Chip Kidd wrote a little diddy on the new Amazon Kindle. It’s pretty entertaining, though I’m not sure how much I agree. The physical book isn’t flawless, after all (not being able to leave an open book on a flat surface, for instance, or how many times would you have killed to be able to perform a simple search query for a basic word or phrase in your favorite classic? Not to mention the huge amount of space books take up.)
Which isn’t to say the paper book will one day become obsolete, or that the Kindle is a great product by any means. I’m just suggesting that there will come a day when the available technology catches up with our grocery list of requirements, and when that happens the digital book will become a welcome and useful part of our everyday lives.
That said, the image you see on the left was put together for the write-up by Mike Essl. A nice reference to a couple of Chip’s past designs. (It’s also funny that another of Kidd’s covers made it into the shot as well.
The next time I move, I’d like to formally invite Chip to help carry twenty large boxes of books for me. He might note that most of them are not graced with his talents, and aside from the words contained therein, are worthless. I’m buying pizza and beer for everyone afterward.
Well, snarkiness aside, there are some books that you want to sit on your shelves in all their glorious glory, and some books that you simply want to read and then save for a later date because of the valuable information they contain.
Case-in-point: I’d resort to fisticuffs if you tried to take away my worn and torn copy of Cryptonomicon, but if I had the option to convert all my Idiot’s-Guide-To paperbacks (I seem to need those a lot) into digital copies, you bet your ass I’d jump at the chance.
Good point, Ben: there are some texts for which this kind of thing is brilliant. Textbooks certainly come to mind. I think there’s a real possibility that the Kindle and other readers will find a dedicated user base, sort of like the Segway is starting to. Would I ever own a Segway? No. But the cops who buzz around Chicago on them seem to like them a whole bunch.
Does anyone else find the name “Kindle” a bit tone-deaf?
I get that the stated goal is to replace books, and ignite a fire for the digital revolution and all….
But “kindling” as the next phase of “books”?
Really?
Eric is just complaining because we had to haul our rediculous collection of books 3,000 miles, with a truck-switch halfway in between.
Of course I suppose I wouldn’t be opposed to just skinning off the covers and discarding the contents… who needs those anyway?
(And for the record, I essentially agree with Chip – books smell nice, feel nice, and owning them are a point of pride for some people… they can trade them, lend them, write notes and dedications, and overall they’re just more enjoyable… the web and my laptop give me all the other types of information that I want…)
And how much does the industrial design of this thing suck? Ugh.
Don’t buy a Kindle if you don’t need or desire one. Gesh… Who knew having options was a bad thing? The Apple iPhone looks incredibly gay to me, so therefore I didn’t purchase one. It’s not difficult to abstain.
I wouldn’t mind having a Kindle though. The $399 price tag, along with the $10 a shot for reading materials once you have the damn thing is … err… not very inviting for my college boy budget. I’d rather spend $10-$15 every few weeks/months if I require new reading material, but I don’t because I have more unread books on my shelf than any one man should have. Buy used, I say, and you’ll never be left wanting.
I understand what you’re saying, Ben, about technology inevitably catching up with readers’ laundry list of needs. However, Kidd is correct in saying that the inevitable collusion of digital network-y goodness (sorry) and the book format isn’t going to come in the guise of an a new object or device that replaces books. The animated and networked newspapers seen in films like Minority Report and Harry Potter are what the Kindle needs to be in order to live up to “the iPod of Books” hype/hope. Surely the movies would not lie to us.
Right now e-book attributes are like a game of Rock, Paper, Scissors without solid rules, but my bets are on: Books beat/absorb Screens and not the other way around.
And seriously, one typeface Changing typefaces in Word is every novice’s favorite first thing to learn. Weird limitation.
And now, if I may fangirl out a bit after reading the small type at the end of Kidd’s mini-essay:
Chip, you magnificent bastard; The Learners is finally going to be printed on dead tree pulp and in my hot little hands come Feb ‘08—after 3+ years of waiting. Those USA Today PDFs of the preliminary seven chapters have long since faded and been blown asunder with the winds of Time. (That’s alright though, they harbored some pretty gnarly typesetting hiccups.) I’m beyond anxious to see Hap scaling the cliffs of Content and Form. His little epiphany on page 36 of the novella holds great promise.
