Digital Works vs. the Hard Copy Books

In the past, some of my students have opted for the Kindle-type digital books instead of ordering and studying the actual paper books. At first, I thought it was a viable option, but as I have progressed in my teaching preferences in the last few years, I have evolved to consider only using the hard copies of the books themselves. My reasoning extends to three points:

A serious student will learn to annotate in their books, argue with the author, underline the thesis, the problems, the solutions, and in the margin will write their interesting personal epiphanies from their studies.

A serious student will begin to fill a bookshelf and eventually their little library of the great ideas that have changed their world. Each book will represent to them a turning point of thought, comprehension, and contemplation.

A serious student will return to their books as they add experience and learning and will compare their past annotations to the current thoughts and understanding, thus showing to the student their deep growth and progress.

I am sure Kindle-type digital books have their place. Already I can think of a few reasons why one might want to read digitally. They are handy, searchable, and annotate-able. not to mention, a hundred books or more only weigh the weight of the Kindle Reader. Those are arguably excellent reasons to prefer the Kindle. However, a recent study shows that despite the availability, facility, and lightweight-ness of a Kindle, students comprehend far more from reading and studying a real tangible book.

Still, it is up to you, dear reader, to choose for yourself. The following books are awaiting your decision, whether you wish to purchase digitally or purchase the Real McCoy—The Genuine Article—. May you enjoy your summer!


1776  The Wealth of Nations, by Adam Smith, selections (video)


1798  Rime of the Ancient Mariner, by Samuel Taylor Coleridge


1815  Emma, by Jane Austen (a book on education, authority, worship, artificial people)


1818  Frankenstein, Mary Shelley


1838  Democracy in America, Alexis de Tocqueville (Volume II, Chapters 1-26)


1850  That Which is Seen and that Which is Not Seen, Frederic Bastiat


1862  Les Miserables (Abridged), by Victory Hugo (used book link)


1848  The Communist Manifesto and Other Revolutionary Writings (Dover Thrift Editions)


1947  Diary of a Young Girl, by Ann Frank


1874-1965  Churchill, by Paul Johnson


1865  Annotated Alice in Wonderland, by Lewis Carroll


1910  What’s wrong with the World, by G.K. Chesterton


1922  The Waste Land, by T.S. Eliot


1941  The Weight of Glory, essays by C.S. Lewis, The Inner Ring, Weight of Glory


1953  The Silver Chair, by C.S. Lewis


1954  Lord of the Flies, William Golding


1970’s Essays, A World Split Apart and A Reflection on the Vendee Uprising, and by Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn


2005  Queen of Katwe, Tim Crothers