A strong argument for why reading literature in book form is so important, exactly at the time when readers are abandoning books for newer modes and technologies (Kindle, electronic downloads, etc.)--or, sadly, not reading at all. Birkerts also makes a compelling case for solitary contemplation, facilitated through books, in an age where everything is becoming connected on all fronts. The reader can tell Birkerts is partially in awe of the new technologies, but mostly heartbroken as he realizes how the culture has shifted seismically away from his beloved books over the past quarter-century. If we avoid the traps Birkerts warns against, "The Gutenberg Elegies" just may become a modern classic, a "Walden" for the readers of this century.