Most students in Stage 3 will know that I’m addicted to TED. Last year when we were investigating ways to live more sustainably I shared talks by Ron Finlay who plants food forests in unused lots, medium strips and  footpaths in South Central LA, and by urban designer Mitchell Joachim who showed us how we could potentially grow our own houses using the ancient technique of pleaching or grafting trees together.  My morning routine usually involves a Ted Talk with breakfast.

Last week I watched a fascinating talk by artist Brian Dettmer who digs into a good book (literally, with a knife) to create beautifully intricate forms that reflect how we see old information in a modern world. His sculptures are simply amazing! When discussing the book he commented that… “The book was never the right format for non linear information, which is why we’re seeing reference books becoming the first to be endangered or extinct… People think that now that we have digital technology, the book is going to die, and we are seeing things shifting and things evolving. I think that the book will evolve, and just like people said painting would die when photography and printmaking became everyday material… most of our information, most of our personal and cultural records are in digital form, I think it’s really allowing the book to become something new. ”

http://www.ted.com/talks/brian_dettmer_old_books_reborn_as_intricate_art

Interesting! Personally I couldn’t bear the thought of a world without books. There is something very special about the look, the smell, and the turning of a page that for me can’t be replaced with pixels on a screen.

What do you think is the future of the book? Can you imagine a time when the book will no longer exist? I’d love to hear what you think.