--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: There is something unique about the size…" description: "\"“There is something unique about the size, and shape, and feel of a real physical book, and there is a real discovery about running your eye along a li..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d17/alexei-panshin-24622_books_there-is-something-unique-about-the-size_812282.png" --- # There is something unique about the size, and shape, and… ![“There is something unique about the size, and shape, and feel of a real physical book, and there is a real discovery about running your eye along a line of books and picking one out because it somehow LOOKS right.” quote by Alexei Panshin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d17/alexei-panshin-24622_books_there-is-something-unique-about-the-size_812282.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d17/alexei-panshin-24622_books_there-is-something-unique-about-the-size_812282.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d17/alexei-panshin-24622_books_there-is-something-unique-about-the-size_812282.png) > ““There is something unique about the size, and shape, and feel of a real physical book, and there is a real discovery about running your eye along a line of books and picking one out because it somehow LOOKS right.”” [Alexei Panshin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexei-panshin/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Physical books engage multiple senses, making selection a tactile, intuitive experience. **In simple terms:** Real books feel unique and guide choices. Key Takeaway Value the sensory experience of books. Themes sensory intuition reading choice Mood nostalgic reflective Type observational descriptive When to use this quote - library browsing - bookstore shopping - gift selection Key Concepts embodied cognition aesthetic experience Questions to Reflect On - How does touch influence your reading preferences? - Can digital formats replicate this feeling? A Different Perspective Online reading lacks tactile feedback. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [Writer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writer/) ## Related quotes > [The real discovery is the one which enables me to stop doing philosophy when I want to. The one that gives philosophy peace, so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ludwig-wittgenstein/the-real-discovery-is-the-one-which-enables-me-to-stop-doing/) [Ludwig Wittgenstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ludwig-wittgenstein/) > [The real discovery of having your consciousness raised was never that you'd be handed tools; it was the discovery that the only real leverage…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-dean/the-real-discovery-of-having-your-consciousness-raised-was-never-that/) [Michelle Dean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-dean/) > [The book has very specific qualities. Let's say in 2300 they discover the physical book, after having lived with the digital book for several…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/art-spiegelman/the-book-has-very-specific-qualities-let-s-say-in-2300-they-discover/) [Art Spiegelman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/art-spiegelman/) > [An e-book is not a physical book. That point might seem trite until you stop for a moment to think how much simpler it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-konnikova/an-e-book-is-not-a-physical-book-that-point-might-seem-trite-until/) [Maria Konnikova](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-konnikova/) > [A book, being a physical object, engenders a certain respect that zipping electrons cannot. Because you cannot turn a book off, because you have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mo-willems/a-book-being-a-physical-object-engenders-a-certain-respect-that/) [Mo Willems](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mo-willems/) > [I don't know what will happen to the physical book and what it will mean for authors. I worry whether it will mean people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edwidge-danticat/i-don-t-know-what-will-happen-to-the-physical-book-and-what-it-will/) [Edwidge Danticat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edwidge-danticat/) > [Motion comics take the underlying physical book material and enhance or modify it slightly enough to make it unique and, we think, best-suited for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-nelson/motion-comics-take-the-underlying-physical-book-material-and-enhance/) [Diane Nelson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diane-nelson/) > [The technology that threatens to kill off books as we know them - the 'physical book,' a new phrase in our language - is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/art-spiegelman/the-technology-that-threatens-to-kill-off-books-as-we-know-them-the/) [Art Spiegelman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/art-spiegelman/) > [“I think it's because when you hold a book you're also holding a tree in one form or another, and that direct connection lets…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ali-smith/i-think-it-s-because-when-you-hold-a-book-you-re-also-holding-a-tree/) [Ali Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ali-smith/) > [“I guess you can call me "old fashioned". I prefer the book with the pages that you can actually turn. Sure, I may have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/felicia-johnson/i-guess-you-can-call-me-old-fashioned-i-prefer-the-book-with-the/) Felicia Johnson > [I very much love a physical book myself. I think people who have had this experience of also seeing a book come together, from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edwidge-danticat/i-very-much-love-a-physical-book-myself-i-think-people-who-have-had/) [Edwidge Danticat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edwidge-danticat/) > [I do not believe that all books will or should migrate onto screens: as Douglas Adams once pointed out to me, more than 20…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/i-do-not-believe-that-all-books-will-or-should-migrate-onto-screens-2/) [Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/) > [“I do not believe that all books will or should migrate onto screens: as Douglas Adams once pointed out to me, more than 20…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/i-do-not-believe-that-all-books-will-or-should-migrate-onto-screens/) [Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/) > [I don't read online... I need a physical book in my hand.