Espresso Book Machine
Few things can get me as excited as a new application of technology. This time I'm excited about the Espresso Book Machine.
The new machine as a technological innovation promises to revolutionize how we buy books. It allows printing and binding a single copy of a book at the point of demand without human interactions. Buying a book will eventually be very similar to getting cash from an ATM. You choose a title, insert a credit card to pay for the book -- and walk away with the finished book a few minutes later. On a global scale this would eliminate shipping and warehousing costs for books (thereby also eliminating returns and pulping of unsold books) and allow simultaneous global availability of new books. POD offers the opportunity to deliver development knowledge and content to students, practitioners, media, and simply interested individuals in a way they could not be reached before.
That's incredible. Any book, any time you want it. Walk into a bookstore, walk out with any book you want. If these become widespread, you won't have to wonder whether or not a book is in stock -- or even whether it's still in print. These are even better for the developing world. Put these machines in cities and towns, and allow people to buy whatever books interest them. No international shipping, no worries about what to stock and what not to stock.
This is fantastic. I love it. I think it will have a huge impact on knowledge and education.
(hat tip: Truck and Barter)
[tags]publishing, world bank, books[/tags]
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