Every week, we find two people with opposing (or at least different) views on a topic to discuss the day's big (and small) issues. This week, we're asking two of The National's biggest bookworms whether its better to read on a Kindle or stick to the printed page.
Rupert Hawksley: I sometimes see people reading a Kindle on the bus or plane and feel immensely sad for them. Before they even opened the first page, they had missed out on so many of the joys of reading – browsing in bookshops, the smell of the new pages, the beautiful cover designs. I'm sorry, but you simply cannot package all of that up in a little black rectangle.
Emma Day: I used to feel the same, and even gave a little (inaudible) groan of incredibly ungrateful disappointment when I unwrapped a Kindle on Christmas Day in 2015. But then, on my first long-haul trip from New Zealand to the UK that summer, one very clear fact swayed my mind – you can carry more titles in that little black rectangle than you ever can on your person. That Kindle saved me on 45+ hours of travelling, where I raced through two novels alone. And gone are the days where my holiday suitcase is weighed down by 10 paperbacks.
RH: You obviously need to develop a better 'wow-thank-you-so-much' face.
ED: Absolutely, I was a horribly selfish gift receiver that year
RH: That 45-hour journey to New Zealand is probably one of the longest you've done, though, and you only really needed two novels. I'm sure you could have managed to carry them. Or was it the complete works of James Joyce and Marcel Proust?
ED: Well, there was a necessary amount of sleeping done within those hours. But the beauty of a Kindle is that, should I have needed more than those two novels, I have an entire bookshop at my fingertips. Now, I hasten to add that I see a Kindle as a tool that can supplement a collection of musty-smelling paperbacks that I still pick up on a regular basis. Do you not think it a worthwhile extension to your library?
RH: I can understand the logic but can it ever really be a supplementary tool? Once you can buy all the books you could ever need from the comfort of your sofa, why would you ever venture out? This is what technology does. It promises freedom and then takes it away. Do you feel excited when you order a new book on the Kindle? Because going to a bookshop remains one of my favourite things to do.
ED: I don't disagree, and it definitely doesn't match the mystique and promise of a physical store, with its smells and stacked shelves and hushed whispers. I do feel guilty that I'm contributing to the death of the bookshop; I still frequent them as often as I did pre-Kindle, but now I buy around 60 per cent of my reads on the device. However, the Kindle store is remarkably cheaper, and one could also argue it's more environmentally responsible to go digital.
RH: The environmental argument is persuasive and I would urge publishers to think of ways of making their industry more sustainable. The fact that something is cheaper, though, doesn't necessarily mean it's the right option to go with. I would rather spend a bit more and support bookshops, rather than one of the richest companies in the world. Besides, are e-books really that much cheaper? I did a bit of research on Amazon and the new short story collection by Zadie Smith, for example, is about 50 dirhams, while the hardback is about 54 dirhams. Not much in it and you get a lovely book for your shelf.
ED: Perhaps it's because I use the UK storefront, but you can get a lot of books for around £1 (Dh4.7). As much as one wants to support independent sellers, for families on a tight budget, who may not have easy access to libraries or secondhand bookshops, I do think it's good that there are more cost-effective options out there.
RH: OK, I'm going to have one more go at convincing you. A bookshelf tells the story of your life. It's all there: what you were reading on this holiday or when you were in love with that person. There is something so clinical about the Kindle, which erases these stories. One thing I have heard, though, is that you can read
more quickly on a Kindle. Have you found this?
ED: I'll grant you that, I do miss having my life in books in my home, as a sort of paper comfort blanket. But I just got so frustrated with paying to ship them around the world as I moved from city to city. I digress … I don't think it's made me read much more quickly, but I do find the way it tells you how you're tracking, in percentages, quite motivating. Have you ever tried one out?
RH: Er … no.
ED: Well then, isn't it about high time you gave it a try, just to see if the grass is greener?
RH: Back to the books for me then.
What can victims do?
Always use only regulated platforms
Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion
Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)
Report to local authorities
Warn others to prevent further harm
Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence
THE BIO
Ms Davison came to Dubai from Kerala after her marriage in 1996 when she was 21-years-old
Since 2001, Ms Davison has worked at many affordable schools such as Our Own English High School in Sharjah, and The Apple International School and Amled School in Dubai
Favourite Book: The Alchemist
Favourite quote: Failing to prepare is preparing to fail
Favourite place to Travel to: Vienna
Favourite cuisine: Italian food
Favourite Movie : Scent of a Woman
Cricket World Cup League 2
UAE results
Lost to Oman by eight runs
Beat Namibia by three wickets
Lost to Oman by 12 runs
Beat Namibia by 43 runs
UAE fixtures
Free admission. All fixtures broadcast live on icc.tv
Tuesday March 15, v PNG at Sharjah Cricket Stadium
Friday March 18, v Nepal at Dubai International Stadium
Saturday March 19, v PNG at Dubai International Stadium
Monday March 21, v Nepal at Dubai International Stadium
War
Director: Siddharth Anand
Cast: Hrithik Roshan, Tiger Shroff, Ashutosh Rana, Vaani Kapoor
Rating: Two out of five stars
If you go
The flights
Emirates flies from Dubai to Funchal via Lisbon, with a connecting flight with Air Portugal. Economy class returns cost from Dh3,845 return including taxes.
