Books

polaris

i heard on the radio today that there are only 2 major papers in the US that still has a regular book section ... the NY Times and the Washington Post ...

it's kind of scary - times they are a changing every day of every month ... we get our information through different sources now - but, books are critical ... they are the keyhole to our souls - stories are still some of the best ways for us to connect with the world and lives around us ...

why don't we care about books anymore?

Heineken Helen

polaris wrote:

i heard on the radio today that there are only 2 major papers in the US that still has a regular book section ... the NY Times and the Washington Post ...

it's kind of scary - times they are a changing every day of every month ... we get our information through different sources now - but, books are critical ... they are the keyhole to our souls - stories are still some of the best ways for us to connect with the world and lives around us ...

why don't we care about books anymore?

Does it really matter that the paper doesn't have a book section? You buy the paper to read the paper, you buy a book to read a book. The drop in book section may not actually reflect a drop in book sales... or maybe it does. Anybody know of any figures?

Books are too slow for todays world... it takes a few days (or weeks or months) to read a book... but only a couple of hours to watch a film and get pretty much the same story.

cincybearcat

because we have movies now


But if you want to check out a book....how about this one...

http://www.amazon.com/Reagan-Diaries-Ronald/dp/006087600X/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/102-4927377-8427356?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1180102855&sr=1-1

Enjoy.

cincybearcat

Oh, and you can read tons of book reviews on the internet...so who cares about 1 newspaper's editor's opinion.

polaris

Heineken Helen wrote:

Does it really matter that the paper doesn't have a book section? You buy the paper to read the paper, you buy a book to read a book. The drop in book section may not actually reflect a drop in book sales... or maybe it does. Anybody know of any figures?

Books are too slow for todays world... it takes a few days (or weeks or months) to read a book... but only a couple of hours to watch a film and get pretty much the same story.

i think it's a reflection of the importance of books in society

uhh - movies/films are a whole other art form ... first of all, a book has to be made into a film before it can be seen (not likely in most instances) ... secondly, hollywood is crap ... thirdly - most books don't translate well into movies - they have to be altered, shortened, stuff like that ... and lastly - there is no replacement for the written word - there is no other medium that can tell me (in an interesting and poignant way) the life of someone in a village in congo or a doctor in italy or a court jester in france ...

know1

polaris wrote:

i heard on the radio today that there are only 2 major papers in the US that still has a regular book section ... the NY Times and the Washington Post ...

it's kind of scary - times they are a changing every day of every month ... we get our information through different sources now - but, books are critical ... they are the keyhole to our souls - stories are still some of the best ways for us to connect with the world and lives around us ...

why don't we care about books anymore?

Books are still important to me. I have a library card and always have a book checked out that I'm (slowly) working on reading.

polaris

cincybearcat wrote:

Oh, and you can read tons of book reviews on the internet...so who cares about 1 newspaper's editor's opinion.

you can read the news on the internet - why have newspapers at all then?

know1

polaris wrote:

you can read the news on the internet - why have newspapers at all then?

Newspapers are doomed. I'm not sure why most people bother to subscribe to them at this point.

Heineken Helen

know1 wrote:

Newspapers are doomed. I'm not sure why most people bother to subscribe to them at this point.

we just buy them in the shops here... it makes for good reading when you're on the bus or sitting down in the canteen having a cup of coffee... or anywhere you don't have a computer in front of you.

NMyTree

polaris wrote:

......why don't we care about books anymore?

I can't be included in that "we".

I have literally hundreds of books and continue to read and buy more books.

polaris

know1 wrote:

Newspapers are doomed. I'm not sure why most people bother to subscribe to them at this point.

they can still be online ... the paper copy is irrelevant in this matter ... what matters is the sections they choose to report on ...

polaris

NMyTree wrote:

I can't be included in that "we".

I have literally hundreds of books and continue to read and buy more books.

i use the library and typically have 1 or 2 books on the go ...

do you think tho - that this is a reflection of society? ... that books are falling by the wayside?

Heineken Helen

polaris wrote:

i think it's a reflection of the importance of books in society

uhh - movies/films are a whole other art form ... first of all, a book has to be made into a film before it can be seen (not likely in most instances) ... secondly, hollywood is crap ... thirdly - most books don't translate well into movies - they have to be altered, shortened, stuff like that ... and lastly - there is no replacement for the written word - there is no other medium that can tell me (in an interesting and poignant way) the life of someone in a village in congo or a doctor in italy or a court jester in france ...

when book shops start closing down or publishing houses close... THEN it may be time to start thinking books are losing importance in society. Although I don't see the importance of them (apart from the educational ones) in society anwyay... although I'm sure it's soon to be explained to me

Jeanie

How ironic that you are asking why don't we care about books anymore when I am just taking a short break from wrestling with my bookcases to try to somehow fit in all the new books I have come by in recent months!

No chance that books will become a thing of the past in this household.

The biggest problem we face is where to put them all.

cincybearcat

polaris wrote:

they can still be online ... the paper copy is irrelevant in this matter ... what matters is the sections they choose to report on ...

I guess you make a good point there.

polaris

Heineken Helen wrote:

when book shops start closing down or publishing houses close... THEN it may be time to start thinking books are losing importance in society. Although I don't see the importance of them (apart from the educational ones) in society anwyay... although I'm sure it's soon to be explained to me

books are like songs ... imagine lyrics didn't matter in songs anymore ...

cincybearcat

polaris wrote:

i use the library and typically have 1 or 2 books on the go ...

do you think tho - that this is a reflection of society? ... that books are falling by the wayside?

How about I give you an opportunity to to kill 2 birds with 1 stone....

Give me the name of your favorite Climate Change / Global Warming book. Preferably one that isn't from a kook. Maybe give me a few to choose from. That way I'll buy a book and it will be about you favorite subject.

Heineken Helen

polaris wrote:

books are like songs ... imagine lyrics didn't matter in songs anymore ...

But... as importance to society goes? Yeh, those kinda books maybe but not alot of the crap brainless fiction that can be out there. I don't accept that they do anything for society.

Are we talking a specific genre of book here or just books in general?

polaris

cincybearcat wrote:

How about I give you an opportunity to to kill 2 birds with 1 stone....

Give me the name of your favorite Climate Change / Global Warming book. Preferably one that isn't from a kook. Maybe give me a few to choose from. That way I'll buy a book and it will be about you favorite subject.

the weather makers by tim flannery is a good book ... most of my other readings are from periodicals and journals ... they are very dry ... and they don't work well as door stoppers like reagan books ...

polaris

Heineken Helen wrote:

But... as importance to society goes? Yeh, those kinda books maybe but not alot of the crap brainless fiction that can be out there. I don't accept that they do anything for society.

Are we talking a specific genre of book here or just books in general?

there are lots of books out there and they tell different kinds of stories ... take to kill a mockingbird for instance - it made people confront racism or how catcher in the rye told us about adolescence ... it goes on and on ...

also - if i want to know about life in the 1700's - what better way then in the context of a story about big sailboats? ...

know1

polaris wrote:

they can still be online ... the paper copy is irrelevant in this matter ... what matters is the sections they choose to report on ...

Yes - that's what I meant.

know1

Heineken Helen wrote:

we just buy them in the shops here... it makes for good reading when you're on the bus or sitting down in the canteen having a cup of coffee... or anywhere you don't have a computer in front of you.

Right, but how long until you can just read them wirelessly on your PDA from just about anywhere?

NMyTree

polaris wrote:

i use the library and typically have 1 or 2 books on the go ...

do you think tho - that this is a reflection of society? ... that books are falling by the wayside?

Yeah, I believe so.

Without a doubt the internet, tv, video games and pop-culture have had a significant effect of the reading habits of a lot of americans. But I still know plenty of people who buy books and read often.

I strongly encourage my three year old to read every day. We both read to him a combined total of three times a day; then there's the bedtime read. We've been doing that since he war born.

We buy him books and limit his TV watching time to a very small amount of time, in favor of reading, outdoor activities, creative and imaginative play time and so forth.

We have been reading to our one year old basically since the day he was born, too; and the plan/program is the same for him as he grows up.

I believe this method we use is a good and positive approach to raising good kids who will be thinkers and knowledge-hungry.

I also believe the voice of a parent reading at such an early age is soothing, relaxing and comforting to the baby. I also believe it esablishes a good foundation for their ability to listen, form sounds, develope speech patterns (sets an example of syntax), which eventually enables the child learn, read and speak well.

