Are Books Only A Commodity?

In our day and time, books still seem to be relevant. You have middle school, high school, and college students needing books for book reports. The average “Joes” that love to read are looking for a good suspense. Of course, who does not like a good book to read that ends up becoming a movie? However, with technology and the way we are able to get our hands on these books, has the value been cheapened? Are books really only a commodity?

In order to understand the question, we need to understand the definition. The word commodity means useful or valuable. For instance, time is a commodity. It is something we should not take for granted because we do not know how much of it we have. Books are valuable. They make us well-rounded and gives us valuable knowledge. They open up our minds to what is possible and what can still be possible. Yet, we take them for granted. There are people who do not believe that reading is that essential and actually despise knowledge. Do you really want to be one of these people? I hope not. Books can stimulate us into wanting to learn more. Having more knowledge and be very profitable, especially if you are coming across things that can help you in your life.

To read a good book about how to get wealth or how to deal with s serious mental illness are valuable. This is information that we need for how we are living today. We have a vast array of books that are capable of teaching a a lot of skills, if we apply ourselves to open them up. Much like the Christian who reads their Bible for daily inspiration and guidance, we should read books that will convict our hearts to do better with ourselves as a common people.

For some people who read, the book may not be that valuable but they will only use as a means to pass the time. If the only time you read is on a subway or bus, you are missing out. There are some many adventures and mysteries that could use your attention. Why not get wrapped in a live novel or thriller. Maybe you like horror books. Vampires, werewolves, zombies, and slashers are all the rave. Reading these types of books will give your imagination a workout. What about fantasies such as Harry Potter and Lord of The Rings? These are books I’m heavily into and I could tell you they are awesome. It is nice to be able to escape reality for an hour or two just to be in another world. Plus, you are refreshed afterwards and ready to tackle anything.

Some authors have mixed feelings when it comes to their literary work just only being commodities. On one hand as readers themselves, it feels good to buy books at a bargain. However, they feel as if their work is taken for granted when the pay that comes from their books being sold at a cheaper rate is so little. If this trend continues, authors may not find writing as a profitable business anymore. Authors want people to pay a good price for their books in order for them to make a living. The problem is when you have to choose between a book that is only .99cents and one that is $15. Which one is the consumer liable to go with? For most, it will be the cheaper one. In their mind, no book is worth $15. You can go to various sites, and use the kindles to find some reasonably priced books. To help a good author out, just go and purchase a highest priced book. Support their hard work and artistry by buying something that is incredible to read.

Authors also need to understand that those wanting the valuable books that they have do not always have money to buy pricey books. So they would rather buy books that are affordable in order to obtain the knowledge they seek. I believe we can compromise and meet somewhere in the middle. The price of the book does not have to be too low for the value that we as consumers are getting are getting out of it, but the price does not have to be too high either.

So, to answer the question are books only a commodity? No, they are not. Yes, we need them and they are beneficial to our society. So it everything else that is essential to our life. Books are literature. They are the finest literature that we could ever pick up and indulge in. All of the knowledge that we take from them is valuable because it is useful. However, they are written for us to be able to live in our society with our thinking caps working and our imaginations soaring, not just to have for a cheap dollar amount. What is valuable or the commodity are the authors that take the time to put this knowledge on paper.