Even after three years, three months is still a long time. Im. Pai. Tent.
@C Wys: Everyone knows the iPhone is bisexual. Silly.
The Google Books initiative will eventually help address the whole searchability question. But for pleasure-reading, nothing has as yet remotely approached replacing ink on paper. Until they come up with something that doesn’t involve screen-induced eye strain, doesn’t fall victim to software updates, can’t crash or run out of energy, I suspect old-fashioned books are going to be around for a long while in some form. Until paper gets too expensive, anyway.
As for buying this device, I guess I might point out the recent pitfalls of being an early adopter (see: iPhone).
To paraphrase Wonder Showzen: Argue argue argue die. I’d just like to say that Ben’s initial post is the most balanced bit of prose I’ve ever read about the e-book and books and all that.
the book and e-book will live side by side in apposing glory. Some will sit and squint at their palm pilots and laptops (or virtual glasses), and others will enjoy turning a page and having a home library that they can feel proud of and pass on to their kids…
Isn’t that kind of the point? I work at Barnes and Noble and I swear I’ve seen this exact style cover a few times, maybe not though. The article is cool though.
Oh man, as much as I like Starck here and there and think the Kindle thing is stupid but has it’s place, that whole video was laughable and silly and the amount of comments it stacked up was really where the juice is at… Some funny comments. Yves Bahar should do an exposse on the Kindle too. That would be funny…
I prefer my Sony Reader to the Kindle. It only costs $299.99, if you buy it from Sony.com, you can get it inscribed. The battery lasts about a week. You can recharge from any powered computer without loading software. It loads unsecured pdfs. There are ebook sites that provide free books formatted for the reader. You get 100 classic titles free when you buy it. This is the better deal.
Hypothetically speaking: IF e-books become successful
What I’m actually interested in is: Will there be covers on e-books? A book cover needs it’s contents, the book itself can do without the cover. Bearing in mind that this website is mainly about book covers, I haven’t heard anyone about that.
Covers began as protection and ended up as a marketing tool. What is the value of a book cover when there is solely the content to download on your e-book reader, with no paper to protect, there is only marketing!
I’m not saying mister Chip Kidd (or any other designer) has to fear for his job, but it’s interesting to think about the marketing of the future book.
Personally: I see a future for e-paper/e-books, except not in this form. I just love to look at my book shelve, seeing everything I own, all the knowledge bundled together (in physical REALITY), for the taking. I haven’t read all the books I own, but it’s comforting to know that I could once obtain the knowledge or enjoy one’s adventures by choice. The design of the books is also a big plus, not only does it look nice on the shelves, the titles on the side describe me as a person, reassure me that I can always look into them when in doubt. I don’t see the Kindle giving me those exact feelings, HECK with my lack of order I’ll just lose it somewhere between all the other gadgets.
The Big plus I’m seeing;
I think it will have a great impact on the spines of first graders who will now find that their backpacks are a great deal lighter. School books are perfect for this medium! (except the biology book, you’ll want that full colour and with pictures :) But I’ll think that the name should be changed to Bundle instead of Kindle. OK I’m drifting off.
Chip Kidd wrote a little diddy on the new Amazon Kindle. It’s pretty entertaining, though I’m not sure how much I agree. The physical book isn’t flawless, after all (not being able to leave an open book on a flat surface, for instance, or how many times would you have killed to be able to perform a simple search query for a basic word or phrase in your favorite classic? Not to mention the huge amount of space books take up.)
Which isn’t to say the paper book will one day become obsolete, or that the Kindle is a great product by any means. I’m just suggesting that there will come a day when the available technology catches up with our grocery list of requirements, and when that happens the digital book will become a welcome and useful part of our everyday lives.
That said, the image you see on the left was put together for the write-up by Mike Essl. A nice reference to a couple of Chip’s past designs. (It’s also funny that another of Kidd’s covers made it into the shot as well.
You can read the op-ed here.
— Ben Pieratt, 2007-11-29 07:12:00
The next time I move, I’d like to formally invite Chip to help carry twenty large boxes of books for me. He might note that most of them are not graced with his talents, and aside from the words contained therein, are worthless. I’m buying pizza and beer for everyone afterward.
