11 reasons physical books are way better than ebooks

 The feeling of a physical book

 

There's something special about physical books that ebooks simply cannot match. Perhaps it's the smell of the paper or the way they feel in your hands, but physical books have a certain allure that ebooks will never have. Here are 8 reasons why physical books are better than ebooks.

The weight

 

I like the way a physical book feels in my hands. It has weight—often substantial weight—and it feels good to hold. It becomes an extension of myself in a way that an ebook can never be.

The ebook is essentially a computer file, and as such, it has no physicality whatsoever. It's just bits and bytes somewhere on a hard drive. You can't hold it, smell it, or feel its heft in your hands. It's insubstantial and intangible, and it lacks the emotional resonance of a physical book.

 The smell

 

When you crack open a brand-new book, there’s nothing like that intoxicating smell of fresh ink and paper. Ebooks might be “better for the environment,” but they’ll never be able to replicate that classic smell.

And it’s not just the new books that have a certain scent — old books have a musty, yet comforting, aroma as well. When you open an old book, you can almost feel the history emanating from its pages. You can imagine who might have owned it before you and what their life was like. Ebooks will never be able to give you that.

 The sound

 

There is a satisfying *crack* that comes with the opening of a new book, and the *flip-flop* sound of each page carries you further and further into another world as you read. EBooks can’t give you that.

EBooks are bad for your eyes

 

EBooks are often touted as being better for your eyes than physical books, but this isn’t always the case. In fact, depending on how you read your eBooks, they could actually be bad for your eyesight.

If you read your ebooks on a backlit screen, like an iPad or a Kindle Fire, you’re likely causing eye strain. This is because the bright light from the screen can cause headaches and make it difficult to concentrate.

physical books don’t have this problem. You can read them in any lighting conditions without causing eye strain. And if you want to read in low lighting, you can simply invest in a book light.

 Ebooks are more expensive in the long run

 

Ebooks are more expensive in the long run than physical books. You may be able to find some cheaper ebooks on sale or through other promotional offers, but in general, ebooks are priced higher than their physical book counterparts. In addition, there are often additional costs associated with ebooks, such as subscription fees, that can add up over time.

 Physical books are also more likely to be available and used, which can save you a significant amount of money. Buying used books is not only significantly cheaper than buying new books, but it also supports secondhand bookstores, which are an important part of the literary ecosystem.

Ebooks are not eco-friendly

 

Ebooks are not eco-friendly because they require electricity to power the device and if everyone were to switch to ebooks it would increase the demand for energy. Even if the ebook is read on a device that does not use much energy, the manufacturing of the device and the shipping of the device to the customer still use energy and resources.

 

Ebooks can be difficult to read

 

Ebooks can be difficult to read for a variety of reasons. The screens on ebook readers are often backlit, which can cause eye strain. The text on an ebook page can also be small, making it hard to read for extended periods of time. And because ebook pages are displayed all at once on the screen, it can be easy to get lost or lose your place while reading.

Physical books, on the other hand, are easy to read. The pages are easy on the eyes, and you can hold a physical book in your hands and flip through the pages with ease. You can also mark your place in a physical book with a bookmark or a piece of paper, which makes it easy to pick up where you left off.

 

Ebooks can be easily lost or damaged

 

 Ebooks can be easily lost or damaged. If you drop your Kindle or iPad, the screen can crack and you'll lose all your books. With a physical book, you can just pick it up and keep reading.

Ebooks are less likely to be given away or donated. After you finish reading an ebook, you're less likely to donate it to a library or give it to a friend. With a physical book, you can pass it on and continue the cycle of someone else enjoying it.

Ebooks are more expensive than physical books. Even though the initial cost of buying an ebook reader may be cheaper than buying a bunch of physical books, ebooks themselves are often more expensive than their physical counterparts. For example, a new hardcover book costs an average of $27, while a new ebook costs an average of $13.

Ebooks can be difficult to read for long periods of time. The glare from screens can cause eye strain, headaches, and even migraines in some people. With a physical book, you can take breaks as needed and your eyes won't get as tired.

You can't donate money to charity by selling your used ebooks. A lot of charities hold used book sales to raise money for their cause. But you can't donate your used ebooks because no one wants them! With a physical book, someone else can read it after you're done and the charity will get some money from the sale.

It's harder to find good deals on ebooks than on physical books. Sites like Amazon will often have discounts on physical books but not ebooks. This is because they want people to buy their Kindle devices so they make more money on the ebook version.

There's no such thing as "Collectible" ebooks. Sure, there may be some first-edition hardcover books that are valuable, but there's nothing like that for ebooks. An ebook is just a digital file that anyone can copy and distribute freely. So while your physical book could be worth something someday, your ebook will always be worth exactly what you paid for it.

 Ebooks can be distracting

 

 When you're reading an ebook on your phone or tablet, it's easy to get distracted by notifications, emails, and other apps. With a physical book, there's nothing to distract you from the story except your own thoughts.

 You can't donate or resell ebooks

 

If you want to donate your used books to a library or sell them to a used bookstore, you're out of luck with ebooks. With physical books, you can set them free for someone else to enjoy after you're done with them. With ebooks, once you're done with them, they're just taking up space on your hard drive.