"لا مستقبل للكتب الإلكترونية لأنها ليست كتبًا"

The core idea here is that e-books, despite their similarities to traditional books, will never fully replace them because they lack the essential qualities that define what a book truly is. It's like saying, no matter how much an apple-flavored candy tastes like an apple, it will never be an actual apple.

This idea was probably expressed around the time when e-books first started gaining popularity, say the late 1990s or early 2000s. The person who said it might have been someone deeply rooted in the world of physical books—publishers, authors, or maybe even librarians. They were likely responding to the fear that e-books would make printed books obsolete. It’s like when digital cameras started becoming mainstream, and people worried that film photography was on its way out.

Now, let’s think about a real-life example. Imagine a cozy independent bookstore in your neighborhood. You walk in, and there's this unique smell of paper and ink. The shelves are lined with books of all shapes and sizes, some new, some old. You pick up a worn copy of "To Kill a Mockingbird," and you can see where previous readers have dog-eared their favorite pages and scribbled notes in the margins. This book has a history, a tangible presence that you can feel in your hands. An e-book, no matter how convenient, can’t replicate that experience.

So, how do you apply this wisdom in your life? Well, if you're passionate about preserving the essence of what makes books special, make an effort to support physical bookstores. Start a book club with friends and actually pass around a physical copy of the book you're reading. Savor the feel of the pages, the smell of the paper, and the shared experience of reading something you can hold in your hands.

Imagine you're in a coffee shop, and the person at the table next to you is engrossed in a thick paperback. You strike up a conversation, and they show you a passage that moved them. You both linger over the words, the feel of the book adding to the moment’s intimacy. This kind of connection is harder to forge over a screen where the text is fleeting and the device itself is a barrier.

In essence, there’s something about the physicality of books that creates a richer, more layered experience. The weight of a book, the texture of the pages, the scent of the paper—all these sensory elements combine to make reading more than just an act of consuming information. It becomes a full-bodied experience that e-books, for all their convenience, can't fully match.

So, next time you’re tempted to download a new release, consider buying the physical copy instead. Think about the joy of finding it on your shelf years later, the memories of where you were when you read it, the people you discussed it with. That’s something an e-book just can’t deliver.