Post 2:What is a book?

A book is a median through which an author can share his story and the story is what actually matters, not the median through which it is shared. The story is where an author expresses himself and his ideas. Can you hear all about Gatsby's extravagant parties from a blank piece of paper or a blank computer screen. The answer to that question is no. You hear all about  how everyone who was anyone attended Gatsby's parties through the words written on the paper or the screen.It does not matter if a book is written on paper or accessed via the internet or an electronic device. The story will not change if it is recorded on paper or online. Moving words from a book to a computer will not change their meaning nor the words themselves in any way. It is like moving water from a bottle into a glass. The water never changed, it is still water. The only difference is where you can find it. The internet has provided a way to make books more widely accessible by giving you a new place to look. It is comparable to a bookstore in that you can buy books from the internet. What makes this bookstore special however, is it contains almost every book imaginable with an almost infinite supply. It is also very convenient as all you have to do is get on your computer, type in the name of the book, and hit enter. Compare that to the hassle of driving to your nearest bookstore, searching through the aisles in hopes that the story has your book in stock, and if you are lucky enough to find it, buying the book and driving all the way home. It seems almost silly to go through all that extra effort to get the exact same story you could get from the internet.