When Amazon went and deleted the copies of that Orwell book it sold (but was not supposed to) that right there told me that ebooks were not ready for primetime yet.

I asked at the local B&N about that incident and whether such a thing was going to be possible with their nook ebook. All I got was a dissembling answer. (Truth be told, I figured they probably didn't know).

But still. The process, were one to want to indulge in some sort of performance art, seems sutiable for highlighting all sorts of things in various books.

Could be hilarious.

If you were really worried, you could always turn the wireless off and charge the thing with A/C current? But that is creepy (I have relatives who are former history and govt majors who read about terrorism to keep their mind working--yikes!).

My Sony ebook is not connected to any book sites. I download copies of the books to my computer, then I download them to my ebook. I buy most of my books from Baen books so they are not DRM'd.

Duncan, is your experience with the Sony ebook reader a good one? Can you make a comparison to either Kindle or Nook?

To answer your questions:

1. Apparently.

2. No it isn't.

3. Rat the highlighters out without blinking an eyelash.

It's all so creepily pre-Stasi-esque, isn't it?

Why do I have a hunch that this quote won't be getting many highlights?

"Rather than love, than money, than fame, give me truth. I sat at a table where were rich food and wine in abundance, and obsequious attendance, but sincerity and truth were not; and I went away hungry from the inhospitable board. The hospitality was as cold as the ices. I thought that there was no need of ice to freeze them. They talked to me of the age of the wine and the fame of the vintage; but I thought of an older, a newer, and purer wine, of a more glorious vintage, which they had not got, and could not buy. The style, the house and grounds and "entertainment" pass for nothing with me. I called on the king, but he made me wait in the hall, and conducted like a man incapacitated for hospitality. There was a man in my neighborhood who lived in a hollow tree. His manners were truly regal. I should have done better had I called on him."

Henry David Thoreau, Walden

I have published 4 of my books to Kindle. As an experience I've found it to be more of a hassle than a boon but other writers are selling about 1000 copies a month. For this growing group, dead tree publishing is history. Publishers take advantage of writers, they are slow to publish and pay, and increasingly stupid and narrow-minded. Plus they have a NYC POV and if you don't offer up what they expect, it's a pass. And if they don't think you'll sell 20,000 copies, it's a pass. Amazon instantly levels the playing field, makes it possible to find a niche audience and makes 23 year old fetus-like editors who have no idea what Ivanhoe is, obsolete.

That said, I'm not going to buy one of these da*n things.

I'd buy some sort of electronic thingie just to banish the tottering heaps that us bird-shot readers tend to scatter about. Problem is, the e-readers are too eco-friendly and Obama-approved; while dead tree books are so unevolved, so shamefully wasteful that I simply must bitterly cling to them.

Also, you can't throw an e-reader at a misbehaving cat.

I've never had my entire library walk away in someone's back pocket and I'll never ever have to worry about an EMP burst -or somefoolone I can't shoot between their beady little eyes- deleting it...Besides, as a matter of principle, I rather enjoy many fine products offered by tree-killin' profiteers.

The only way that will change is if books aren't even available anymore - in which case It's f'n on anyway.