World's First Online Book Fair

World's first Online Book Fair has started on 4th July 06. About 1/3 million e-books are available for free access / download between 4th of July to 4th of August.

There are eBooks from nearly every classic author on variety of subjects. One can find books on a variety of topics viz. Literature, Philosophy, Wisdom, Fiction, Religion, Politics, and Electronics etc. The website even lists MP3 books. All the books can be downloaded free of charge.

For people who are used to reading e-books it definitely is good news and I am sure they would try to download as many as possible during this period.

However I am not a fan of e-books. They are good to have but I am still more comfortable reading the good old paper book rather than the e-book. In the past I have tried reading an e-book but could never get past 20-30 pages.

I have seen people read lot of stuff on their handheld or laptop especially during travel time but I feel they can’t beat the fun of reading from an actual paper book.

One can read a book practically anywhere where there is sufficient light without bothering about the battery getting discharged or plugging it to a power source or the fear of damaging your expensive gadget. And they are relatively easier to carry when on the move.

Apart from these there are a few disadvantages too with the paper books –
# One can’t download them for free

# Usually they are pretty expensive especially if you but the original (non-pirated version)..in terms of the Indian currency usually the MRP is higher than the number of pages in the book in most cases

# Storing them requires physical space in your house and usually requires some care in the long run.

But if you are willing to take these in your stride then books are one of the best companions you can get.