My Fanciful Accounts

While listening to this week's NYT Book Review podcast, I encountered a new threat to the printed word- vook. A vook blends a book, high-quality video, and the power of the Internet or iPhone into a complete story. While you read, you can watch story-enhancing videos, and/or connect with the author and your friends without switching between platforms. I am strongly opposed to someone else interpreting characters and plot lines for me with video. I NEVER see a book-based movie without reading the book first. However, I can see the pull for those in the media business. Online versions cost ~$6.99 while iPhone versions are even less costly at ~$4.99.
“I don’t think we are compromising the written word,” says Mr. Inman at Vook. “People will continue to read, just in new ways. Books are finally coming online but they are very one-dimensional. I think we can experiment and do this better.”
However, I have to wonder. What if  Stevenson had given in to the urge to give Jekyll and Hyde a Twitter account? Would that classic have been written?
I subscribed to the NYT Book Review podcast through iTunes. I prefer to listen there than through Google Reader which I most likely will lose after Library 2.0. I love to surf and I love the visuals. While Google Reader is easy and a good idea, it isn't really my thing.