Rob Keeble
Member
- Messages
- 12,633
- Location
- GTA Ontario Canada
I really hope we don't loose having books printed. But i guess that's more of dream than what looks like the way of the future.
But that's not the point of my post. What i wanted to get people thinking about is the value of books. I buy a lot of books. But for some crazy reason i resist when the price point is high. What is high? I cannot tell you i honestly don't have the answer or rather have not given that point a great deal of thought and analysis.
But this past week i was reminded of a book i had, its Carols Router book. Yeah i felt like a fool that i had to be reminded i had it, since i got it, its been my go to book for router issues. But i was given this book by our friend in Spain I did not pay for it, and that for me adds even more value to it.
However while i was lying on the couch reading through it again, i was prompted to look at the cover of the book to see what it originally sold for. ( the book is out of print, but the content has timeless value to it, its also not a commercial for some manufacturer or other as others i have appear to be) The book is loaded with all sorts of tips and valuable knowledge. Yeah some will say its nothing, new some with say its common sense, I will say only once you have acquired the knowledge and look back then it seems "obvious" or "sensible" or common sense because you have internalized it and absorbed it and probably practiced it and come to realize it works.
But then i thought about the cost of two movie tickets for Linda I to go to a local cinema and they came out greater than the price of this book was when it was originally on sale. Think about this. The movie lasted 1.5hrs maybe 2 or some really long ones 3. Then its over and what do you have. A one off evening of entertainment. Poof gone in a week if you have a memory like mine unless the movie moved me in a way that had some meaning to me. But still its not like you get to view it again unless you buy the dvd or spend the money to go see it again. Yeah some will say why pay for movies get them on the internet for free.
Now compare that to a good book. And it saddened me that as a rule our sense of value is so skew that books that contain knowledge which is timeless get valued so poorly as to equate to less in cost than a one night movie outing for two.
It also occurred to me that i did not need to adjust the contrast of the screen, or make sure the battery is charged on the device when reading a paper book.
I cannot kick myself enough for not having though to get the book out before asking a question here.
And one example of the tips i picked out this time which i have been meaning to execute on so many times before but never did was to put a pack of playing cards in the workshop or with my router bits and pieces. The perfect spacer when you need just a little shim.
Thanks again Carol. I hope we dont loose printed books. Cant read electronic books when the power is out unless you got a generator.
But that's not the point of my post. What i wanted to get people thinking about is the value of books. I buy a lot of books. But for some crazy reason i resist when the price point is high. What is high? I cannot tell you i honestly don't have the answer or rather have not given that point a great deal of thought and analysis.
But this past week i was reminded of a book i had, its Carols Router book. Yeah i felt like a fool that i had to be reminded i had it, since i got it, its been my go to book for router issues. But i was given this book by our friend in Spain I did not pay for it, and that for me adds even more value to it.
However while i was lying on the couch reading through it again, i was prompted to look at the cover of the book to see what it originally sold for. ( the book is out of print, but the content has timeless value to it, its also not a commercial for some manufacturer or other as others i have appear to be) The book is loaded with all sorts of tips and valuable knowledge. Yeah some will say its nothing, new some with say its common sense, I will say only once you have acquired the knowledge and look back then it seems "obvious" or "sensible" or common sense because you have internalized it and absorbed it and probably practiced it and come to realize it works.
But then i thought about the cost of two movie tickets for Linda I to go to a local cinema and they came out greater than the price of this book was when it was originally on sale. Think about this. The movie lasted 1.5hrs maybe 2 or some really long ones 3. Then its over and what do you have. A one off evening of entertainment. Poof gone in a week if you have a memory like mine unless the movie moved me in a way that had some meaning to me. But still its not like you get to view it again unless you buy the dvd or spend the money to go see it again. Yeah some will say why pay for movies get them on the internet for free.
Now compare that to a good book. And it saddened me that as a rule our sense of value is so skew that books that contain knowledge which is timeless get valued so poorly as to equate to less in cost than a one night movie outing for two.
It also occurred to me that i did not need to adjust the contrast of the screen, or make sure the battery is charged on the device when reading a paper book.
I cannot kick myself enough for not having though to get the book out before asking a question here.
And one example of the tips i picked out this time which i have been meaning to execute on so many times before but never did was to put a pack of playing cards in the workshop or with my router bits and pieces. The perfect spacer when you need just a little shim.
Thanks again Carol. I hope we dont loose printed books. Cant read electronic books when the power is out unless you got a generator.