--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The problem with digital books is that…" description: "\"The problem with digital books is that you can always find what you are looking for but you need to go to a bookstore to find what you weren't looking ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4f4/paul-krugman-2255_book_the-problem-with-digital-books-is-that-y_2902386.png" --- # The problem with digital books is that you can always find… ![“The problem with digital books is that you can always find what you are looking for but you need to go to a bookstore to find what you weren't looking for.” quote by Paul Krugman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4f4/paul-krugman-2255_book_the-problem-with-digital-books-is-that-y_2902386.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4f4/paul-krugman-2255_book_the-problem-with-digital-books-is-that-y_2902386.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4f4/paul-krugman-2255_book_the-problem-with-digital-books-is-that-y_2902386.png) > “The problem with digital books is that you can always find what you are looking for but you need to go to a bookstore to find what you weren't looking for.” [Paul Krugman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-krugman/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Points out that digital books make searching easy, but physical bookstores offer unexpected discoveries. **In simple terms:** Digital search vs. serendipitous browsing. Key Takeaway Value both digital convenience and physical exploration. Themes technology reading serendipity consumer behavior Mood nostalgic analytical Type cultural economic When to use this quote - book buying habits - research methods - library visits Key Concepts digital libraries brick‑and‑mortar stores Questions to Reflect On - How do you balance digital and physical reading? - What value do you find in unexpected discoveries? A Different Perspective Digital may dominate market. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Book](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/book/) [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [Bookstores](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bookstores/) [Digital](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/digital/) [Problem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/problem/) [Technology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/technology/) [Writer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writer/) ## Related quotes > [This is the same problem I have with digital photography. The potential is always remarkable. But the medium never settles. Each year there is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alec-soth/this-is-the-same-problem-i-have-with-digital-photography-the/) [Alec Soth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alec-soth/) > [That's absolutely true, but one problem with the digital revolution, which may tie into what I said earlier, is that there can be a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-monahan/that-s-absolutely-true-but-one-problem-with-the-digital-revolution/) [William Monahan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-monahan/) > [Whether I'm at the office, at home, or on the road, I always have a stack of books I'm looking forward to reading.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-gates/whether-i-m-at-the-office-at-home-or-on-the-road-i-always-have-a/) [Bill Gates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-gates/) > [I have this weird obsession about buying books and looking at them with a smile, even if I won't read them soon. At least…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anais-nin/i-have-this-weird-obsession-about-buying-books-and-looking-at-them/) [Anais Nin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anais-nin/) > [“No, no, it's not the books you are looking for! Take it where you can find it, in old phonograph records, in old motion…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-bradbury/no-no-it-s-not-the-books-you-are-looking-for-take-it-where-you-can/) [Ray Bradbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-bradbury/) > [There will be birthdays in the next twelve months; books keep well; they're easy to wrap: buy those books now. Buy replacements for any…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roy-blount-jr/there-will-be-birthdays-in-the-next-twelve-months-books-keep-well/) [Roy Blount, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roy-blount-jr/) > [It is with the reading of books the same as with looking at pictures; one must, without doubt, without hesitations, with assurance, admire what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vincent-van-gogh/it-is-with-the-reading-of-books-the-same-as-with-looking-at-pictures/) [Vincent Van Gogh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vincent-van-gogh/) > [Naturally, everything depends on one's background books and on what one is looking for.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/umberto-eco/naturally-everything-depends-on-one-s-background-books-and-on-what/) [Umberto Eco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/umberto-eco/) > [“You're a hopeless romantic," said Faber. "It would be funny if it were not serious. It's not books you need, it's some of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-bradbury/you-re-a-hopeless-romantic-said-faber-it-would-be-funny-if-it-were/) [Ray Bradbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-bradbury/) > [Digital books and other texts are increasingly coming under the control of distributors and other gatekeepers rather than readers and libraries.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-zittrain/digital-books-and-other-texts-are-increasingly-coming-under-the/) [Jonathan Zittrain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-zittrain/) > [I occasionally read digital books when I'm traveling, but I do so begrudgingly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-romaniello/i-occasionally-read-digital-books-when-i-m-traveling-but-i-do-so/) [John Romaniello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-romaniello/) > [“Digital books, like television and other media, are best meant for those Pandoras who've already opened their boxes and know what demons to expect…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-merkoski/digital-books-like-television-and-other-media-are-best-meant-for/) [Jason Merkoski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-merkoski/) > [“Buy printed books because you save real thoughts of writers. Content of digital books can be changed easy if it is needed.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ekaterina-yakovina/buy-printed-books-because-you-save-real-thoughts-of-writers-content/) Ekaterina Yakovina > [“Digital books are in some ways hastening the lazy, solipsistic narcissism of our culture. We use our gadgets as proxies for other people and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-merkoski/digital-books-are-in-some-ways-hastening-the-lazy-solipsistic/) [Jason Merkoski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-merkoski/) > [I love digital books. And I actually started digital-first publishing back in 2005.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvia-day/i-love-digital-books-and-i-actually-started-digital-first-publishing/) [Sylvia Day](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvia-day/) ## More by Paul Krugman > [People who are complaining about the Fed are people who've been predicting runaway inflation for five and six years, and it hasn't happened.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-krugman/people-who-are-complaining-about-the-fed-are-people-who-ve-been/) [Paul Krugman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-krugman/) > [Surely I'm not the only person to ask the obvious question: How different, really, is Mr. Madoff's tale from the story of the investment…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-krugman/surely-i-m-not-the-only-person-to-ask-the-obvious-question-how/) [Paul Krugman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-krugman/) > [“The rich are different from you and me: they have more influence.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-krugman/the-rich-are-different-from-you-and-me-they-have-more-influence/) [Paul Krugman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-krugman/) > [“The Internet’s impact on the economy has been no greater than the fax machine’s….ten years from now, the phrase “information economy” will sound silly.