I remember watching a TV doco a couple of years ago about the future of the book industry.
The experts there predicted that in future, books wouldn't exist until sold. They'd just be
'virtual' files on a giant Computer Print/Trim/Binding machine the size of a train. The orders
for books would be taken from internet sites, and they would be directly connected to the processor
of the giant machine, which would actually manufacture the book and robotically place it into a
padded bag with your address printed on it. The only human contact would be the bloke who
carried the vanload of parcels away from the machine and drove them to the post office.
Well, that day has come.
Like a few other readers on BirdingNZ.net, I've been ordering bird books and other titles from the
BookDepository.com on the internet. I guess that other sites might use the same system?
My bird books have arrived (post free!) direct from the UK, at half the price I could buy them in
the shops here at home. Very nice.
But then I started to notice the that the date of printing was shown on the inside of the back page.
In every case, it was approx two days after the date of my order. The books smell almost 'wet' with
newness. Incredible. The robots really have taken over - my books were printed at the press of the
button on MY keyboard here in NZ, setting in motion a juggernaut production system on the other side
of the world to make a book just for me. And all for $20!
Another miracle of the 21st century. Clearly this is the time of 'milk and honey'. Or is it the 'calm before
the storm'? Guess we'd better sit back and enjoy. I don't think there's gonna be quite this dream world
left behind for our kids to enjoy after we've finished over-indulging!
Anyhow, enough of this philosophical stuff, I'm off to MacDonalds/KFC/Pizza Hut for a snack.
As Emporer Caligula might say "Peel me another grape, slave!....."
Rewi
