Portfolio: July 2015

Monday, July 27, 2015

If you want to read an ebook you'll need to download this app...it's dead easy!

Ebooks may not be your first choice, but that's what smartphones are for...

This is going to sound weird, especially given what I do: I don't like reading ebooks. I do like reading though, and my preferences are to read paperbacks first and foremost, then listen to audiobooks, and then...well, anything besides an ebook please.

I think the reason I'm not so gung ho about the idea is because like many of you, I spend so much time on my PC, laptop and phone. So when I want to enjoy a good book, I want to...well, enjoy it. Sitting in front of an LCD screen isn't always work, but if often feels like it. Reading a book...well, it represents, in a sense, getting away from all that, right?

Of course, there's also that no man's land where one is neither working nor playing. You might be commuting to work, queuing somewhere, or hanging out on the beach. Perhaps waiting for a flight. It's on these occasions that a phone and an ebook on your phone can be great! You may have just ten minutes, or forty, or you don't know how much time you have but you're waiting, or perhaps you wake up halfway through your flight and you've read the inflight magazine, can't sleep - what now? That's when a good book on your phone [or laptop] can be exactly what the doctor ordered.

If you're ready to take the plunge [I very recently did and you know it wasn't bad] you need to start by downloading the Kindle app. You can do so at this link. It's a fairly large file, 30MB if I recall. Download it and then just follow the instructions.

One potential snag - if you've never read a book through Amazon or never ordered a book, you might need to sign up and register with them.That's also quick and free so make sure you get that done first.

If you're like me and you like reading it's worthwhile being registered with the world's largest and most popular bookstore. Ebooks are also invariably cheaper than paperbacks, and also leave zero carbon footprint. No trees were cut down to bring the bad boy on your right to 'print' on Amazon, currently riding high as a # 2 Amazon Bestseller in the Criminal Procedure category.

Another advantage: navigation in an ebook is in some ways a superior experience compared to a normal book. The software gives you an indication of where you are in the narrative in percentage terms, ie 14% or 57% or 88% whatever the case may be. You can also search your way to specific words.

So, what are you waiting for? Get yourself geared up, get some brand new books on your smartphone today and make the most of your time 'between places'. Click here!