Why Physical Books Are Better Than eBooks

Tech is always evolving. And when it comes to music and movies, most people are keeping up. DVDs have mostly replaced videocassettes, but are quickly giving way to video streaming. Same with music. How often do you see someone walking around with a portable CD player anymore?

Not so with books. While eBooks are common, many people still prefer good old-fashioned books. Not that eBooks don’t have their advantages, but there’s just something about holding a physical book in your hand that you just can’t replicate with a screen.

Physical books are simply better than eBooks. Here are four reasons why.

1. Physical books stimulate more of your senses
With an eBook reader, you’re simply looking at and touching a cold screen. Physical books engage four of your five senses. Old books engage all four to a high degree — yes, many of us are big fans of that old library book smell!

C.S. Lewis beautifully described the moment he learned to appreciate the effect of books on the senses: “The set up of the page, the feel and smell of the paper, the differing sounds that different papers make as you turn the leaves, became sensuous delights.”

Why impoverish your senses with eBooks when you can relish the look, sound, smell, and feel of a real one?

2. eBooks have little rabbit holes everywhere
Not all eBooks have ads, but many do. And is there anything worse than being immersed in a great story only to have an annoying ad clamoring for your attention and trying to lead you to another page?

The beauty of a physical book is being disconnected from that online web where every page is trying to lead you to some other outside page.

Now, some physical books do have ad pages, but they are usually hidden in the back. They may feature a link, but of course you can’t touch the link on a piece of paper and go to the website.

This is where laziness works to your advantage. Most likely, you’ll continue reading your book because you don’t want to make the effort to get your phone or laptop and check out the ad link.

3. Not everyone reads a ton of books
Why go out and spend money on an eReader if you hardly read books to begin with? If you plan on reading only a few books in your lifetime, just get the books themselves, rather than wasting money on an electronic device you’ll hardly use.

Plus, some people spend a long time slowly reading a certain book. There’s something special about having a physical book you’ve invested in for such a lengthy project.

4. You can build a cool home library
Few things are better than building your own personal home library. Not only do you have a ton of books on hand to read, but it’s a great way to add aesthetic appeal to your home!

It’s not for nothing that magical libraries often appear in fantasy. Magical eBook libraries? They just don’t have the same appeal.

Again, eBooks are not bad. But they lack the beautiful qualities of physical books. We NEED to make sure physical books never go by the wayside like videocassettes, vinyl records, and other old tech.

How can you help preserve real books? Simple: Go out and buy them! Even if you have an eReader, make an effort to buy physical books as well. Build up that awesome home library and preserve a pastime worth keeping alive.