So What Is A Book, Anyway?

For my first blog post, I'd like to just dive right into the million-dollar question: what is a book?

At first, I was tempted to write that a book is a collection of words, thoughts, ideas, and moments, captured on paper and bound by two covers. After all, this is the definition of "book" that I have been familiar with my entire life. My parents read to me very often as a child, so I have been acquainted with this version of a "book" for a very long time.

However, after taking some time to think about and puzzle through this question that is, admittedly, new to me, I realized that "book" could, perhaps, have many definitions. I thought, for example, of the CDs (a medium that has, like most other media, been replaced with digital media, like iTunes and mp3) I had throughout my childhood and teenage years. These CDs came encased in plastic boxes, with paper "CD jackets" that listed the songs and their lyrics. Could these CD jackets be considered books? Could the music - the songs themselves - be considered books? After all, most songs tell a story and communicate ideas, and their lyrics are made up of words.

How many other things could be "books" that we do not usually consider books? As Thylias mentioned in class today, our own reflections in the mirror could be a form of "book." While this idea somewhat confused me, it also intrigued me. If we consider our reflections "books," then what is a book, really? How can we define it? Does "book" need to be defined?

I would love to continue to explore the above questions, and to learn more about limited fork theory. I am sure I will do these things and more as the semester progresses!