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“The definition of a book itself, as you can see, is up for grabs.”
This video by Penguin really shows the potential in rethinking how a book could be presented on a tablet. It’s interactive, non-linear (great for the anatomy book) and takes full advantage of the hardware. Perfect.
— Comments —
1
in case you didn’t already read it, @craigmond has a really good post on the future of books in the age of the ipad > http://craigmod.com/journal/ipad_and_books/
i would say that this extends waaaay beyond strictly publishing and how we define books. authors will eventually learn to shape stories in different ways when the act of reading a book from cover to cover no longer defines the way narratives unfold.
i’m crossing my fingers for a new generation of books that resembles the “fighting fantasy” books of my childhood (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fighting_Fantasy) sans character sheet and dice. books that write themselves based on their interaction with you. books that never end. books that go through the same transition in narrative form as games did from the invention of chess to the release of world of warcraft.
2
I actually don’t think every book will be non-linear and interactive – the idea of finishing a story and having somebody else curate the content for me is still appealing. It’s in books like the anatomy example from Penguin where the interactive elements can come to life.
For an example of a website that has a somewhat linear perspective, you have to look at http://www.thinkingforaliving.org/ – especially the iPhone-optimized site. It’s made in such a way that you can actually finish reading the website. I like that idea a lot.
But seriously, the iPad will challenge all of this. I can’t wait to get my hands on one and see some amazing websites, magazines and what else people are developing.