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!

What is a book???

What is a book??????

Here's a link to my class blog so far!
Rachael's Book Blog

Nests and New Creations: Elise Beckman's Blog

Hello guys! Here is a link to my blog thus far:
http://elisebeckmannestsandnewcreations.blogspot.com/
its full of nests of new ideas and strings of inspiration! Woohoo!

Elise

Reading

How much "reading" did you do today, just in preparing for class? --if you looked in a mirror --did you read your look? --and did you "read" your outfit? --how did you use your senses?

A Moment

What is a book? When someone says the word "book" to me, an image of a leather cover bound by a leather spine filled with white paper pages pops into my head.  As I continue to think about books, I realize that it is a physical object that I naturally think of, but there is so much more to a book then the cover.  After all, they say to never judge a book by the cover!....Who is "they" anyways?.....Anyways, I agree with that saying and I even remember going to the library as a little girl and intentionally looking for books that had ugly or plain covers.  It was an almost superstition for me that a good looking book would actually be a terrible book. There is so much more to a book then what it looks like and how it presents itself.

A book is a power source. A book is a time machine. A book has a life of its own.

Now that I am thinking about books, my mind takes off with all the potential definitions of what books are and I wonder why my original definition is so bland? Of course the majority of books that people hold in their hands and view with their eyes has a similar format.  They have a cover and a back and a spine and many many pages.  But just because the majority of "book" that people come into contact with look like that, there is no reason why a book should be limited to that definition.

A book is a power source. A book is a time machine. A book has a life of its own.

Ever since I was a little girl books were a huge part of my life.  One of my favorite memories as a child was when I learned how to "read in my head." I was laying belly down on my parent's white leather couch reading the Disney Cinderella.  I was reading out loud and using my finer to follow along, when all of a sudden I was able to read in my head and still comprehend the story! I was thrilled! I was amazed! I was a big girl!  And after that day I took that book with me everywhere for days.  I was so proud of myself and rightly so....I know could read books and comprehend the amazing places and people and story lines of all kinds of books!  Books are a special moment. Thats what they are, a moment. A moment where the world around you blurs and you travel to a new world with different feelings and emotions and people and places.  It is a moment to feel and be anyone or anything you want to be.

A book is a power source. A book is a time machine. A book has a life of its own.

Welcome!

Welcome new students!  --winter 2013

This is our "official" class blog! --one of your first entries should be your "current" definition of "book" and how you think that you acquired this definition --etcetera