E-book as a modern cultural phenomenon

The article is devoted to comparative analysis of two forms of modern books - print and electronic, mostly from the viewpoint of design. The following parameters of comparison are examined: page and page turn; the reader’s movement in the book; the flatness and depth; the book block; the individual shape of the book; text; illustration; tactile sensations; reliability of storing information; advantages and disadvantages of both forms of the book. One of the main distinguishing features of the e-book is the replacement of the book turn by the page, which entails a change in the perception of the text and illustrations. Advantages of the e-books compared to printed are almost exclusively utilitarian in nature and are associated with greater information capacity and ease of use. The main disadvantages of the e-books are reduced to the loss of individual artistic appearance and the loss of the right to be called art. Moreover, the reliability of printed books in respect of the electronic ones in case of "technological collapse" or technology upgrading, making it impossible to appeal to legacy software, is approved. The paper ends by outlining the author''s view on prospects for the development of electronic and print books.