Physical book vs ebook

[Shamim Toufighian]

I'm beginning to educate myself on REI and have gathered a list to start reading via recommendations from the BP community and the podcast, and I'm curious to hear what everyone prefers when it comes to collecting the books either as ebooks or physical copies.

I'm a big fan of having all of my books on my kindle, but I'm wondering if it might be a better idea to have the actual physical REI books for easier access when quickly trying to flip through.

I know this is a silly question, but I'm just trying to figure out what to do since I'm about to purchase several.  :)

[Ryan Bergeron]

If I'm not mistaken, Kindle has a search feature that allows you to jump to what you are trying to find.  I personally prefer hard copies, though, but I guess I'm just old-fashioned.  Keep in mind that the hard copies generally come with a digital (PDF) version too.  Purchasing the physical book affords you the best of both worlds (plus it always feels good to support BP).

[Andy Robison]

I've read e-books. But I love building my library. Currently I've run out of wall and bookshelf space. >< Nothing like a good ole book.

[Shamim Toufighian]

Thanks @Ryan Bergeron, yeah the search and highlight features are pretty cool, but still not as easy as simply flipping through an actual book.

@Andy Robison, I feel you on building up the library. Looks so nice having a row of books filling up those shelves.

One of the main reasons I keep leaning towards Kindle is because I read a lot at night in bed when my wife is asleep, and the backlight in the Kindle is much better (and less light) than having an actual book light.

[Jean Bolger]

Yep, books that you want to refer back to are easier to handle in paper form, IMO. I have J Scott's rehab estimating book on my iPad- wish it was a physical copy! Kindle version is great for other types of casual reading. (Or so I keep telling my husband, who has literally thousands of books... we are also running out of room!)

[Matt R.]

Nerd mode...

For the e-books, make sure you have backup copies on media that you personally own and control (i.e. not "cloud").  This can be the hard drive in your laptop/PC, an external hard drive, a flash drive, or whatever, just as long as you can hold it in your own two hands.  There are a couple of reasons for this... that "free" cloud storage you get today will eventually turn into ransomware (pay so much a month or you can't get at your files anymore) or just disappear, and cloud is susceptible to bogus takedown requests.

Also, with e-books, make sure the file is in a format you will be able to read 20 years from now.  PDF is a pretty safe bet; there is so much stuff floating around in PDF that either Windows 20 and Mac iOS XX will still come with a PDF reader, or whatever they do come with will have an "import PDF" option.  Kindle format will *probably* remain readable for a while, but possibly not as long as PDF.

End nerd mode.  :)

[Shamim Toufighian]

@Jean Bolger Those are the exact books I'm thinking of that would be annoying to go back and reference on a kindle. Maybe I'll stick with kindle for casual, but physical for REI.

@Matt R. Glad to see another fellow programmer nerd here! I do freelance interactive development (mainly HTML5 banners, and some front-end web dev). The only thing with PDF is that they won't allow you to adjust the font size if reading on the kindle, which tend to be very small. I'm thinking there are converters for PDF > epub/mobi/azw, right?

[Matt R.]

Originally posted by @Shamim Toufighian:

I do freelance interactive development (mainly HTML5 banners, and some front-end web dev).[...] I'm thinking there are converters for PDF > epub/mobi/azw, right?

I do embedded stuff.  If airplanes aren't crashing into each other... you're welcome.  :D

Google says there are converters from PDF to those ebook formats, including some online ones.  I don't know if any of them are better or worse, but they do exist.

[Michael Boyer]

Some old classics may not be in kindle, but getting more rare.. but some fairly good selling books from the 1980s or 1990's that are out of print may or may not be in kindle...

Also, nothing easier if you are on the phone or online and need to grab a reference from the shelf than an old fashion paper book in hand (no dead batteries, no scrolling,)....Also, easier to loan or give away...

A few may have forms (like legal forms) or drawings that may or may not translate well . My forms for the Griswold PM for Dummies did not come through my e-reader (but I understand were apt association forms available online anyway). Funny ones like Leigh Robinson's from Landlording come to mind but there could be others..

But overall personal preference probably is key... I lean to paperback, but a few I have gotten in kindle...

[Peter MacKercher]

Just to add a few thoughts to the discussion: Books are great, but they're also cumbersome and arguably take more effort to read. Dig -- Kindles are very packable, so great for trips and carrying around in your bag. Their backlights make them very easy to read in any light situation, including laying down on your bed just before you go to sleep. If you're trying to get through a lot of volumes e-books might be a bit more manageable/accessible for those reasons.

PDFs are usually awful to read on e-readers, and the best efforts I've seen to convert them is usually lackluster. If you do opt for a physical copy and can get a e-book version with it, go with a .mobi or .epub for the format, if possible. Both convert really well and are easy to move between different brands of e-readers.

[Matt R.]

Originally posted by @Michael Boyer:

Some old classics may not be in kindle, but getting more rare.. but some fairly good selling books from the 1980s or 1990's that are out of print may or may not be in kindle...

If it's real classic - like before the 1920s, which usually means it's out of copyright in the US - check out Project Gutenberg, https://www.gutenberg.org/ .  They have all the Mark Twain, Lewis Carroll, Arthur Conan Doyle, and Charles Dickens that you want, all for free.  You can get it as HTML (to read in a browser), epub, Kindle, or plain text.  

I am not affiliated with them; I just think it's a neat project.

[Shamim Toufighian]

Originally posted by @Peter MacKercher:

Kindles are very packable, so great for trips and carrying around in your bag. Their backlights make them very easy to read in any light situation, including laying down on your bed just before you go to sleep. 

These are the exact reasons I've been leaning towards using my Kindle. The big downside for me is that it's a bit more work to look back for quick references.

[Sterling White]

Its time for a bigger book shelf @Andy Robison great to hear about you educating yourself through reading. 

Lately I have actually preferred audiobooks due to being on the go mostly, but having a hard copy is good to have for reference 

[Rachel H.]

I like both. :) 

[Shamim Toufighian]

@Sterling White Yeah audiobooks are also great. I'm currently going through all the BP podcasts while I work. I've just started with those, so those will last me a while!

[Account Closed]

Do you have a tube TV in your house or an led/lcd ? I freed myself of books and love the fact I don't have to have bookcases anymore. I also cant stand the touch of newspapers 

[Shamim Toufighian]

Originally posted by @Account Closed:

Do you have a tube TV in your house or an led/lcd ?

Haha. I mainly stick with ebooks and got rid of my hard copies a long time ago. The only hard copies I've bought recently have been baby books (I have a two year old), and I find them much more convenient to reference than if they were digital. I'm wondering if that will become an issue with digital REI books.