. Update: 4/9/10: The Bookfinder blog adds more to the discussion, quoting from author John Scalzi’s blog.
Do School Libraries Need Books? (NYT)
Image by promaine via Flickr A not terribly interesting debate at the Times’s RoomForDebate blog on school libraries and whether they should have books. The discussion (not the right word for a handful of interested parties talking/emailing to a reporter) shaded into future of the book, and “they should both exist!” (And why the illustration:… Continue reading Do School Libraries Need Books? (NYT)
Current Crop of E-Readers Compared: iPad vs. the Rest – e-Readers – Lifehacker
Lifehacker review of the iPad and Kindle, bit primarily from a techie’s perspective. (I find these reviews and reviewers always problematic because they’re bleeding edge adopters who in turn adopt this faux-reasonable tone, as if anyone should agree that their marginal, non-mainstream interests are somehow…normal!)
Other uses for a Kindle….
I’m still kind of incredulous: yesterday morning I saw a subway passenger from upper Manhattan using a Kindle as a mirror to check her hair. Waaaaay Cool!
Laura Miller on Kindle vs eBook
Laura Miller at Salon has a good backstory on Amazon’s Kindle and the Apple iPad eBook reader. Laura Miller – Salon.com: “This dust-up is the culmination of a long-standing feud between Amazon and book publishers. What triggered it, however, is something new: the introduction of Apple’s iPad.” Note Miller comments about publishers’ fear of Amazon’s attempt… Continue reading Laura Miller on Kindle vs eBook