The Future of the Book

The Future of the Book. from IDEO on Vimeo.

This is a pretty fascinating video about how books can evolve in our digital age. From offering more resources on a book and how it has influenced our culture to sharing amongst groups to making stories a sort of choose your own adventure that unlocks certain aspects of the story based on geographical location, the book has many options for growth.

If you’re not attuned to the word of publishing you might not be aware that there is much hand wringing about the future of the book and whether people will continue to read the way they have in the past.

It’s funny to stumble upon this video today after going to see Gary Shteyngart read last night Magers & Quinn (a bookstore here in Minneapolis). Shteyngart was reading from his fabulous new book Super Sad True Love Story. This book takes place in a not-too-distant future where social networking and social media has taken over our lives and America has become a “post-literate” society. This is one of those books that will appeal to all kinds of readers — snooty lit types (like myself), sci-fi geeks, and just about anyone who visits Facebook. Really, it’s a fascinating take on where our digital obsession might lead us.

Anyway, at the reading someone asked Shteyngart if he was worried about the future of the book (I told you there is much hand wringing), and he said he wasn’t worried at all, that even if it evolves into something we haven’t even dreamed of yet, those stories will live on.

This video shows how books can evolve into something pretty awesome.