It's funny that you mention vesselmancy. As an early adopter of e-ink, I had to endure years of talk about how e-ink will never smell or feel like a real book.

It's funny that you mention vesselmancy. As an early adopter of e-ink, I had to endure years of talk about how e-ink will never smell or feel like a real book. I'm the opposite of the person who ordered the leatherbound Encyclopedia Britannica. I bought an early ereader and put all my books in the attic! Phone displays and computer screens are just fine for reading text, but the fact that you completely discount the value of e-ink makes me wonder if you've seen a recent e-ink display in person. The advantages really become apparent at the extremes: bright sunlight or dim rooms in the evening. Also, the ergonomics of reading on a phone or a computer are not great for books and long articles. It's no coincidence that e-readers tend to be about the size of paperback books. Tablets are better, but they are more expensive, more fragile and more power-hungry.