The chapter from the book “The Book” by Amaranth Borsuk is a adequate introduction to understanding books as objects. I was particularly struck by the realization that book forms do not disappear completely in history. This thought could also be connected to our discussion in class: „Fear of new media“. Borsuk argues that “Different technologies of the book exist side by side throughout its history: tablet and scroll, scroll and codex, manuscript and print, paperback and e-book”. Clay tablets, papyrus scrolls, books and hypertexts coexist for centuries and do not simply disappear. Borsuk emphasizes that the development of these forms should not be seen as a linear sequence. The new does not immediately replace the old. They complement each other.

Their coexistence shows that media change is much more complex than one might think. I find this idea particularly interesting. There is obviously a lot of discussion about whether digital media means the “end of the book”. However, Borsuk criticizes that question and emphasizes the coexistence and diverse functions between print and digital. But if no form is replaced, does coexistence mean that no form is ever definitive? According to this argument, the “true book” or the “true form” would not even exist. It is merely a matter of transporting knowledge and stories, which works in different ways. It is therefore a question of generations and individual needs as to which medium is preferred. Occasionally, I read a paperback on a hammock, an e-book on the train or bus. 

The e-book, on the other hand, which is often seen as a threat to the printed book, could be seen as part of a long history of the coexistence of individual media. Instead of splitting these different forms off from each other, we should see them as complementary media. Each form has its strengths. While the printed book convinces through its materiality, haptics and durability, the e-book is mobile, easily accessible and flexible. Both forms help to preserve knowledge and make it accessible. 

Borsuk’s chapter thus shows that the book has evolved. Each new form expands, but never completely erases. The keyword here is diversity. Dr. Pressman stressed the fear of new media in class. I somehow cannot understand this “fear“, because instead of seeing the emerge of new media as a linear process we should see it as a circular one. This whole idea of remediation is really important and an advantage for our acquisition of knowledge.