Quick Recommended Reading

Just wanted to point folks to Scott Kirsner's piece in the Ideas section of the Boston Globe today, with the headline, "Kicking Back with a good e-reader." Kirsner, who covers technology for the Globe as a columnist, takes B&N's Kobe, a Kindle, and an iPad on a weeklong vacation to try out each one, and makes some interesting finds. While I take issue with any journalist parroting back Amazon's press release regarding the number of e-books they've sold compared to hardcovers - self-serving stats to be sure - I do appreciate the overall level-head-ness of this piece. There were multiple times when, as I read it, I almost spilled my coffee and/or started sputtering various curse words, but generally, as I kept reading, I was calmed. One such example: when Kirsner says that, in keeping with this experiment, he was going to stay out of any bookstores, doing all his book purchasing online to have the full digital experience. But then he comes around as his son forces him into the Where the Sidewalk Ends bookstore in Chatham, on the Cape, and he also talks up the Harvard Bookstore back in Cambridge. Phew.

I appreciate his ultimate conclusion, but in fairness to him, I have to make you all read it to get there. Enjoy!