The case for smaller bookshelves

My Kindle will arrive very soon, according to Amazon.  That's about one month between order and arrival.   The long delay makes for an uncomfortable space, since I wound down my (real) book queue prior to the purchase.   That left little on the 'unread' shelf.

This has prompted me to (finally) venture into 'Democracy in America' by noted 19th Century author Alexis de Tocqueville.  Traditionally, these books spend more time on shelves than being read.....the definition of a 'Classic', I suppose.   Well into the first of the two books, it appears to be a worthy classic - as prescient and insightful as the hype claimed, and a relatively easy read when compared with other work from the time.    It should also be noted that this book will be free on every e-Reader, since it's well over 96 years old and thus firmly in the public domain.

So, I find myself on the edge of the digital-reader abyss.   Reading a p(aper)-Book from a bygone era in order to better understand the present, while preparing for something new (e(lectronic)-books) that will replace all that I have known in the past.    It gives me a sense of instant-nostalgia and some fear.   It makes me think.  

I see this as a major change and it deserves a lot of contemplation, because it will effect how we read, which plays a big part into how and what we think.

This is an interesting take on how the brain works differently between paper and electronic books:

http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2010/09/the-future-of-reading-2/

I lightly disagree with the author of that post, because  I don't see the problem being the ease/difficulty of reading.   Our brains have adjusted to everything from the alphabet (to pass thoughts on beyond our lifetime) right up to stuff like cell phones (which take away the need to memorize phone numbers).  So, moving reading from paper to e-Ink screens will just be another thing we adapt to.   Previous technologies that replace some part of brain function (made things easier) have all been easily adapted into our lives.   The easier, the better.

The real problem is the quantity - the depth of these new shelves.    

So, 'Democracy in America' can be had for nothing, downloaded right to your e-Reader of choice in seconds, and immediately placed into competition with a billion other books, instant news updates, games, movies, and entertainment of every kind.

Now I walk past the bookshelf to get to the newspaper.    In the future, that information will be even closer, but buried deeper.  The bookshelves will be massive and the choices many, but it will be hard to see anything through the noise.