Our society has become so fast paced that it seems we are looking for the fastest way to do everything. We have drive thru for many services, such as banking, dry cleaning, take out foods, and our morning coffee to name a few. We have fast foods, convenience foods and foods that are sold in the grocery store for fast preparation. We can pay our bills online to save time and we can also shop online to save time. We have cell phones with text messaging so we do not have to take the time for a conversation and emails to take the place of writing letters or talking on the phone. I am not sure why we are in such a hurry or what is being done with all the time we are saving using these conveniences. There are times when I think that I was born in the wrong era. I still enjoy slow cooked meals, writing letters and reading the long versions of books. I still seem to have time to complete the rest of the tasks that life throws at me.
I make a point of reading best seller books as often as I can. I have found that you need to be careful in buying books to make sure that you get the full version that the author wrote. I did not realize this until recently. I had finished a book by an author that is often on the best seller list. At the back of the book was the first chapter of his newest book that was to be on the market in a few months. When the paperback version came out I purchased it. It was on the rack with other best seller books at a well known discount store. I purchased the book and began to read it. The first chapter was different than I remembered reading in the back of the other novel. It had fewer details and was shorter. I dug out the other book and compared. I had no idea that paperback versions of some books are condensed, especially if they are purchased at discount stores. I was told this by the owner of a book store. He said that is why you should buy your best seller books from a book store rather than a discount store. I had assumed that the prices where less at discount stores because of the volume of sales, rather than the fact that you are getting a condensed version of the book.
I mentioned this to the local librarian. She told me that this is why the library sells donated paperbacks, rather than lending them. They want the best seller books that they lend to be the full versions that the authors intended to sell. She said that many people like the condensed version because they are faster to read. Again wanting to do everything fast has even effected a quiet pass time.
