YOUR E-BOOK IS READING YOU

By: Alexandra Alter

Published: June 29, 2012; The Wall Street Journal; http://online.wsj.com ; however, I would Google the title and the author’s name. When I tried, I found this worked better.

Level of Difficulty: ***

BEFORE YOU READ

1.       Do you have a Kindle?

2.       What do you think of e-books?

3.       What are their advantages?

4.       Are there any disadvantages?

5.       Read the title of the text. The title is meant to remind you of the famous novel 1984 by George Orwell. The catch phrase in this book was: big brother is watching you. Why do you think the writer chose this title?

QUESTIONS

1.       What advantage do e-books have over regular books for authors and publishers?

2.       What is wrong with the familiar method of measuring reader satisfaction through sales data and reviews?

3.       The information concerning Fifty Shades of Grey and Divergent is provided to support the contention that …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

4.       Read paragraph 9. It lacks a topic sentence. You provide one.

5.       Nook Snaps has been designed as a way to …………………………………………………………………………….

6.       What does “the prospect” refer to in the sentence “Some authors welcome the prospect”?

7.       What is the potential disadvantage of all this data gathering and related modifications? What example does the writer provide as support?

8.       Read the information concerning Amazon and Kindle. How does Amazon view the data it gathers?

9.       Read the information in paragraph 19. Who do you agree with? Amazon or Electronic Frontier? Discuss.

10.   How might all this data gathering influence actual reading according to B. Schneier?

11.   The cases of Copia and Kobo are provided as examples to prove that ………………………………….

12.   Read the stories of Sourcebooks and Scholastics. What is the advantage of their new venture? You may provide your own answer if you wish.

13.   Read the story of Coliloguy to the end. Parish Mail, Great Escapes and Getting Dumped are all products of the new …………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

14.   Read Tawna Fenske’s reaction to the data forwarded to her. Do you agree with her decision or not? Should authors be guided in this way or not? Do you think this new technique will limit creativity and the writing of those great masterpieces or not? Discuss.

WRITING TASK

Think about all you have discussed and write a reaction essay on the topic. If you don’t remember how to write a reaction essay, read my paper on the topic first.  The title of the paper is I will shout it from the Rooftops and is filed under papers. Alternatively, consult your teacher.

 YOUR E-BOOK IS READING YOU KEY AND TEACHER’S NOTES

This wonderful and thought provoking text does not lend itself to as many of those good careful reading questions I like to be able to write but it does lend itself to a superb piece of writing. It is a very new concept so has novelty value too. Enjoy.

1.       They are providing a glimpse into the story behind the sales figures, revealing… OR, they make reading measurable and quasi public; OR They can know what happens when a reader sits down with a book.

2.       They offer a post mortem measure of success but can’t shape or predict a hit.

3.       Some findings confirm what retailers already know.

4.       Possible answer: Readers of different types of books tend to have different reading habits.

5.       Engage readers in nonfiction and long form journalism.

6.       The prospect of creating even better books than they create today.

7.       It could hinder the kinds of creative risks that produce great literature. War and Peace

8.       As the collective intelligence of all the people reading on Kindle.

9.       Open ended

10.   Readers may steer clear of digital books on sensitive subjects.

11.   The shift to digital books has fueled an arms race among digital start ups seeking to cash in on the massive pool of data collected by e-reading devices and reading apps.

12.   The venture allows these publishers to track which story lines and characters are resonating with young readers … OR your own answer: books can be shaped according to public demand, which can , in turn, increase sales.

13.   The interactive content created for Kindle.

14.   Open ended.