Allen Grove, professor of English at Alfred University, was quoted in a recent story in Forbes magazine that discusses a partnership between streaming service Spotify and Bookshop.org to sell hard-copy, non-digital books.
The article, titled “Why Spotify is Partnering with Bookshop.org to Sell Physical Books in the Digital Era,” was published by Forbes on Friday, Feb. 6. “This connects discovery on Spotify with physical ownership, making it easier for readers to move from finding a book they’re interested in to enjoying it in the format that feels right,” said Spotify in its announcement.
Grove lauded the move, which breaks from the increasing use of on-line retailers, such as Amazon, providing books and other sources for reading in digital format.
“I’m glad to hear of this move by Spotify, and particularly their use of Bookshop.org as part of the resistance to the Amazonification of modern life,” said Dr. Allen Grove, professor of English at Alfred University, who has taught courses on publishing. “Ebooks certainly have their place—I’d rather pack a Kindle than 12 paperbacks while traveling—but reading a printed book is a different and, in many ways, more enjoyable experience. We spend so much of our days on screens that turning to a paper book allows us to unplug from the digital world and enter a different intellectual and emotional space. It’s also a sensory experience—the warmth and texture of the binding, the smell of the paper—that’s all part of the appeal.”