Any Book You Want in the Time It Takes To Make Coffee
I was reading about this – the Espresso Book Machine – recently and I have to say that I am completely blown away by this. Blackwells have announced that they are going to be installing these amazing machines in 50 of their stores across the UK and after watching the video of how they work, I just can’t wait.
I love browsing around Amazon and tracking down books which you are unlikely to find in a high street book store, simply due to the lack of space. It is why I am an Amazon Prime member – it means that when I do find my book, as long as it is in stock I generally only have to wait a day for it. However, if it is not in stock… For instance, I recently purchased Carl Sagan’s The Demon Haunted World, however as it was not in stock on Amazon, I had to wait almost 10 days for it to arrive. I know, 10 days isn’t really that long but when you want to read it, well, it seems like an eternity. Similarly, sometimes my Amazon orders arrive by courier and as I am not at home during the day, I invariably have to wait until I can drive out to the depot to go and pick it up. Small things, but if there was a solution, I’d use it.
And, it seems like that solution might be here. Books on demand, while you wait, selected from a list of a million titles. To me, it’s a dream come true. To me, who will resist getting a Kindle for as long as they still produce books from paper, this is a sign that perhaps, as Sam Houston suggests, books aren’t dead after all. I knew they wouldn’t be, and I suspect the manufacturers of this machine knew that too.
Working in Central London, I suspect it isn’t going to take long before one of these machines finds there way to a Blackwells within walking distance of me. I already have a list of books I’d like which are difficult to find and Amazon seem to be out, so I’ll be down there, with my coffee, waiting for my turn to print my book when I want it.
And smiling.
