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Footnotes, endnotes and hyperlinks

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I traveled to Greenwood, South Carolina, this past weekend to present a “Christ and Culture” seminar for Herald of Truth. On the way, I was using the Kindle app on my iPod and made an interesting choice: I purchased a book that I already owned the physical copy of. (Check that: a book that Herald of Truth owns a copy of, that I’ve been using)

I’ve already written about the advantages of reading books on the Kindle app. (I’ve never used a Kindle; I only use the free app) I discovered a new advantage: footnotes.

Footnotes are a bit of a problem in books. Where should they be placed? The bottom of the page is convenient, yet disrupts the look of the page and can be annoying to some people. Many opt for placing them at the back of the book, as did the book I was reading, but then it’s extremely difficult for the reader to locate pertinent notes. A compromise is to place them at the end of each chapter, like we did in Letters From The Lamb, but even then, they often go unread.

I realized this trip that I was consistently reading footnotes. They’re hyperlinked, so it’s a matter of “Click,” and you’re at the note, and “Click,” you’re back at the point where you were reading.

I’m not throwing away my physical books, but I’m becoming more and more of a fan of electronic ones. Apologies to all the purists out there.

Virtual reading

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My reading style is changing. More and more I’m starting to read e-books. And given my choice, I’m reading Kindle books.

Admittedly, I like the feel of holding a book in my hands. Holding an electronic device isn’t as pleasant nor, in many ways, as convenient as reading a book. When I want to do serious study, it’s hard to beat a spread of books around me on the desk.

But I’m being converted. Specifically, I’m being converted to books in the Kindle format, even though I have never touched a Kindle device. Here’s why I’m changing my reading habits:

  1. Easier to carry. I travel a good bit and am finding it increasingly helpful to carry a number of books in a device that fits in my pocket. (I use an iPod Touch for reading when traveling) Some complain of eyestrain when reading off of a backlit monitor; I haven’t found that to be a problem.
  2. Synched between multiple devices. I’ve got the Kindle app on my iPod, plus I have the Kindle program on my Mac. I can read a book on one device, then open it later on the other, and, if I have Internet access, it will open to the place where I left off. I can also read different books on the two devices, should I so choose. And there is supposed to be an online version of the reader, which would allow me to read from another computer when traveling.
  3. Backed up to the cloud. What’s been the biggest selling point for me to get me to start doing serious reading via Kindle is kindle.amazon.com. As I read, I can highlight certain passages. Then I sign in at kindle.amazon.com and all of the highlighted passages are there. It’s a great way to save a summary of the book. Plus I can share those highlights with others, along with my comments, on Facebook.

I’m using that last feature with a book that I’m using in the “Christianity in Culture” class I teach this semester. I’m using N.T. Wright’s Simply Christian, which I purchased via Kindle. I read through the chapters, marking significant passages, then I have those passages available to me as we discuss them in class.

Most of the e-books that I have are ones that I picked up for free. Yes, I’m that cheap. I think that Simply Christian is the only one I’ve paid regular price for, and that was cheaper than buying a physical copy. The applications are free. My total investment in all of this hasn’t reached $15. And I’ve acquired over 30 books, though some of the free ones really weren’t worth the price.

So, if you haven’t tried e-books, I’d encourage you to take a test drive. If you have, I’d like to hear your experiences and any tips you might have to share.