Crystal's Bouquet

A book, an entity that has its own undefined worth. A collection of words when engraved on blank pages and those pages when bound into a pile of knowledge, wisdom, inspiration, style and grace, then, a book takes its form which keeps its reader impatient to cling to its last page.

For centuries, books have been written, read and preserved. The wish of writers and authors to exhibit and preserve their knowledge drives them to write their ideas, concepts and knowledge in a form of a book while a seeker’s hunt for knowledge urges him to explore those bundles of books. Anxious writers and readers in different corners of the world will never let the books fade away.

Thousands of shelves in libraries all over the world are occupied by limitless number of books, of science, fiction, fantasy, humor, horror, suspense, mystery, romance, angst, drama, action and adventure, which attract millions of readers to put down their heads in books in exploring them for hours. But today’s era has been revolutionized by the new culture of media, internet and virtual reading provided on-line. With the arrival of visual and virtual information, people believe that books are not read and sought as they were in previous times. Thus the books are thought to be dying or probably have died already. The same was thought for radio when television was invented. But the trend of radio hasn’t diminished yet and will never lose its worth.

People are greatly occupied by the thought of browsing on-line information. But the readers who actually know the worth of knowledge have not abandoned pursuing the precious treasure of books. The exploration of a book shows us an aisle to a vast land of thoughts, sagacity and enlightenment while an electronic page of information searched on a particular subject keeps us straight to a defined space of information. And so, a book is also a silent teacher- a combination of theory, philosophy and sanity. It is a tutor who answers all unasked questions and who remains along with you always wherever you go, unlike the internet accessibility to the on-line information. As “Books are the most accessible and wisest of counselors, and the most impatient of teachers”, says Charles Eliot.

A reader’s love for learning and the pleasure in holding onto the last page of a book in order to cherish the hidden wisdom till the last word is priceless. This love and pleasure can neither let the books die nor can it be gained by reading the required chapters on an electronic on-line page. Every word of a book deeply involves a person’s all senses, mind and imagination. The mild aroma of pages of a book cannot by replaced by the multiple clicks and jumps on different pages of internet. The sensation of soothing sight of an opened book in hands and lying relaxed on a couch cannot be deserted by sitting uncomfortably in front of a glowing screen of a computer. A book is as loyal and comforting as a true friend who cannot betray in any way, whose company cannot be measured by a scale of virtual information and technology of today.  After all, Paul Sweeney says, “You know you’ve read a good book when you turn the last page and feel a little as if you have lost a friend.”

No matter how far the modern mode of visual reading and learning is extended, but the throne of books will never be taken from them. Neither the worth of books can be denied nor can they die out from our reading spheres. And hence, the perception of the death of books is perfectly futile and irrational.