--- title: The transformation of books image: https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/hs-fs/file-1601287539-jpg/blog-files/6a00d83451f23a69e2015436c76702970c-200wi.jpg --- [Skip to main content](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/2011/11/the-transformation-of-books.html#maincontent) [ «  View All Posts ](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog) # The transformation of books November 11th, 2011 1 min read By [David Meerman Scott](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/author/david-meerman-scott) ![](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/hs-fs/file-1601287539-jpg/blog-files/6a00d83451f23a69e2015436c76702970c-200wi.jpg?width=200&height=300&name=6a00d83451f23a69e2015436c76702970c-200wi.jpg) [![Shutterstock_books](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/hs-fs/file-1601287539-jpg/blog-files/6a00d83451f23a69e2015436c76702970c-200wi.jpg "Shutterstock_books")](http://freshspot.typepad.com/.a/6a00d83451f23a69e2015436c76702970c-pi)**What is a book?** Seems like a silly question, doesn’t it? Everyone knows what a book is. Or do they? Books used to be made out of dead trees. Lots of paper and ink. Then we had audiobooks. Ebooks became quite popular first as PDF style documents and later via readers like Amazon Kindle, B&N Nook, and a few others. **I see a new transformation happening right now. ** It was started last year with the iPad. And from next week's release of [Kindle Fire](http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B0051VVOB2/freshspotpubl-20), Amazon jumps into the world of interactive books. Interactivity means business books come alive! As an author, that is a terrific opportunity. The Apple iPad and Kindle Fire bring a non-linear experience to reading a book. You can instantly jump from one part of the book to another. [![Kindle fire](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/hs-fs/file-1601287554-jpg/blog-files/6a00d83451f23a69e2015436c76932970c-150wi.jpg "Kindle fire")](http://freshspot.typepad.com/.a/6a00d83451f23a69e2015436c76932970c-pi)Of course it is in full color. Better yet, now you can instantly link from the book to external content too. It means a book read on an iPad or Kindle Fire is like reading a blog post with links to valuable content from other places. The new book experience means watching the video the author mentioned with one click. It means you can check out the Twitter feed of the expert cited in the text. You can see the cool picture that was once worth 1,000 words. I'm convinced that this new business book paradigm will aid anyone in learning. It means university curriculums will need to adapt. Textbook authors must scramble. It is a new world. **Watch this space. There is more to come. ** *Images: Old books via Shutterstock / Ferenc Szelepcsenyi Kindle Fire via Amazon* [ David Meerman Scott ](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/author/david-meerman-scott) David Meerman Scott is a business growth strategist, advisor to clever entrepreneurs who are building emerging companies, and the international bestselling author of a dozen books published in 30 languages. David’s high-energy keynote presentations, masterclasses, and virtual events educate, energize, and inspire. Connect: [mailto:david@freshspot.com](mailto:david@freshspot.com) Topics: [ Research and Analysis ](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/topic/research-and-analysis) [ Books ](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/topic/books) Don't forget to share this post: ## Related Articles [![](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Fanocracy%202e.jpg?width=1500&height=841&name=Fanocracy%202e.jpg) ### New 2nd Edition of Fanocracy Publishes Today: Your Human Connection in a Polarized, Noisy World July 14th, 2026|1 min read ](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/new-2nd-edition-of-fanocracy-publishes-today-your-human-connection-in-a-polarized-noisy-world) [![](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Live%20Nation%20living%20for%20live.jpg?width=1533&height=807&name=Live%20Nation%20living%20for%20live.jpg) ### Live Music Trends Defining Global Fandom in 2026 June 2nd, 2026|1 min read ](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/live-music-trends-defining-global-fandom-in-2026) 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