People still read paper backs

*Originally appeared in readnshared

It’s been a long time since I read a book and really finished it. When I see someone reading a book in train or bus or while waiting in hospital, I feel very jealous of them.

Now I own iPhone. Can you see bright sunlight and heavy snow fall at the same time? Well, I haven’t seen. And I am quite doubt-full about this. One such device is this iPhone. According to me, this is the most stupid and the very best device in the world. I am generally satisfied with the way Apple guys had made this device Internet friendly. Over a period of four years, I have owned a HP iPAQ, O2 Atom Life and a black berry. I have friends who have different hand held devices: dopod, HT, Nokia E series etc. But none of the devices can come in par with the easiness of the iPhone’s browsing capabilities. To make it clear, the hero is the multi-zoom functionality. Each and every device I mentioned in this paragraph have WiFi, but when you try to browse the one thing you browse through is your frustration.

Okie, I am not an ambassador of iPhone. Coming to the point, since I own an iPhone now, I dont think of reading books while I travel. As soon as I board the bus or train I open my google reader or twitter and start browsing the updates of my fellow bloggers and twitters.

So iPhone absorbs most of my reading time. All the book loving fathers of babies with in 1 year have limited reading time; read while you travel. If you drive, hear while you drive.

Today in MRT as I am travelling towards Clementi, after a tiresome day, I saw a man reading something. I am damn sure that it was a novel. I have a very bad habit. If I see some one holding a book, I cannot hold myself from trying to see the name of the book. I tried a lot today to see the name of the book. He knew that I am trying desperately. There was a man standing behind this guy and he was also sneaking and reading this book. And finally this man closed the book very slowly as if he wants to show me the name of the book. He was very kind. The book was One Night at a call Center.

All through his reading, even though he was aware of my presence, he was totally absorbed in the reading. I was closely monitoring his face. I like to see people’s face when they read. He was giving a lot of expression. At times funny and at times funny and shy. Thoroughly he was enjoying his reading.

After all Kindles and iPhones people still read paper backs.