I've given up on reading books with the Kindle before even buying it. I actually bought it to read The Economist and The New York Times (via Calibre). The ability to carry a catalog of back issues, read without squinting at microscopic text and carry collections of literary classics for weeks on one full charge without other digital distractions is priceless. Having a rugged weather-resistant model would be awesome but it's definitely changed my life for the better. You just can't beat plain paper for some things, that's true. The Kindle is a whole different game though.