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Image courtesy of Amazon.com

Since I’m not a gadget-centric person, I realize that I am usually behind the times when it comes to the latest tech gear. This is perhaps why I only first heard of Amazon's Kindle about five months ago when a friend was describing an electronic device that could be used to download and read entire books. I was appalled and immediately indignant. How could anyone prefer a cold, hard piece of technology to the distinct smell and feel of a book? Part of the charm of a book is the yellowing of the pages as it ages, the musty smell that hits you when you open the well-worn cover, the smudges due to hundreds of other fingers cherishing the very same story.

Now, I understand that my romanticism of a printed novel is unkind to our forests and therefore unkind to the environment—the Kindle could save many trees from a fateful death. In addition to its green advantage, the hand-held mechanical “library” is also gaining in popularity due to the convenience factor. With more people traveling than ever before, for longer distances, being able to take several books along, stored in a compact device, is clearly easier and more economical than adding the poundage to your luggage. You can also order and immediately download the newest bestseller just reviewed by Michiko Kakutani.

Without a doubt, the Kindle is accessible, compact, and fast—factors that have born many an interesting gadget—and it definitely has its place in our overworked, hyper-paced world. But, does this mean we have the subsequent closing of libraries to look forward to—similar to the increasingly extinct newspaper business? Will electronic books foster literacy as well as email and texting have fostered our writing and communication skills? Only time will tell—I’ll follow-up in five years to let you know.