Today I took delivery of a second-hand copy of The UNIX Programming
Environment. I had been looking for a copy for a while, but as is
often the case with these classic titles, they are becoming a little
expensive to obtain.
So, when I do spot them going cheaply I grab them. Not so long ago
I acquired a copy of The AWK Programming Language in much the same
way and from the same well known on-line source of pre-loved goodies.
## Why hard copy?
It's a welcome break to the eyes to look at real paper, under real
lighting conditions. E-ink is my second favoured medium and I am
still waiting for mainstream E-ink monitors. To me this will be a
real technology advancement, but I digress...
I can read this medium whether or not I have an internet connection,
electrical power or a computer or other device. I can also be sure
that it will remain unaltered and available as long as the physical
media exists.
As we know from the Amazon debacle, and others. When we purchase
non-physical media or stream we don't own it and depending on
cultural or political pressures it can be modified or disappear.
I can't help but think of Orwell's 1984 where history is rewritten
to align with the current narrative...
For this reason I have a reasonable physical library which I continue
to add to with what I consider useful classic books, CD media for
music and DVD media for movies and documentaries.
To the fellow who saw those O'Reilly books in the thrift shop, if
you read me. Maybe you should reconsider that AWK book?
