Reading

A delightful little musing on a parent who gave up her iPad for reading (do read the whole thing; it's short, but sweet):

I did love my Kindle app. I still do. But the most relevant feature of the iPad is that while reading is one option, Angry Birds and Facebook and e-mail are others, all available at a swipe.

A book — a real book — is one choice, taken from a pile, opened and entered as its own singular, separate world. Once chosen, you are not holding the constant opportunity to alter or improve your choice, or simply change it just for the sake of restless change. You are there, now, without the relentless pressure of the fact that you could always be, and maybe you should be, maybe you’d be happier or more productive or different, doing something else. It’s a choice I hope my kids will decide to make, often.

<idle musing>
I think that summarizes very well the difference between a physical book and an e-book. I read a lot on the screen, but I also get distracted a lot when I do. With a book, not so much...
</idle musing>