When I opened a box, I found inside something made of metal, somewhat like our clocks, full of an endless number of little springs and tiny machines. It was indeed a book, but it was a miraculous one that had no pages or printed letters. It was a book to be read not with eyes but with ears. When anyone wants to read, he winds up the machine with a large number of keys of all kinds. Then he turns the indicator to the chapter he wants to listen to. As though from the mouth of a person or a musical instrument come all the distinct and different sounds that the upper-class Moon-beings use in their language.

When I thought about this marvelous way of making books, I was no longer surprised that the young people of that country know more at the age of sixteen or eighteen than the greybeards of our world. They can read as soon as they can talk and are never at a loss for reading material. In their rooms, on walks, in town, during voyages, on foot or on horseback, they can have thirty books in their pockets or hanging on the pommels of their saddles. They need only wind a spring to hear one or more chapters or a whole book, if they wish. Thus you always have with you all the great men, both living and dead, who speak to you in their own voices.

The gifts occupied me for more than an hour. Finally I attached the books to my ears as pendants and went for a walk in town

thus making it a very early podcast/ipod/walkman.

kevinjwoods

thedarkharlequin

Defendant

Killa_Charlie

Vlad1v0st0K

Valicious

comp_wiz101

youngfiles

qbrad

DSTRYA

Comes in two colors: black and white, integrated graphics (a sheet of paper). Boom! Sooo much better than a Microsoft fountain pen! Next: check out the iWaxCilinder! Up to ten seconds of eerie singing! Boom again!

str88f

Jango

Lynn Peril

Grey_Area

DSTRYA

92BuickLeSabre

bitgod