Explaining bookbinding to my book club led to a huge argument about e-readers.

I was at my book club last week talking about our latest read. Someone said they only use e-readers now to save space. I mentioned I bind books as a hobby, and they laughed, saying it's a dead art. I told them that a well-bound book can outlive any digital file, using my great-grandfather's journal as proof. Things got heated when half the group agreed with me and the other half didn't. Now I realize most people don't get why we do this work. But if you ask me, handing someone a book you bound yourself means more than any download.

4 comments

4 Comments

the_simon1mo ago

You know what nobody talks about? The power goes out, your battery dies, and suddenly your whole library is gone. But like bailey.nancy said, that cookbook doesn't need a password or an update. It's just there. A bound book is a finished object, it doesn't need you to keep it alive. Isn't there something sad about a file that could just vanish if you forget to pay a subscription fee?

garcia.jason1mo ago

Actually, digital files need active maintenance to survive generations while a physical book just needs a shelf.

victor7791mo ago

But digital files can be kept safe for generations.

bailey.nancy1mo ago

Wait, do people really believe digital stuff is safer than a book that's already lasted a century? My great grandma's cookbook survived a house fire and a flood, it's sitting on my counter right now. Good luck pulling your cloud files out of a flooded basement.