The way of the Dodo

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Barring some enterprising scientist, a gene lab, and DNA from the taxidermy specimens in various museums, the Dodo ain't coming back.

Read parts of that.

It's not the only one. In 2010, the last print edition of the book so many elementary, middle and high school students copies reports from rolled off the press. Yes, Encyclopedia Britannica's dead tree edition is no more.

Arg.

Not that I own a copy of EB. I do have, somewhere, the Childcraft Encyclopedia, a less complicated version version of an adult Encyclopedia, replete with annual updates. Grandma bought it for me.

I also read it. The whole thing.

Read that.

Call me ubergeekazoidnerd if you wish. It does not bother me. 

As I aged and re-read parts of it, I learned of errors in the books. I wondered why the authors would include such obvious mistakes.

As I have aged even more, I have learned why those mistakes are there. The authors were running on the best available information at the time. They wrote what was thought to be true.

That what they wrote then is not true today is not a reflect on their writing skills.

Rather, what we write today, scientific fact, may be overturned tomorrow. As the ancients once thought the elements were Earth, Fire, Air and Water, current thinking is tending to string theory - ultra tiny bits of matter which vibrate at certain speeds thereby creating sub-subatomic particles, which create subatomic particles which create atomic particles which then unfortunately lead eventually to things like Reboobicans and Damnocrats.

Didn't read all that

Time, tide and deadlines to file lawsuits wait for no man. The inexorable march of progress continues, running over and crushing those who seek to stop it.

Rather than be crushed, EB is doing away with the print edition and focusing its effort digitally.

Indeed a sad day, especially for those like me who like the feel of paper, the smell of a new book opened for the first time (OK, not so much that) and the ability to read wherever there is enough light.

I find it disturbing that more and more people need electricity to read. The computer, tablet or smart phone by which you read this for instance. The tablet devices by which you download for 99¢ and read the latest books.

When I get home in the evening, I like to sit in a chair and pull out a book. The only power I need, until the sun goes down, is that supplied by me. As long as there are yard sales, flea markets and, as close to paradise as a person can get on earth, used book stores, there will always be books for me to find and read.

Some people credit Milton with being the last human to read everything that was in print. Others credit one of the famous mathematicians. Regardless. The ability for one person to read every book published is gone and may never come again. May, I say, because we do not know what the future holds.

Even the Dodo may come back.