Last week I wrote of pixels and plastic, about ebooks and the future, pointing out that I’m reading more—both electronically and on paper—since ebooks have become more accessible.
An article in the Wall Street Journal today reports that Amazon says customers are buying 3.3 times as many books as they did before they purchased a Kindle, and a marketing study paid for by Sony reports 40% of ebook readers are reading more than ever before.
Readers who are reading both ebooks and traditional books are reading on average 8 more books a year than those who read only print.
the daysman 
I remember, a couple decades ago and when books meant hold-in-your-hand-turn-the-pages-feel-the-paper-crack-the-binding-books, you asked a classroom of communication students, “How do you choose a book?” There were many and varied responses. By author. By genre. By suggestion. By requirement. But my response was, “By the way it looks on the shelf.” I’m not sure how any ebook would enhance my shelf’s aesthetic appeal. But then, I suppose I should be reading books that would enhance my mind’s intellectual appeal — or something like that. Either way, traditional or e-ditional, beauty or brains, I need to read. So someday you may find a Kindle between my bookends.
There’s an obvious answer for these stats: If I am a non-Kindle reader, I may buy some books from Amazon, but I will also buy them from local bookstores and I may buy many used books through other web\mortar venues. But if I start using my Kindle to read, much more of my book purchasing will be funneled through Amazon. I personally doubt we’re looking at an actual increase in reading.
Additionally, I bet sometimes it’s more fun to read on the Kindle than from a paper magazine, at least at first. So chances are Kindle readers are reading magazines less and reading Kindle more as it becomes preferred for bathroom\subway reading.
I see your point on the KIndle, but there is other data in the original article to support the idea that e-readers are reading more. Thanks for pointing out the flaw in my argument however, 🙂
I don’t have date to support it, but I suspect there are more per-capita music CD sales now than there were record sales back in the days of vinal. Add in internet music download and for-free music file sharing and it might just be possible to conclude more people are interacting with more music now with new technology .
The song in the background of the Kindle commercial is infectious. Well… that and working for a man that extols the virtues of the Kindle nearly daily.
Lugging my HC copy of Mr. Rosenblum Dreams in English around (because– even though I’m at work I still want to have my book near by…) makes me far more open to the idea of a light little Kindle.