E-Books Still No Match for Printed Books

With smartphones, tablets and e-readers reaching mass adoption over the past few years, many have predicted that printed books would soon become a thing of the past. And while it’s true that people use their electronic devices to read, they still rely heavily on ink and paper when it comes to reading books.

According to a new report on book reading published by the Pew Research Center, not only did 72 percent of U.S. adults read a book in the past 12 months, but the vast majority did so using actual ink on paper. Compare the 65 percent of Americans who read a print book to the 25 percent who read an e-book during the same period and it becomes pretty clear that, as of now, most readers don’t see e-books as a replacement for printed books but rather as a complement. People may grab an e-reader when they head to the beach or commute to work, but as far as actual books go, there’s nothing like the real thing.