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barun-sobti/i-don-t-read-online-i-need-a-physical-book-in-my-hand/) [Barun Sobti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barun-sobti/) > [“I feel that the characters in my book, if they were real, would be like, "Seriously, another plot twist?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kaya-carvajal/i-feel-that-the-characters-in-my-book-if-they-were-real-would-be-like/) [Kaya Carvajal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kaya-carvajal/) ## More by Alexei Panshin > [“Night is irregular. What is not done in the daytime becomes possible at night: murder and sex and thought. Simple men are driven to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexei-panshin/night-is-irregular-what-is-not-done-in-the-daytime-becomes-possible/) [Alexei Panshin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexei-panshin/) > [This is what makes science so hard, and ultimately so fun. Think of the limits of what we know as a great suite of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexei-panshin/this-is-what-makes-science-so-hard-and-ultimately-so-fun-think-of-the/) [Alexei Panshin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexei-panshin/) > [You can't stamp on people and not get hurt in return.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexei-panshin/you-can-t-stamp-on-people-and-not-get-hurt-in-return/) [Alexei Panshin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexei-panshin/) > [There's no reason to trade insults. We have our way of life and they have theirs. I wouldn't live as they do, but disrespect…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexei-panshin/there-s-no-reason-to-trade-insults-we-have-our-way-of-life-and-they/) [Alexei Panshin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexei-panshin/) > [I finished by saying that it struck me that all the ethical systems I was discussing were after the fact. That is, that people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexei-panshin/i-finished-by-saying-that-it-struck-me-that-all-the-ethical-systems-i/) [Alexei Panshin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexei-panshin/) > [Brains are no good if you don't use them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexei-panshin/brains-are-no-good-if-you-don-t-use-them/) [Alexei Panshin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexei-panshin/) > [“If you read Rite of Passage and enjoy yourself, I couldn't be more pleased. I hope it gets you of. On the other hand,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexei-panshin/if-you-read-rite-of-passage-and-enjoy-yourself-i-couldn-t-be-more/) [Alexei Panshin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexei-panshin/) > [“A book isn't a single, static thing with one unarguable meaning. Each reader who comes to it brings his own special knowledge, habits and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexei-panshin/a-book-isn-t-a-single-static-thing-with-one-unarguable-meaning-each/) [Alexei Panshin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexei-panshin/) > [“I want to make it clear before we begin that I think your purpose is to learn and mine is to help you to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexei-panshin/i-want-to-make-it-clear-before-we-begin-that-i-think-your-purpose-is/) [Alexei Panshin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexei-panshin/) > [Some people get a feeling of power from being unpleasant.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexei-panshin/some-people-get-a-feeling-of-power-from-being-unpleasant/) [Alexei Panshin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexei-panshin/) > [If I had the opportunity, I would make the proposal that no man should be killed except by somebody who knows him well enough…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexei-panshin/if-i-had-the-opportunity-i-would-make-the-proposal-that-no-man-should/) [Alexei Panshin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexei-panshin/) > [Maturity is the ability to sort the portions of truth from the accepted lies and self-deceptions that you have grown up with.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexei-panshin/maturity-is-the-ability-to-sort-the-portions-of-truth-from-the/) [Alexei Panshin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexei-panshin/) > [“I don't like the idea of people who don't sing to themselves when they're all alone. They're too sober for me. At least hum--…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexei-panshin/i-don-t-like-the-idea-of-people-who-don-t-sing-to-themselves-when/) [Alexei Panshin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexei-panshin/) > [“Classics aren't books that are read for pleasure. Classics are books that are imposed on unwilling students, books that are subjected to analyses of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexei-panshin/classics-aren-t-books-that-are-read-for-pleasure-classics-are-books/) [Alexei Panshin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexei-panshin/) > [Population pressure is the ultimate cause of every war.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexei-panshin/population-pressure-is-the-ultimate-cause-of-every-war/) [Alexei Panshin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexei-panshin/) [Explore all 24 Alexei Panshin quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexei-panshin/) ## More Books quotes > [I think a new world will arise out of the religious mists when we approach our Bible with the idea that it is not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aiden-wilson-tozer/i-think-a-new-world-will-arise-out-of-the-religious-mists-when-we/) [Aiden Wilson Tozer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aiden-wilson-tozer/) > [If I had a dollar for every time I couldn’t sleep, I could buy a billion locks and finally read a book in peace.