What Is A Book?

To me, a book is text arraigned to tell a story. Pretty Simple. The real question is what the story within the book is. That defines the book. Is it about dragons or sports stars or a biography from an ex- president? These things help compose the story that make up the book. Therefore it doesn't matter what the vessel is that  conveys the story, it matters that the story is read. This "magic" within the tangible novel is probably due to childhood memories. My parents did not read me Dr. Seuss from an iPad. People may feel like they owe the book a loyalty of sorts. I will admit that I don't want books to go extinct, but I also don't feel like the controversy between eReaders and books is really worth the hype. Personal preference will determine which one people choose. As long as there is text to read, people will read it. This is what truly mattes, that the stories themselves survive. Some people prefer cats to dogs, mustard to ketchup, or eBooks to books. Just because we don't like one doesn't mean somebody else can't like the other. It is no ones responsibility to save the book. I like my kindle because it's lighter and more manageable and I don't risk paper cuts. That's not to say books are useless, some people just prefer them. Returning to the main point, a book is what contains a story. Stories that enrich our society and our knowledge and way of thinking. Stories that create ides within us and allow us to form our own opinions on things. I agree with Joe Meno that the content of a book is more vital than what its written on. Sure it feels good to have an old fashioned novel in your hands but others would say the say about a tablet. It all boils down to what YOU like! A book online is just as special as one in the store.