Breaking Up Thick Books:
Visually Less Impressive But Easier to Use
I’m about to tackle my copy of Ray Kurzweil’s The Singularity is Near, his 672 page hardcover tome on The Law of Accelerating Returns and it’s implications on the years ahead. The singularity in Kurzweil’s words is:
technological change so rapid and profound it represents a rupture in the fabric of human history. The implications include the merger of biological and nonbiological intelligence, immortal software-based humans, and ultra-high levels of intelligence that expand outward in the universe at the speed of light.
He’s an optimist to say the least, but it’s nice to see serious data place dates on the ideas that sci-fi novels have explored for years. It is a book that very much answers “Where’s my jetpack?” to a degree we have difficulty imagining in our current day to day lives. Needless to say, I’m excited about running through this brain candy store.
There’s only one problem. It’s big. I do a lot of reading when I travel. These two things don’t go well together. Big thick hardcovers may look cool on shelves or impressive on coffee tables, but they’re a pain to actually read. Why don’t publishers offer editions that are broken up into small carry-friendly sizes for reading on the plane, train or waiting room?
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Comments (1)
They do – in Japan. Books are 4″ by 5 to 6″. A ‘big’ book is a half-inch thick. High quality, acid-free, thin paper puts about 300 pages in a half inch. If the novel is too long, it’s split. Most common are two-volume books, with “top” and “bottom” written on the spine.
This is why I’m excited to move to Japan. Entire industries built around bus and train commuters. In the US we have ‘car culture’ which really means it’s tough to find products to support your lifestyle if you don’t own a car.