What Are eBooks?

We all (hopefully) know what books are. You know, those things with ink on paper all collected together? They used to be the bee's knees, but now it seems like you can hardly find them. Even when you can find a book store, they seem more interested in showing you their new eReaders for their eBooks. First of all what's with "e"? The beginning "e" simply means electronic. It's the same "e" as in "email".

Knowing that we can now establish that eBooks are electronic books. Why would someone want an electronic book? Well, have you ever tried to carry around a copy of War and Peace with you to read when you have some free time? On the other hand, you can have that and dozens of other books on one eReader (the thing that lets you read the eBooks) that weighs almost nothing and fits easily into a purse, backpack or breifcase. Waiting for your oil change? Read a few pages. Child FINALLY went down for a nap? Read a few pages. You catch my drift.

So why aren't people buying these things up? Well, they kind of are, but some people are die hard paper-books-only people. There's nothing wrong with physical books. I enjoy having them, and you can't beat that book smell! I'll go over some of the benefits of eBooks here, but by no means think that I'm saying eBooks are better the paper books. You already know (hopefully) the benefits of paper books.

My favorite thing about eBooks besides the size and ease of transportion is how easily you can interact with the book. Have you ever been reading and run into a word you don't know? Most eReaders allow you to select a word and look it up in the built-in dictionary. (You have to admit that's pretty cool!) I also like that you can usually highlight text you want to remember or set bookmarks to help you get back to important parts. I never mark up my real books (it's heresy to me), but throwing a fake highlight onto a line I want to tell a friend about makes me share my reading experience a lot more. I also love that you can increase the size of the text on the book. I wear glasses so if I'm reading a paper book I have to hold the book away from me, but if I have my glasses off I have to have the book three inches from my face. With an eBook, I can increase the text so I can hold it a comfortable distance away.

Now for the downsides. eBooks have batteries. Real books never need to be charged. Cost- eReaders are usually $100 or more. That'll buy you a lot of real books! Screens- Some people complain about reading on a screen. The majority of popular eReaders use eInk (I think you can figure out what that is) which simulates the look of real ink on real paper. Most people find that this doesn't bother their eyes, but some do. (I'm one of them that can't stand it for some reason.)

Before you go out and buy a Kindle or a Nook though, I do have to point something out first though. You may already have an eReader! There are programs you can put on your computer if you felt like reading a book on your computer screen, and most "smart phones" and tablets can also display eBooks. I personally read primarily on my iPhone for example. So, if you already have an electronic device, check and see if it has eReader capability first.

Practical Tip of the Day:
If you have a device that can read eBooks, check out classical books first. Most older books like Dracula are free, so you can catch up on those books-you-don't-want-to-admit-you've-never-actually-read without spending any extra money!