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aesop-rock/if-i-had-a-dollar-for-every-time-i-couldn-t-sleep-i-could-buy-a/) [Aesop Rock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aesop-rock/) > [If what I write is literature, I guess you'd better emphasize the 'litter.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lydia-lunch/if-what-i-write-is-literature-i-guess-you-d-better-emphasize-the/) [Lydia Lunch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lydia-lunch/) > [My sentences got sharper and my stories more efficient, and I gradually learned to imagine the reader more clearly and to empathize with that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-thompson-walker/my-sentences-got-sharper-and-my-stories-more-efficient-and-i/) [Karen Thompson Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-thompson-walker/) > [Young men, especially in America, write to me and ask me to recommend “a course of reading.” Distrust a course of reading! People who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-lang/young-men-especially-in-america-write-to-me-and-ask-me-to-recommend-a/) [Andrew Lang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-lang/) > [“Within the pages of books, I've journeyed to Mandalay, the Milky Way and Santa Fe, without once having to leave my armchair.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-ansbro/within-the-pages-of-books-i-ve-journeyed-to-mandalay-the-milky-way/) [Kevin Ansbro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-ansbro/) > [The Rosary is the book of the blind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fulton-j-sheen/the-rosary-is-the-book-of-the-blind/) [Fulton J. Sheen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fulton-j-sheen/) > [“Tacitus did not write a most dangerous book. His readers made it so.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-k-krebs/tacitus-did-not-write-a-most-dangerous-book-his-readers-made-it-so/) Christopher K. Krebs > [“Take some books and read; that’s an immense help; and books are always good company if you have the right sort.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louisa-may-alcott/take-some-books-and-read-that-s-an-immense-help-and-books-are-always/) [Louisa May Alcott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louisa-may-alcott/) > [Reader, if you are gifted with nerves like mine, aspire to any character but that of a wit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-lamb/reader-if-you-are-gifted-with-nerves-like-mine-aspire-to-any/) [Charles Lamb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-lamb/) > [I have many who keep me going, I am very fortunate in this sense. There is nothing like a child who knows more about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/floyd-cooper/i-have-many-who-keep-me-going-i-am-very-fortunate-in-this-sense-there/) [Floyd Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/floyd-cooper/) > [I think books in which people are really happy and things are going well are probably the most challenging novels there are to write,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-quindlen/i-think-books-in-which-people-are-really-happy-and-things-are-going/) [Anna Quindlen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-quindlen/) > [It's like the query letter problem that I just mentioned, magnified a hundredfold. You might be good at telling a story, but that doesn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-rothfuss/it-s-like-the-query-letter-problem-that-i-just-mentioned-magnified-a/) [Patrick Rothfuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-rothfuss/) > [“Be careful about reading health books. Some fine day you'll die of a misprint.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/markus-herz/be-careful-about-reading-health-books-some-fine-day-you-ll-die-of-a/) Markus Herz > [But editors are still the world's readers. And thus the eyes of the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/betsy-lerner/but-editors-are-still-the-world-s-readers-and-thus-the-eyes-of-the/) [Betsy Lerner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/betsy-lerner/) [Browse all 59,485 Books quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“There is something unique about the size, and shape, and feel of a real physical book, and there is a real discovery about running your eye along a line of books and picking one out because it somehow LOOKS right.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Alexei Panshin" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexei-panshin/there-is-something-unique-about-the-size-and-shape-and-feel-of-a-real/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Books" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexei-panshin/there-is-something-unique-about-the-size-and-shape-and-feel-of-a-real/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d17/alexei-panshin-24622_books_there-is-something-unique-about-the-size_812282.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d17/alexei-panshin-24622_books_there-is-something-unique-about-the-size_812282.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d17/alexei-panshin-24622_books_there-is-something-unique-about-the-size_812282.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“There is something unique about the size, and shape, and feel of a real physical book, and there is a real…” — Alexei Panshin", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Alexei Panshin", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexei-panshin/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“There is something unique about the...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexei-panshin/there-is-something-unique-about-the-size-and-shape-and-feel-of-a-real/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexei-panshin/there-is-something-unique-about-the-size-and-shape-and-feel-of-a-real/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```