We've Come A Long Way Since Gutenberg

Very much my parent's child, I am a reader. I read every- and anything I can get my hands on-- Novels, non-fiction, newspapers, magazines, anything with words. Naturally, I think reading is just great. I can't think of a better way to discover new information, new ideas, new feelings, or even old information, old ideas, and old feelings.

To me, it's a shame that more people choose to watch the news rather than read it in the newspaper, or that people discover love by watching reruns of Titanic on TNT every month. It doesn't seem as real to me. The power of the brain to compute and react and understand ideas and feelings is astounding, and I think a lot of modern technology (TV, movies, videogames) has stunted this awesome capability.

Reading is almost considered oldfashioned these days. Passe. Irrelevant. It's not fashionable to read the Greats, so people settle and buy copies of Gossip Girl, The Devil Wears Prada, and The Dirty Girls Social Club (don't get me started on that, I have to read it for a Latin American Literature class. Seriously.)

Reading comprehension in elementary and secondary schools is beyond disappointing. My mom, a former English teacher in a Baltimore middle school, can tell tales of failing seventh graders who read at a second grade reading level. Second grade! It's embarrassing, really.

Naturally, I was pleased to hear that Amazon has released a new technology that actually promotes reading in our modern world. Go figure. Called the Kindle (well now, the Kindle 2.0), this device is like a literary iPod, offering men and women the ability to read books, newspapers, magazines, and blogs on "an electronic paper display." Basically a small computer screen, the Kindle 2.0 is a portable library for people who seek a balance of the literary life and convenience.

Amazon offers over 240,000 pieces of literature, ranging from the classics to modern crime novels. The books are all downloadable and can be stored in the device. Some books can even be read aloud, albeit by an automated voice. But still, pretty cool.

Despite the fact that this new literary wave excites me, and it does, I'm not sold. I'm currently reading I am Charlotte Simmons by Tom Wolfe. It's magnificent, read it. It's also a couple hundred pages long, like any Wolfe novel. I can assure you, this book was not meant for electronic paper-- kind of like how Star Wars is that much better on the big screen. Not only would it be annoying to read on such a device, considering the length, but the touch of metal and plastic can't beat the touch of paper and ink.

Maybe I'm a little too oldschool?

I'm interested to see, though, how Kindle catches on. Or if it does at all.

Will universities use the technology for textbooks?

Will a company like Apple adapt the technology for iPods?

Will Kindle ignite a passion for reading in Americans? I'm skeptical.

Regardless of whether or not Kindle is a hit, I think it's a relief to see technology embracing such a Renaissance art. Who knows, reading could be the new avant garde accessory for next fall...

Want to hear another reader's opinion on Kindle? Check out Stephen King's reaction.