(more Kidd on ebooks)
— Eric J, 2007-11-29 07:21:00
Well, snarkiness aside, there are some books that you want to sit on your shelves in all their glorious glory, and some books that you simply want to read and then save for a later date because of the valuable information they contain.
Case-in-point: I’d resort to fisticuffs if you tried to take away my worn and torn copy of Cryptonomicon, but if I had the option to convert all my Idiot’s-Guide-To paperbacks (I seem to need those a lot) into digital copies, you bet your ass I’d jump at the chance.
— Ben Pieratt, 2007-11-29 07:28:00
Good point, Ben: there are some texts for which this kind of thing is brilliant. Textbooks certainly come to mind. I think there’s a real possibility that the Kindle and other readers will find a dedicated user base, sort of like the Segway is starting to. Would I ever own a Segway? No. But the cops who buzz around Chicago on them seem to like them a whole bunch.
— Joseph, 2007-11-29 07:53:00
Does anyone else find the name “Kindle” a bit tone-deaf?
I get that the stated goal is to replace books, and ignite a fire for the digital revolution and all….
But “kindling” as the next phase of “books”?
Really?
A bit Germany, 1933, no…?
— Sergio, 2007-11-29 10:16:00
Eric is just complaining because we had to haul our rediculous collection of books 3,000 miles, with a truck-switch halfway in between.
Of course I suppose I wouldn’t be opposed to just skinning off the covers and discarding the contents… who needs those anyway?
(And for the record, I essentially agree with Chip – books smell nice, feel nice, and owning them are a point of pride for some people… they can trade them, lend them, write notes and dedications, and overall they’re just more enjoyable… the web and my laptop give me all the other types of information that I want…)
And how much does the industrial design of this thing suck? Ugh.
— Chris Papasadero / Fwis, 2007-11-29 11:11:00
Don’t buy a Kindle if you don’t need or desire one. Gesh… Who knew having options was a bad thing? The Apple iPhone looks incredibly gay to me, so therefore I didn’t purchase one. It’s not difficult to abstain.
I wouldn’t mind having a Kindle though. The $399 price tag, along with the $10 a shot for reading materials once you have the damn thing is … err… not very inviting for my college boy budget. I’d rather spend $10-$15 every few weeks/months if I require new reading material, but I don’t because I have more unread books on my shelf than any one man should have. Buy used, I say, and you’ll never be left wanting.
Anyway…
— C Wys, 2007-11-29 13:07:00
P.S. I love Eric B’s comment on that “Notify next of Kindle” page. Exactly my sentiments.
— C Wys, 2007-11-29 14:56:00
I understand what you’re saying, Ben, about technology inevitably catching up with readers’ laundry list of needs. However, Kidd is correct in saying that the inevitable collusion of digital network-y goodness (sorry) and the book format isn’t going to come in the guise of an a new object or device that replaces books. The animated and networked newspapers seen in films like Minority Report and Harry Potter are what the Kindle needs to be in order to live up to “the iPod of Books” hype/hope. Surely the movies would not lie to us.
Right now e-book attributes are like a game of Rock, Paper, Scissors without solid rules, but my bets are on: Books beat/absorb Screens and not the other way around.
And seriously, one typeface
Changing typefaces in Word is every novice’s favorite first thing to learn. Weird limitation.
And now, if I may fangirl out a bit after reading the small type at the end of Kidd’s mini-essay:
Chip, you magnificent bastard; The Learners is finally going to be printed on dead tree pulp and in my hot little hands come Feb ‘08—after 3+ years of waiting. Those USA Today PDFs of the preliminary seven chapters have long since faded and been blown asunder with the winds of Time. (That’s alright though, they harbored some pretty gnarly typesetting hiccups.) I’m beyond anxious to see Hap scaling the cliffs of Content and Form. His little epiphany on page 36 of the novella holds great promise.
Even after three years, three months is still a long time. Im. Pai. Tent.
@C Wys: Everyone knows the iPhone is bisexual. Silly.
— Margaretei, 2007-11-29 21:22:00
oh, i have wanted so many times to search for a word or phrase in a book. i guess with kindle i can. but that doesn’t make me support it.
