Print Books vs. E-Books
When looking to buy an intellectual gift for someone or yourself, you may face the tough decision of choosing between purchasing an e-book or a print book. Each one has its pros and cons, and choosing the best option for you or someone you know is reliant on many factors.
Some may argue that printed books offer certain aspects that you simply cannot get with e-books. The smell of a book, for example, or the feel of paper can make a big difference to the enjoyability of our reading experience. In fact, many studies have proven that physically turning the pages and following the visual cues of print help us recall what we read. If you enjoy sharing books with others, then printed copies are more convenient and practical. In addition, print books provide ceaseless entertainment while naturally lacking blue light - something we get quite enough of every day. Annotations can also be written easily on print books, by using pencils and pens of different colors to highlight, underline, and otherwise mark important information. Annotations are more limited in e-books, where you are only able to highlight lines, add some notes, and bookmark pages. If you ever need to quickly look back and skim a page, physical books make that easy. Having to go back and forth in a printed book is much faster than on an e-book reader. When conducting research for a paper, it is easier to work with printed books and sources to keep track of specific pages or passages. Furthermore, physical books require no power or recharging to operate, allowing you to read them anywhere!
On the other hand, e-books provide easy access to thousands of books. You can carry a considerable number of books anywhere and everywhere, digitally. An e-book reader can be significantly lighter than one medium-sized book and can contain as many books as you want. On the contrary, physical books take up a lot of space and are heavy. Perhaps the strongest argument in favor of e-books is that they are cost-effective. When it comes to purchasing books for an e-book reader, prices are much lower than their printed counterparts. Additionally, there are many free e-books available on the internet for download. While annotating in print provides variety, highlighting and bookmarking in an e-book can be done with one touch. You can access all your notes in one place where you can then view, share, or download them without having to go through the entire book again. E-readers, such as the Amazon Kindle, have built-in dictionaries; this eliminates the need for carrying an actual dictionary or phone to look up a word while reading. You can simply tap on the word and a definition will be displayed instantly! E-books also have X-ray features which allow readers to explore the characters and summary of the book. When looking for e-books, a seller will most likely provide a sample containing some of the first few chapters. This gives one the ability to read without actually purchasing the book, enabling a reader to determine beforehand whether they enjoy the story and would like to finish it.
When it comes to selecting the better option between e-books and print books, a fierce debate always ensues with multiple contrasting viewpoints. I, for one, use both methods. However, there are plenty of people who definitively prefer one over the other. That said, the real question is: which one is better for you?
Work Cited:
Ebooks vs. Print Books. (2020, May 16). Retrieved from https://www.millcitypress.net/author-learning-hub/ebook/ebooks-vs-books/
Gokey, M. (2020, March 24). 7 reasons why ebooks are better than printed books, and where to download new titles to read right now. Retrieved from https://www.businessinsider.com/ebooks-vs-books
T. S. (2018, August 15). 50 Reasons Real Books are Vastly Superior to Ebooks. Retrieved from https://thebestschools.org/magazine/real-books-superior-ebooks/
