Thoughts in pills

Thoughts in pills - 3
About books

Introduction

As for books and ebooks (including this one), what everyone knows is that they are generally written in black on a white background, but the truth is that with paper (whatever source it comes from) you can do a lot by squeezing a little ' the meninges', although in some cases some adjustments to the printing processes may be necessary.

However, we know that as far as books are concerned, there are various types, and some are particular, either because they are extremely well-finished (for example they have parts written or painted by hand) or because they have parts of paper that expand when opened the page and so on.

I will try to list below various concepts and ideas that can be used in the creation of books and ebooks, although in truth much (but not everything, at least for the moment) can also be reused for digital ones. However, as basic concepts that are valid for all books both in paper and digital format we have that:

every book or ebook has a cover
each book or ebook is made up of numbered pages. In some cases some pages may have separate "numberings" (for example using the letters of the alphabet for the appendices, etc.). The shape of the page is typically rectangular (certainly for ebooks) while in some cases some books have non-rectangular shapes.
Every book or ebook should have an ISBN or ASIN. If some ebooks do not have them in certain cases, it could still be a good idea to either generate it automatically or forcefully request its insertion. Having an ISBN or ASIN allows books and ebooks to be indexed in databases, and this in turn allows other operations to be carried out, consequently
all paper books have a binding (which can be done in various ways, with metal tacks, with thread, with glue...) while all ebooks DO NOT have a binding.
all paper books are either made by hand or generated from a printout of a file
all ebooks are made either with a file that contains the content and which is sent to print, or with a template that is rendered to generate the final ebook file (in that case they are personalized ebooks). That's not to say that both for books and ebooks there can't be other ways to create them, but the ones I've listed are fundamental.

Let's now look at some ideas regarding the content of the books. For each idea I will indicate whether it can be used only for books, only for ebooks or for both.

Vary the font and color (books and ebooks)

Typically when we read a book (like this ebook, which uses the same type of characters throughout the text) we are used to reading it with the text in a single color and everything with the same type of font. But the truth is that it is not forbidden to use different colors and fonts for different parts of the book. For example, in a horror book the color RED could be used to describe splatter scenes, while a book that tries to convey serenity in a poem could have words written in BLUE (these are just two examples).

Types of bindings (books only)

As I mentioned in the introduction, there are various types of binding for paper books: with metal tacks, with wire, with glue, with metal spirals (if they have perforated pages), with rope rings (ditto)...

Non-linear text direction (both books and ebooks)

It is not forbidden to create books (but probably also ebooks) that have text that does not follow the canonical reading direction that does not include rotations (of the book, of the head (with ebook readers), of the monitor (good luck. ..)) ... this obviously it can drastically affect the difficulty of reading, but in other cases it could also be a pleasant experience at the same time. For example, a book that has text written "rolled up" in a spiral or written on 4 sides and which involves rotating the book is absolutely not stupid, banal or useless as an idea.

Ad hoc images and backgrounds (books and ebooks)

It is not forbidden to use ad hoc images and backgrounds within the pages, although this could obviously vary the cost of printing (as regards paper books).

Hand painted or written (books only)

Some books, typically existing in very limited runs, have handmade parts. These can be drawings, but also written text. In some cases, fine inks are also used (which have for example gold or silver inside) or in some rare and unusual cases. For example, it is not ethically incorrect to use oil to write on a book (just one example) or menstruation blood (another example) for famous splatter scenes.

Coating (only books)

I used an English/American word to indicate that gesture which indicates the spraying of canned products (but they could also be particular paints) to be used for example to provide particular protections to the inks or create particular reflection effects.

Non-paper parts (only books)

Some books have non-paper parts, such as devices that emit certain lights or sounds when you turn the pages. However, they are typically created with very simple circuits, and very often have a cell/battery that is not easily replaceable.

Animated elements (ebooks only)

It could technically also be possible to insert animated elements into an ebook, although this may require updates to the ebook reader software.

Author signature (only books)

Some books are signed by the author, manually, and in that case obviously the signature is unique (as they are typically not IDENTICAL).

Use contrast to change reading ease (both books and ebooks)

Typically we are used to books that are easy to read as they have an optimal contrast (black and white) but it is not conceptually forbidden to also create books that are difficult to read, or vary the reading difficulty, modifying the contrast and the size of the font, or inserting elements disturbing the reading and interpretation of the text.

Inserting information (both books and ebooks)

It is not forbidden that there are books and ebooks that have the function of a questionnaire, in which data is collected from those who are reading. It is not technically feasible, for example, to create paper questionnaires that must be filled in with pen and which are then processed using digital tools. If this in broad terms has always been done in a certain sense (for example with posted bulletins or with certain fillable A4 sheets). For example, there are banks or post offices that have the ability to "process" these completed forms, and which are currently used to make payments. However, nothing prevents the use of these technologies for other types of data collection. For example, technically, to create small paper books to be used as questionnaires and collected and analyzed subsequently, machinery capable of cutting the binding would be needed to then process all the pages on which the information is written, even if with regards to the environmental cost of these books (in a certain sense "disposable" is not negligible).

Reading requirements (both books and ebooks)

Both books and ebooks may have certain reading requirements, or otherwise have a recommended audience. Among the requirements there could be both certain linguistic knowledge, but also possibly necessary degrees or necessary experiences as a prerequisite to be able to tackle reading correctly. (and these requirements could also be very imaginative, from "complete all these trekking routes" to "it is necessary to finish the video game correctly..." or "reading is recommended only for people with an IQ lower than reading only to people with an IQ higher than Y" ... or even "this book cannot be taken away from the library and can only be read inside the library" ... "at least 30 kg of fat mass are needed to be able to read it from start to finish safely” ...

Terms of use (both books and ebooks)

Both books and ebooks may have certain conditions of use (e.g.: “do not post photos of this book or its contents online”, “do not scan this book”, “do not read this book overnight”, or again "this book can only be read at night or it is recommended to read it only at night" (e.g. horror books)... this does not mean that in any case, to protect certain conditions of use, implementations of particular software are not necessary or even only an "if you don't respect the rules, you do so at your own risk"...

Disposal and recycling information (books only)

Certain books, based on what I have described above, may not be easily recyclable. For example, it is not certain that an ebook that has electronic elements inside (LED, battery/battery...) or in which certain paints or inks have been used are easily recyclable in the paper/cardboard bin...

Information on content (both books and ebooks)

It is possible to provide information on the content, the purpose of the book or ebook or in any case generally describe what you expect to find.

Information on provenance or authors (books and ebooks)

It is not prohibited to create handwritten or handmade books with a certified origin, provide information on the authors or the context in which it was created.

Preset lifespan (ebooks only)

An ebook could have a pre-established lifespan, beyond which it is no longer available for reading ("this ebook will self-destruct"), or even an expiry date, beyond which its use is no longer recommended.

Packaging (only books)

Paper books can clearly be packaged (with cellophane, but also possibly with coverings that do not allow you to know what is inside without purchasing the product) or not (and in that case you can typically browse to decide whether to buy them or less).

Custom backgrounds, fonts and text color (ebooks only)

In ebooks, theoretically, via the ebook reader, it could be possible to customize the background, font or color of the text.

Removable parts (only books)

Books may have parts that need to be cut out and torn.

Sections to draw or color (books only)

Books can have parts for drawing or coloring

Interactive books (books only)

Books can have games inside that are played through the book itself, for example fantasy or cyberpunk themed adventures, which involve pulling data and playing with a player character. This can be done manually, or even theoretically with a support app.