— rekya, 2007-11-29 22:39:00
The Google Books initiative will eventually help address the whole searchability question. But for pleasure-reading, nothing has as yet remotely approached replacing ink on paper. Until they come up with something that doesn’t involve screen-induced eye strain, doesn’t fall victim to software updates, can’t crash or run out of energy, I suspect old-fashioned books are going to be around for a long while in some form. Until paper gets too expensive, anyway.
As for buying this device, I guess I might point out the recent pitfalls of being an early adopter (see: iPhone).
— Christian_in_NYC, 2007-11-30 08:20:00
To paraphrase Wonder Showzen: Argue argue argue die. I’d just like to say that Ben’s initial post is the most balanced bit of prose I’ve ever read about the e-book and books and all that.
— Martin, 2007-11-30 13:40:00
^Quit spam-praising yourself, Ben. heh…
— C Wys, 2007-11-30 19:29:00
illuminating blog post on eBooks by O’Reilly Press founder Tim O’Reilly
— Eric J, 2007-12-06 17:11:00
the book and e-book will live side by side in apposing glory. Some will sit and squint at their palm pilots and laptops (or virtual glasses), and others will enjoy turning a page and having a home library that they can feel proud of and pass on to their kids…
Vinyl will never die…
— Ian Shimkoviak, 2007-12-10 15:42:00
Oh, and this design solution has been used a billion times. Other than that it’s strong and dictates a glance…
— Ian Shimkoviak, 2007-12-10 15:49:00
Isn’t that kind of the point? I work at Barnes and Noble and I swear I’ve seen this exact style cover a few times, maybe not though. The article is cool though.
— Andrea Guinn, 2007-12-11 21:59:00
Phillipe Starck on the Kindle
— Eric J, 2007-12-12 11:43:00
Oh man, as much as I like Starck here and there and think the Kindle thing is stupid but has it’s place, that whole video was laughable and silly and the amount of comments it stacked up was really where the juice is at… Some funny comments. Yves Bahar should do an exposse on the Kindle too. That would be funny…
— Ian Shimkoviak, 2007-12-12 17:50:00
Ben, I think you mean “ditty”, not diddy.
— SHorty, 2008-01-31 16:28:00
What is funny about having this included here is that used this site to find images of Chip’s covers. Thanks for including this!
— Mike Essl, 2008-02-15 14:30:00
I prefer my Sony Reader to the Kindle. It only costs $299.99, if you buy it from Sony.com, you can get it inscribed. The battery lasts about a week. You can recharge from any powered computer without loading software. It loads unsecured pdfs. There are ebook sites that provide free books formatted for the reader. You get 100 classic titles free when you buy it. This is the better deal.
— Essie Bach, 2008-03-29 09:58:00
Hypothetically speaking: IF e-books become successful
What I’m actually interested in is: Will there be covers on e-books? A book cover needs it’s contents, the book itself can do without the cover. Bearing in mind that this website is mainly about book covers, I haven’t heard anyone about that.
Covers began as protection and ended up as a marketing tool. What is the value of a book cover when there is solely the content to download on your e-book reader, with no paper to protect, there is only marketing!
I’m not saying mister Chip Kidd (or any other designer) has to fear for his job, but it’s interesting to think about the marketing of the future book.
Personally: I see a future for e-paper/e-books, except not in this form. I just love to look at my book shelve, seeing everything I own, all the knowledge bundled together (in physical REALITY), for the taking. I haven’t read all the books I own, but it’s comforting to know that I could once obtain the knowledge or enjoy one’s adventures by choice. The design of the books is also a big plus, not only does it look nice on the shelves, the titles on the side describe me as a person, reassure me that I can always look into them when in doubt. I don’t see the Kindle giving me those exact feelings, HECK with my lack of order I’ll just lose it somewhere between all the other gadgets.
The Big plus I’m seeing;
I think it will have a great impact on the spines of first graders who will now find that their backpacks are a great deal lighter. School books are perfect for this medium! (except the biology book, you’ll want that full colour and with pictures :) But I’ll think that the name should be changed to Bundle instead of Kindle. OK I’m drifting off.
— Iggy, 2008-07-23 03:15:00