Print is for Thinkers

Written on Aug 31, 2010 by in All Print


Last week points were offered in trying to answer the question, “What is the Internet doing to our brains?” The research shows that the notion of multitasking is rather an oxymoron. Our brains appear to like calm, unadulterated environments to stimulate deep thought. The problem is that our first choice to consume media today, including the written word, is commonly a screen attached to a multipurpose device. The influx of information at our fingertips forces our brains into a speedy ping pong match with every new piece of information vying for our attention. Our will power, unfortunately, shows little resistance for the dopamine drip of e-mails, status updates, and instant messages.

If you feel distracted, you are not alone. The court of public opinion seems to be weighing in on the side of devices, or dare we say single purpose mediums, in which one can loose themselves in the act of reading. A printed book, for many, continues to be the perfect medium for reading and immersive thinking.

Michael Hyatt, CEO of Thomas Nelson Publishers, on Seth Godin’s decision to drop his book publisher.

[…] many of his books feel like collections of blog posts. There’s nothing wrong with that, of course. It’s a great way to write. (I know many authors who first posted their book online, one segment at a time, and then published it conventionally.) But it doesn’t work for all genres, particularly fiction and the kind of non-fiction that requires a longer, more sustained argument. – Michael Hyatt, CEO of Thomas Nelson Publishers

Allan Hoffman, technology writer, on how distracting reading has become.

When you’re reading a traditional book, or anything else printed on paper, there’s a certain solitude to the act. You can’t click or tap on the book and suddenly be checking your e-mail or watching a YouTube clip. – Allan Hoffman, The Star-Ledger 8/27/2010

Jonathan Fields, author, on how to become a subject matter expert.

Tap websites, magazines, and blogs to supplement your knowledge, but start with the more methodical approach you’ll find in books.- Jonathan Fields, Career Renegade

Are you returning to reading long form content in print?

photo credit: amrufm
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4 Comments - Leave a comment!

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  • http://twitter.com/denisonprint Denison Print

    Great read! Thanks for the post!

  • http://twitter.com/bezier_branding BezierBrandingDesign

    I agree with this 100% While I am a big advocate of new and emerging mediums, I do find that we are bombarded by information now. Print; be it books, print materials, even newspapers provide the end-user a level of peace and focus when enjoying the content without constant interruptions.

  • http://twitter.com/ToughLoveforX Michael Josefowicz

    Ryan, thank you for posing the question. A couple of things I think have to be considered. The basic notion is the media rule of ‘the more the more.’ Too often this kind of conversation is framed as a zero sum game, when in fact it’s not.

    The reality is that we are now living through an unprecedented explosion of writing which is closely tied to reading. The under appreciated fact and opportunity is that true literacy, as in the ability to routinely use words in the service of precise thinking is presently a niche market. I think it’s fair to say it’s poised for hockey stick type growth with the maturing of the social media.

    In that context, consider that the Kindle is a reading machine for high frequency readers. Now that tweet from Kindle has gone live it will continue to grow a social network around reading books.

    The iPad is optimized for non fiction technical(ish) material. That means a quick link to an educational video from Youtube to clarify a particular point. Consider Kahn Academy vids connected to math or science material.

    Print fits in a couple of ways. One newspaper printing – either coldset or now versioned digital is the cheapest most information dense medium invented. It maximizes Discover new things, while the internet is optimized for Search. The difference is very significant.

    If I’m correct in seeing a new explosion of literacy, the mass market for print is ready to grow much faster than previously thought possible.

    There’s a bunch more, but this comment is already too long.