The trip
The WalkMe app can be downloaded from the usual sources. If you don’t fancy doing the trip yourself, then Explore offers an eight-day levada trails tour from Dh3,050, not including flights.
The hotel
There isn’t another hotel anywhere in Madeira that matches the history and luxury of the Belmond Reid's Palace in Funchal. Doubles from Dh1,400 per night including taxes.
THE BIO
Family: I have three siblings, one older brother (age 25) and two younger sisters, 20 and 13
Favourite book: Asking for my favourite book has to be one of the hardest questions. However a current favourite would be Sidewalk by Mitchell Duneier
Favourite place to travel to: Any walkable city. I also love nature and wildlife
What do you love eating or cooking: I’m constantly in the kitchen. Ever since I changed the way I eat I enjoy choosing and creating what goes into my body. However, nothing can top home cooked food from my parents.
Favorite place to go in the UAE: A quiet beach.
Global state-owned investor ranking by size
1.
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United States
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2.
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China
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3.
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UAE
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4.
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Japan
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5
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Norway
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6.
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Canada
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7.
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Singapore
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8.
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Australia
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9.
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Saudi Arabia
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10.
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South Korea
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Mental%20health%20support%20in%20the%20UAE
%3Cp%3E%E2%97%8F%20Estijaba%20helpline%3A%208001717%3Cbr%3E%E2%97%8F%20UAE%20Ministry%20of%20Health%20and%20Prevention%20hotline%3A%20045192519%3Cbr%3E%E2%97%8F%20UAE%20Mental%20health%20support%20line%3A%20800%204673%20(Hope)%3Cbr%3EMore%20information%20at%20hope.hw.gov.ae%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
ELIO
Starring: Yonas Kibreab, Zoe Saldana, Brad Garrett
Directors: Madeline Sharafian, Domee Shi, Adrian Molina
Rating: 4/5
Company profile
Name: Fruitful Day
Founders: Marie-Christine Luijckx, Lyla Dalal AlRawi, Lindsey Fournie
Based: Dubai, UAE
Founded: 2015
Number of employees: 30
Sector: F&B
Funding so far: Dh3 million
Future funding plans: None at present
Future markets: Saudi Arabia, potentially Kuwait and other GCC countries
U19 WORLD CUP, WEST INDIES
UAE group fixtures (all in St Kitts)
Saturday 15 January: v Canada
Thursday 20 January: v England
Saturday 22 January: v Bangladesh
UAE squad
Alishan Sharafu (captain), Shival Bawa, Jash Giyanani, Sailles Jaishankar, Nilansh Keswani, Aayan Khan, Punya Mehra, Ali Naseer, Ronak Panoly, Dhruv Parashar, Vinayak Raghavan, Soorya Sathish, Aryansh Sharma, Adithya Shetty, Kai Smith
Four-day collections of TOH
Day Indian Rs (Dh)
Thursday 500.75 million (25.23m)
Friday 280.25m (14.12m)
Saturday 220.75m (11.21m)
Sunday 170.25m (8.58m)
Total 1.19bn (59.15m)
(Figures in millions, approximate)
How England have scored their set-piece goals in Russia
Three Penalties
v Panama, Group Stage (Harry Kane)
v Panama, Group Stage (Kane)
v Colombia, Last 16 (Kane)
Four Corners
v Tunisia, Group Stage (Kane, via John Stones header, from Ashley Young corner)
v Tunisia, Group Stage (Kane, via Harry Maguire header, from Kieran Trippier corner)
v Panama, Group Stage (Stones, header, from Trippier corner)
v Sweden, Quarter-Final (Maguire, header, from Young corner)
One Free-Kick
v Panama, Group Stage (Stones, via Jordan Henderson, Kane header, and Raheem Sterling, from Tripper free-kick)
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: HyperSpace
Started: 2020
Founders: Alexander Heller, Rama Allen and Desi Gonzalez
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Entertainment
Number of staff: 210
Investment raised: $75 million from investors including Galaxy Interactive, Riyadh Season, Sega Ventures and Apis Venture Partners
What is Genes in Space?
Genes in Space is an annual competition first launched by the UAE Space Agency, The National and Boeing in 2015.
It challenges school pupils to design experiments to be conducted in space and it aims to encourage future talent for the UAE’s fledgling space industry. It is the first of its kind in the UAE and, as well as encouraging talent, it also aims to raise interest and awareness among the general population about space exploration.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets