The temptation was too great…
The need…the need…what can I say?
I did it!!!!!
YES!!!!!!
I can’t hide from it….
I went into a bookstore and bought books.
There…it’s out – WHEW – I’m feeling better already.
Brick and mortar. No digital full-immersion experiences.
No clicks; swipes; tweets or posts.
Just people and books – lots of them.
And a librarian of sorts…look it up if you’ve never heard the term…
And it was liberating.
Let me explain.
My two grandsons were spending the weekend with us.
I always buy a book or two to read with them. Printed books. No video; no “interactivity;” nothing moving, jumping or singing…except for me…
My usual source? Amazon – children’s book section – “These recommendations are based on items you own and more…”
Always works…easy and convenient…no misses so far. At least not many.
But here’s the thing…
Friday came around too quickly…I hadn’t acted – I was too late for even Super Expensive Ship Right Away and Get It Almost Before you Order rates.
So I did the unthinkable and defied all of the analysts who don’t just predict but claim that bookstores are already buried, and I entered the Dead Zone.
Let me be clear before I continue – numbers speak for themselves – obviously the hardcover book business is declining and the e-reader business is growing – as it should! But do read on…
No zombies; no walking dead…yet – I went right to the children’s section – and there they were – bodies all over the place – on the carpets; in the chairs; on the little stage; leaning against the bookshelves – looking – reading – sharing – talking – excitedly pulling parents and friends and brothers and sisters and whomever over to look or read or touch or browse.
I walked around picking up random books that caught my attention. Looking for authors or illustrators I recognized; titles that brought a smile; colors that caught my attention.
I picked up books and reveled in the sensory rush of lush printing and the tactile experience of different papers. I imagined how Henry and Teddy would react – those two primal digitals love printed books too.
Soon my arms were weighted down – I had far surpassed Amazon’s average order of about $49 and I was still going strong – very strong.
More…
I asked about one book I wanted – the sales associate looked it up on her computer – according to the database there was one copy left in the store but she couldn’t find it – she thought it was possibly in the basement storage and called down to have someone look – good service.
Meanwhile I watched an older woman – clearly the supervisor – help others find their own reads. She listened to the moms and dads but questioned the children – she went online and shared Amazon’s rating as well as others too – but one savvy adult asked her what she thought – and wisely went with that opinion.
She reminded me of the librarians of old – who helped give me my love of books – she knew the material – she had a POV – she was not just an amalgam of unvetted reviews – she knew.
Soon my helper came back to apologize that they couldn’t find it – she was sure it was there…somewhere – the computer said it was – but no one seemed to know just where.
At this point the older woman intervened and asked me to wait just one more minute. And in less time than that she returned lovingly holding the last copy of the book I wanted. Her smile said it all – you will love it she said – I did – more so did the boys.
I checked out – similar to one click – (by the way, based on the info from the cashier, I hadn’t renewed my card since 2010 – so you know the last time I was physically in the bookstore) and took fastest delivery but really cheap. I carried the bag… and in no time I was on the street in the crazy current of a hot New York late summer Friday afternoon – letting it buffet me to and fro as I fought my way home to unpack my purchases and wait for the full immersive experience.
And there you have it – again – let’s be clear – it doesn’t mean that e-readers are not taking over – most of my reading is done on my iPad Kindle App – and it doesn’t mean that the bookstore model isn’t broken – it is.
But here is what it sure as hell means – we had better lose the mindless chatter that so permeates our lives about immersive experiences; social; digital – as if nothing else exists or ever existed – try the bookstore again – and then go online – we are nowhere near creating the true all-encompassing experience that we are leaving behind – nor is there any need to – DIGITAL EXPONENTIAL – room for both – in fact my bet is more than room – value – in sales; in loyalty; in revenue and profit for those who care.
As I said try it – I bet you buy more…and find treasures…So it might be broke – but find a fix!
Listen:
“It’s important to turn off the computer and do things in the real world.”
―Andy Borowitz
Who, by the way, also said:
“There is a fine line between social networking and wasting your f**king life.”
― Andy Borowitz
It was a great weekend – we are still reading – the interaction is amazing and by the way – I just added some books to my Kindle App….
What do you think?
NB – here are some of the books I bought that they loved. Take advantage of my having been in the bookstore and check them out….
- What To Do If An Elephant Stands On Your Foot by Michelle Robinson
- This Land Is Your Land…10th Anniversary Edition words and music by Woody Guthrie, paintings by Kathy Jakobsen
- The Pirates Next Door by Jonny Duddle
- Stuck by Oliver Jeffers
Let me know…
P.S. It may explain one way the future could unfold…I think it’s telling who Captain Kirk wants as his lawyer….
I get it. I really do. Tangible books are out. E-books are in. But as we embrace the so-called “digital revolution” and race to fill our Kindle Apps with the latest and greatest best-sellers, perhaps we should take a moment, as you did in the bookstore, and consider the world we are leaving behind. I pondered this on my own blog a few months ago:
http://samanthabmerel.blogspot.com/2012/03/how-we-read.html
Some of my fondest memories of time spent with my father and brother are friday afternoons at the Chicago Public library. We would go to the JCC to swim, then split cupcakes (my brother ate his frosting as well as mine and I would eat both of our cakes),then head to the library and get our books for the week. Sadly, I can not remember the last time I was in a library.
We sat on the beach of Bayville looking over the Long Island Sound. We had gathered for the annual 4th of July tradition.
Times had changed – there were more waters and sodas than beer in the coolers. Nobody was annoyed by a loud boom box playing songs that we would eventually all sing along to – they wore headphones and tended to get hit by the errant frisbee more than the rest of us. I guess they could not hear the “watch out!” being shouted as a kid ran trying to catch the disc.
Jane, the lawyer of our crowd, sat and tried to read her ipad, but she gave up after a while with the glare. Cliff almost lost his Kindle when the tide came in and he was still out on a raft. Marc had better luck with his library beach books-though my niece got one of them pretty soaked when her lemonade spilled on the blanket when she jumped off the hot sand.
I had my books, ones I had paid for (maybe not full price) at the Bookmark in Huntington. Some I got so the kids could draw in them and play games like search-a-word. Some I got just to read. The battery didn’t die on them. One got really wet and dried all swollen on the back of a chair. I let my buddy take one home that he had been meaning to read. And even Jane had book that she ended curling up in bed with later.
I have finally got into using an e-reader- I love it, specially on holiday, so easy to carry. However I still have a pile of real books next to my bed. They are usually books I want to get inspired by, where I highlight, mark pages etc. I also really enjoy going to public libraries and wonder what is going to happen to them. But my main dilemna is how to make my 3 year old keep loving books but at the same time make sure she keeps up with the times, so many toddlers are brought up on ipads these days… I have decided that I will give her the opportunity to stay well away from e-books (even though the kindle fire looks amazing for kids books!) until at least she can read non picture books.
David, I just experienced the joy of being in a bookstore on this weekend.. and I realized that no matter which bookstore I walk into, there is always a sense of familiarity as if I always belonged there.. It is as if the journey transports you into a world of self discovery.. of what you become when you snuggle in the comfort of your imagination coming alive at alley, shelf & corner.. I love the environment, but this just felt nice after a hiatus from the virtual world
Another Analogue Experience
For those of us that live in the Southern Ocean, The Cannes Festival of Creativity can seem an awfully long way to travel for an award show. Unlike the English, the Russians, the Americans, the Asians or even the Seth Americans this is not a one-leg journey. Whether on an A380 via Heathrow or a Boing 777 from Dubai to Nice it takes a full day of your life to find your way to the Croisette. So, little wonder many of us Southerners choose to stay an extra week for a little European holiday prior to getting back on the bird for another 24 hours in 38,000 feet limbo.
This year my wife Kate joined me after the Festival for a drive from Cannes to Bordeaux. We had been invited to a wedding that rather conveniently was one week after Cannes completed.
We hired a car, said yes to the offer of a Tom Tom and set off.
Immediately the Tom Tom swung into action and instructed my every move. Yes, as expected, I was informed where to turn and how far we had to travel before the next move, but rather wonderfully we were even advised on the correct lane.
At first this was marvelous. You don’t have to think, just do as your told and rely on the wonders of GPS to get you to the most obscure little village Hotels we had previously booked.
But not thinking, simply doing as instructed, driving where you’re told, when you’re told and (as was the case with the lane advice) how you’re told, eventually took its toll on me/us.
GPS provides no context; you can get to your destination with minimum fuss but without any real idea of exactly where you have been. Tom Tom provides no context. As your instructed to “drive straight ahead for 800 metres” you have no idea of what is East of you, or what delight you may have missed to your West. The broader picture is absent from the digital convenience. You are a tourist in narrowcast.
Soon after realizing that we had no idea of the bigger picture we pulled into the next service station, and went analogue (we purchased a map).
Immediately we were provided with context for our drive. We could discuss the districts we were driving through, the towns that lay to our east, the landmark that was a short drive to the West. Our map gave us an idea of the bigger picture. Without it we were driving too, and arriving at, predetermined destinations.
In the end it was the combination of digital with analogue that provided Kate and I with the most wonderful week of driving through France. The surety of GPS combined with the opportunity for discovery our map ensured we learnt about the broader picture without the inevitable directional arguments of a husband and wife of nearly 2o years.
The Cannes Festival is extra-ordinary, and everyone connected to the business of commercial creativity should find a way to get there at some point in his or her career. But when you find your way there I do hope that despite the incredible accuracy of ‘GPS Marketing’ the Festival has not lost the joy, the broader context and power that can be achieved via the analogue world.
I still enjoy reading the ‘extinct’ way. Holding a book made of real paper, turning the pages … there’s no substitute. I buy several books every month, a few online, mostly from bookshops. Love the non-internet browsing. Of course I end up with too many books & too little time. Recently read a lot of great fiction by Arab writers. Truly amazing story-tellers.
Well reading an actual book is always a better choice for me, one i would save some of my money, two i would have a book in my hand a book that i would enherit to my children someday, the only disadvantage if you come to me is being green and save the trees from turning into books, in all ways reading is good and getting away from the digital life is an awesome thing to do since we spent most of our days online.
Thank you for sharing your experience with us david and looking forward to your next rumble experience,
Cheers
Interesting initiative: In-Store Tech Allows Customers To Print Books On Demand : The Harvard Book Store helps customers find exactly what they need- by creating the novels for them in 4 minutes!
http://www.psfk.com/2012/07/in-store-tech-print-books-on-demand.html