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-krugman/the-internet-s-impact-on-the-economy-has-been-no-greater-than-the-fax/) [Paul Krugman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-krugman/) > [Not all private equity people are evil. Only some.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-krugman/not-all-private-equity-people-are-evil-only-some/) [Paul Krugman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-krugman/) > [You really have to go searching desperately to find any contemporary examples of good, old-fashioned runaway inflation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-krugman/you-really-have-to-go-searching-desperately-to-find-any-contemporary/) [Paul Krugman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-krugman/) > [However, the fact that an economist offers a theoretical analysis does not and should not automatically command respect. What is needed is some assurance…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-krugman/however-the-fact-that-an-economist-offers-a-theoretical-analysis-does/) [Paul Krugman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-krugman/) > [Politics determines who has the power, not who has the truth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-krugman/politics-determines-who-has-the-power-not-who-has-the-truth/) [Paul Krugman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-krugman/) > [The key reason executives are paid so much now is that they appoint the members of the corporate board that determines their compensation and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-krugman/the-key-reason-executives-are-paid-so-much-now-is-that-they-appoint/) [Paul Krugman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-krugman/) > [I've always believed in expansionary monetary policy and if necessary fiscal policy when the economy is depressed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-krugman/i-ve-always-believed-in-expansionary-monetary-policy-and-if-necessary/) [Paul Krugman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-krugman/) > [...academic credentials are neither a necessary nor a sufficient condition for having your ideas taken seriously. If a famous professor repeatedly says stupid things,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-krugman/academic-credentials-are-neither-a-necessary-nor-a-sufficient/) [Paul Krugman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-krugman/) > [It’s not about the budget; it’s about the power...So will the attack on unions succeed? I don’t know. But anyone who cares about retaining…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-krugman/it-s-not-about-the-budget-it-s-about-the-power-so-will-the-attack-on/) [Paul Krugman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-krugman/) > [When stock prices are rising, it's called ''momentum investing''; when they are falling, it's called ''panic.''](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-krugman/when-stock-prices-are-rising-it-s-called-momentum-investing-when-they/) [Paul Krugman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-krugman/) > [I don't want a job in the administration; I think I'm more effective carping from the sidelines.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-krugman/i-don-t-want-a-job-in-the-administration-i-think-i-m-more-effective/) [Paul Krugman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-krugman/) > [Under the gold standard America had no major financial panics other than in 1873, 1884, 1890, 1893, 1907, 1930, 1931, 1932, and 1933.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-krugman/under-the-gold-standard-america-had-no-major-financial-panics-other/) [Paul Krugman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-krugman/) [Explore all 175 Paul Krugman quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-krugman/) ## More Book 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/) > [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/) > [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/) > [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/) > [I don't think I have made as much of my life as I should have. I should have written more books.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-m-schlesinger-jr/i-don-t-think-i-have-made-as-much-of-my-life-as-i-should-have-i/) [Arthur M. Schlesinger, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-m-schlesinger-jr/) > [Some books are not read in the right way because they have skipped a stage of opinion, assume a crystallization of information in society…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doris-lessing/some-books-are-not-read-in-the-right-way-because-they-have-skipped-a/) [Doris Lessing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doris-lessing/) > [“People talk about books that write themselves, and it's a lie. Books don't write themselves. It takes thought and research and a backache and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/people-talk-about-books-that-write-themselves-and-it-s-a-lie-books/) [Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/) > [There are great books in this world and great worlds in books.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-bronte/there-are-great-books-in-this-world-and-great-worlds-in-books/) [Anne Bronte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-bronte/) > [The purpose of this book is to supply, in the form suitable for laymen, guidance in the adoption and execution of an investment policy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-graham/the-purpose-of-this-book-is-to-supply-in-the-form-suitable-for-laymen/) [Benjamin Graham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-graham/) > [But I think that of all the literature that I studied, the book that did more than any other to fire my enthusiasm was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kwame-nkrumah/but-i-think-that-of-all-the-literature-that-i-studied-the-book-that/) [Kwame Nkrumah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kwame-nkrumah/) > [It's amazing to see things that are suggested in the book fully developed and so brilliantly realized through the artistry of the designers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzanne-collins/it-s-amazing-to-see-things-that-are-suggested-in-the-book-fully/) [Suzanne Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzanne-collins/) > [“But I’ve developed a great reputation for wisdom by ordering more books than I ever had time to read, and reading more books, by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilynne-robinson/but-i-ve-developed-a-great-reputation-for-wisdom-by-ordering-more/) [Marilynne Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilynne-robinson/) [Browse all 29,378 Book quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/book/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The problem with digital books is that you can always find what you are looking for but you need to go to a bookstore to find what you weren't looking for.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Paul Krugman" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-krugman/the-problem-with-digital-books-is-that-you-can-always-find-what-you/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Book" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-krugman/the-problem-with-digital-books-is-that-you-can-always-find-what-you/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4f4/paul-krugman-2255_book_the-problem-with-digital-books-is-that-y_2902386.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4f4/paul-krugman-2255_book_the-problem-with-digital-books-is-that-y_2902386.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4f4/paul-krugman-2255_book_the-problem-with-digital-books-is-that-y_2902386.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The problem with digital books is that you can always find what you are looking for but you need to go to a…” — Paul Krugman", "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": "Paul Krugman", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-krugman/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "The problem with digital books is...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-krugman/the-problem-with-digital-books-is-that-you-can-always-find-what-you/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-krugman/the-problem-with-digital-books-is-that-you-can-always-find-what-you/#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 } } ] } ```