Iconic books are texts revered as objects of power rather than just as words of instruction, information, or insight. In religious and secular rituals around the globe, people carry, show, wave, touch and kiss books and other texts, as well as read them. This blog chronicles such events and activities. (For more about iconic books, see the links to the Iconic Books Project at left.)

Friday, February 12, 2010

Magic Devices

I had to add this note in the ever-evolving world of "reading devices" (the new, inclusive name for books, kindles, e-books, etc). On the day Apple finally released the news of the iPad, veiled in expectant secrecy as ever, their tagline told of "... a magical and revolutionary device..."
As I recall, the revelation of the iPhone labeled it "revolutionary," but not "magic." Now we've got magic as well. Do they know how right they are in the evocation of magic, and the fetish? And how the political, religious, and commercial are so intertwined? Methinks they do.

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