Books vs. internet: there’s no match!

A well produced book enhances the experience of reading. A book touches all our five senses at the same time. The feel of paper, the smell of the book — all makes reading a pleasure.

Books are the quietest and most constant of friends; they are the most accessible and wisest of counselors, and the most patient of teachers.

– Charles W. Eliot

Why books are important?

Books have always been our best friends. They educate, they entertain and they can be our best companions. Though internet can also educate and entertain us, but the experience is nothing close to holding a book in hand and reading it. A well produced book enhances the experience of reading. A book touches all our five senses at the same time. The feel of paper, the smell of the book — all makes reading a pleasure.

Books: available everywhere

But, many people feel that they do not need books as everything is available on internet. While, we cannot deny the fact that internet has a repository of information and entertainment, but how many of us have internet available to us? In smaller towns and cities, where internet has still not reached masses, books are the only and main source of information and entertainment.

Besides, books are compact, inexpensive and convenient to carry anywhere and everywhere. That’s not the case with internet, unless one is using a portable device. But again, connectivity remains an issue even in urban areas these days.

Books: the most authentic source

Moreover, there is a lot of fake information doing the rounds on the internet. A user has to be sure that the information is available on an authentic website. On the other hand, books are well-researched and pass through a lot of quality parameters before they are being published. Both the author as well as publisher try their best to present the most authentic information. This is very important for educational books.

Joy of holding a book…

The charm of books will never go away. This is the reason why authors want their books to be in printed form as well. There’s nothing like seeing your printed book displayed at bookshops on in the hands of a reader.

This also holds true for bookshops. Though e-bookstores do help in taking books to a larger audience, there’s nothing like browsing through books in a physical bookshop, which have now come of age. With comfortable seating, user-friendly arrangement of books and other amenities like tea/coffee, a bookshop is the place to savour books. Readers can browse to their heart’s content. Moreover, bookstores these days have become cultural hub with book reading sessions, book launches and other literary events.

Inculcating book reading habit in children…

Parents, these days, are trying their best to inculcate the habit of reading in children as digital screens are taking a toll on their eyes. Books, on the other hand, are easy on the eyes. Also, they open up the world for children. Reading is the best way to improve the thinking skills and learning new things, besides expanding the knowledge base. Reading nourishes and stimulates a human mind. Dr. Seuss rightly said, “The more

that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go.”