On February 5th, 2025, we took our PGDM students on an industrial visit. I was asked to accompany them. Once on the bus, the students were belting out racy beats which were loudly playing out on the bus speakers.
Unable to bear the cacophony, I tried to immerse myself in a book "Turn on the Heat" by A.AFair aka Erle Stanley Gardner the master storyteller. After some time the swaying motion of the bus was lulling me to sleep. I kept the novel aside and tried to sleep.
"Sir, sir" a conspirational whisper.
"Yes, yes"
A female student was talking from the seat behind "Can I take the book and read it?".
Check she said, "Can I instead of may I".
Me "How will you finish it by the evening" (I have stopped lending or presenting books. They are never returned nor read).
"No problem sir, I will read a part of the book and read the rest as a download from the net," said the bookworm oops the girl student.
I knew what was coming but still, I gave her the novel. The crestfallen girl returned the book within 10 minutes. "Sir, the book is not available online".
I knew it, I knew it. What would I have done differently?
1) search the details page. This was an Indian edition and it was printed by Master Mind Books, Bangalore. They might still have some copies.
2) I would have checked in used books sites on the net.
3) I would have gone to Abids on Sunday and searched for the book.
4) I would have searched the net for read and return options.
5) Would have searched Amazon for a Kindle edition.
6) Deep searched in specialized sites that allow free downloadable PDFs
No the girl simply asked Google for a free PDF download and quit at the first instance. Gen Z wants instant breakfast, one hour before them feel hungry!! Feeling bemused!!!!
Points to Ponder: Erle Stanley Gardner, Perry Mason, Bertha Cool and Donald Lam Mystery, Why Gen Z prefers digital over physical books, How to find rare and out-of-print books online, Best websites to buy second-hand books in India, Where to download classic novels legally for free, Are printed books dying in the digital age?
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