Ebooks: The enthusiasts
The Observer,
Sunday July 27 2008

John Sutherland, English professor
'It's a great invention in search of a name: they're not "ebooks" any more than automobiles are "horseless carriages". E-readers are not storage devices but portals to new literary forms, among much else. How about calling them "Stargates"?'

Binky Urban, New York super-agent
'Many publishers, especially in the UK, feel threatened by e-readers, but I think they're a great development [I have both a Kindle and a Sony Reader]. Kids spend so much time playing computer games; if games techies would figure out how to make reading a book a more interactive experience, we could win back the younger readers we've lost to computers and TV.'

Toby Young, writer
'In the long run they will benefit writers, creating an easier way for first-time authors to get their work in front of the public. That will be a revolutionary change.'
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This article appeared in the Observer on Sunday July 27 2008 on p20 of the Features and reviews section.