So far it seems to have been a very successful approach. My three year old knows his alphabet, can count up to the 70s and shows a great deal of interest in reading and speaking well. He routinely comes to me to bounce off not just words, but full sentences; so daddy could teach him the correct way to pronounce the words and structure the sentence.

My one year old is currently working on his "dadda'....... dadda' .....mamma' ....mamma' .......babba' ....buh ba' and saying "hat"

He's so cute:)

Jeanie

NMyTree wrote:

Yeah, I believe so.

Without a doubt the internet, tv, video games and pop-culture have had a significant effect of the reading habits of a lot of americans. But I still know plenty of people who buy books and read often.

I strongly encourage my three year old to read every day. We both read to him a combined total of three times a day; then there's the bedtime read. We've been doing that since he war born.

We buy him books and limit his TV watching time to a very small amount of time, in favor of reading, outdoor activities, creative and imaginative play time and so forth.

We have been reading to our one year old basically since the day he was born, too; and the plan/program is the same for him as he grows up.

I believe this method we use is a good and positive approach to raising good kids who will be thinkers and knowledge-hungry.

I also believe the voice of a parent reading at such an early age is soothing, relaxing and comforting to the baby. I also believe it esablishes a good foundation for their ability to listen, form sounds, develope speech patterns (sets an example of syntax), which eventually enables the child learn, read and speak well.

So far it seems to have been a very successful approach. My three year old knows his alphabet, can count up to the 70s and shows a great deal of interest in reading and speaking well. He routinely comes to me to bounce off not just words, but full sentences; so daddy could teach him the correct way to pronounce the words and structure the sentence.

My one year old is currently working on his "dadda'....... dadda' .....mamma' ....mamma' .......babba' ....buh ba' and saying "hat"

He's so cute:)

Nice work tree. Don't forget that you'll be helping them develop their imaginations by reading to them too. Not to mention their listening and comprehension skills.

I'm forever buying books and reading to my niece and nephew.
I have to battle sometimes to get them to turn off the tele, but once they settle down, they really enjoying having me read to them and looking at the pictures.

polaris

NMyTree wrote:

edited for space ...

My one year old is currently working on his "dadda'....... dadda' .....mamma' ....mamma' .......babba' ....buh ba' and saying "hat"

He's so cute:)

i commend you on the job and your kids are lucky to have you ... having said that - if you're reading them books about reagan - i take it all back ...

cincybearcat

polaris wrote:

... and they don't work well as door stoppers like reagan books ...

Comments like these speed up the death of books.

And dry is ok, but I'll look into the other one first. Have you heard of this one...

http://search.barnesandnoble.com/booksearch/isbninquiry.asp?z=y&cds2Pid=15223&isbn=1596911301

Heineken Helen

know1 wrote:

Right, but how long until you can just read them wirelessly on your PDA from just about anywhere?

I still think papers will exist. Just like books... you could download a book but people still like books.

cincybearcat

polaris wrote:

i commend you on the job and your kids are lucky to have you ... having said that - if you're reading them books about reagan - i take it all back ...

You're missing out.

polaris

cincybearcat wrote:

Comments like these speed up the death of books.

And dry is ok, but I'll look into the other one first. Have you heard of this one...

http://search.barnesandnoble.com/booksearch/isbninquiry.asp?z=y&cds2Pid=15223&isbn=1596911301

no, i haven't ... these days - i tend to read fiction more ... without trying to sound too arrogant - i've read enuf about climate change ... all they are reporting now is that their findings support what we knew over a decade ago ...

cincybearcat

polaris wrote:

no, i haven't ... these days - i tend to read fiction more ... without trying to sound too arrogant - i've read enuf about climate change ... all they are reporting now is that their findings support what we knew over a decade ago ...

I know you are well read on teh subject. I've done some reading myself, not a lot, but they were all studies/journals and I was looking for a comprehensive book...and prefereably not 1 with an agenda.

RockinInCanada

NMyTree I want to salute you for doing a great thing getting your kids into books early, will pay off ten fold down the road.

I know when me and the fiance' decide to have some little ones I will be reading to them non-stop and will encourage them to read on their own. I will not be another parent who believes that TV is the best baby-sitter, I will not let the media indoctrine my child on how to think.

I haev heard/read so many times (mostly from youth) that there is no point in reading books they are slow and boring. I tell you that without books I would not be the same person I am today, books develop a mind so much i think a lot people under-estimate the value of reading.