Books Throughout the Ages

Have you ever noticed that throughout the millenniums, there have always been advancements in all sorts of media and communications? The human race is perpetually and doggedly trying to improve both technology and communication. Despite all the changes that mankind has undergone, there is one thing that remains the same – books.

Back then, there wasn’t the convenience of the keyboard or even pen and paper to write everything down. The earliest substances used for the development and writing of ancient books were wood and bark. The early Greeks and Latins used soft metal tablets coated with wax to write their material required. Moreover, a stylus was used to inscribe these writings upon a tablet. It was only later that papyrus took over as the primary material used for writing in ancient times in Egypt, Greece and Rome. The first books used parchment or vellum, calf skin, as its pages and the covers were made up of wood and wrapped in leather and during those times were extremely expensive as almost all of it was copied by hand. The Chinese, the nation that eventually invented paper, began the earliest forms of writings by carving and inking an entire page on tablets of bamboo bark. It was not until the tenth century AD that Europe discovered the invention of paper.

It was not until the early 1800s that the steam powered printing press became a popular method for book printing and the earliest typewriters were invented in the late 1700s and early 1800s though it is very subjective to who could have invented it. Many variations of typewriters were manufactured and only recently, in 1989, was the final stage and first digital typewriter invented by Canon.

In the modern day, technology has advanced greatly and the latest form of books comes as an online version and is commonly known as an e-book. Most of the writing is done on keyboard now and through the years technology has allowed Man to conveniently type and publish books.
Despite all the advances and changes, one thing still remains the same, the way books are read. That is one thing that I think will forever remain the same.

If you’d like to read up more on the history of books, this is the website I recommend: A Brief and Understandable History of Them from the Earliest Times
It’s really interesting.

Until next time, goodbye.

Books & Movies For the Greater Good?

I have always wondered whether books that are made into movies are a good thing or not. I never really got settled into thinking it thoroughly through until tonight. I finally sat down and started to ponder whether a movie destroys the very unique essence of a book or enhances it. After a long debate among myself, I have finally come to a conclusion. I believe, like most things in the earth that it is both a blessing and a curse. (Please note that these are my personally opinions.)

Firstly, let me begin with the good part. I feel that whenever I read a book, I’d always want to know what a character actually looks like; I’d like to be able to put a face to that name. No matter how much or well the author describes a character, it is impossible for me to make up how he looks like. This is what a movie does for me; it gives me a face to the name. For example, The Lord of The Rings or Harry Potter. After watching those movies on the big screen, every time a particular character is mentioned, I would envision that person in the book acting it out as the person. That is what I feel the movie brings.

Now the bad part. Everyone knows that a movie can never live up to being nearly as close to being as good as the book. No matter what, the movie always seems to be undone. There is so much the book allows us to imagine that in no ways a movie can produce. Don’t you go to a movie that’s adapted from the book and at the end of it you’re left saying to your friend “Damn they skipped so many parts!” That’s what happens most of the time for me. Despite all the action and adventure the movie can bring through visual stimulation, it can never come close to what a book can provide. The book strikes up our imagination and creativity in ways impossible to comprehend. Reading a book feels exactly like you’re right there living in the exact moment when you’re reading it. It is something so utterly unique and distinct that nothing else in the world can match.

That’s all for now. Btw, my favorite book was recently made into a TV series. I’m about to go watch it right now but my initial impression is that the lead actor who plays Richard in the book is far from what I always envisioned when I read, AND NOT IN A GOOD WAY. If you guys are interested you can watch it from this link : http://www.sidereel.com/Legend_of_the_SeekerThe picture above shows the 2 main characters who plays Richard and Kahlan in the Legend of the Seeker series. Richard and Kahlan.

Cya

My all time favorite :)

My all-time favorite book.

I would like to begin with my favorite genre of books and as well as sharing my favorite book. I never really started reading much and my first book I ever read (without being forced to) was the Harry Potter series. I was young then and I really loved it. It was the only book I read back then when I was about 11. Soon, my love for books started to evolve, I loved the way it always took me to places out of this world and to a place where I can be free, in the world of fantasy. That is of course, my favorite genre. There are 2 different book covers, the one i have at home is the first image above. Below is the more common covers you could find at libraries.

When I read Harry Potter I was thrilled and it was soon one of my favorite books, until the day I picked up Terry Goodkind’s bestselling novel ‘Wizard’s First Rule’ (WFR). I used to call it God’s greatest book ever written (no offence to any pious believers). That is the first book of 11 from of the Sword of Truth series and one of Terry Goodkind’s greatest novels. The moment I laid my eyes upon those pages of pristine white, my perception of Harry Potter and how – what’s the correct term again? Miserable? Yes that’s the term. Oh how miserable Harry Potter looked compared to WFR. It is but a candle when WFR is the sunrise. The book encompasses nearly all genres of books combined, though it is actually under the fantasy genre. It has war, love, romance, philosophy and of course fantasy all wrapped up into one. For all those ardent fantasy loving people out there, if you’re looking to pick up a new series and spend hours on end everyday to drown yourself in the living pages of another fantasy, this is a MUST read. Oh yeah, I read the book 3 times.

The book is available at San Bookshop’s around Singapore for about $16. And for more information about what the book is about you can visit this website :http://www.terrygoodkind.com/his_works/wizards_first_rule.html OR if you'd like to know more about Mr Goodkind's other works please visit : http://www.terrygoodkind.com/

Till we meet again, adios.

Introduction

Hey all, I actually wanted to do something about basketball, which is the sport I love and have the greatest passion for. It is like life to me in itself. However, I decided that I’d like to do something different, something I also love – books. Oh don't you just love spending hours on end and reading till it's dark outside? Or light :P