I used to take the train from Long Island to NYC. For nearly eight years it was like riding the rails with the New York Times bestseller list. I remember the year John Grisham hit big with The Firm. Half the train had a copy. I recall how women couldn’t put down The Bridges of Madison County. I shared a laugh when I saw someone else reading Howard Stern’s Private Parts.

This doesn’t happen with e-readers. I see this as a huge loss for authors and publishers. A book’s jacket is the biggest opportunity it has to advertise itself. It gives us license to ask a complete stranger, “How is that book?” You can’t do that with an e-reader. You wouldn’t be as comfortable blindly asking someone what book they’re reading on their tablet. I know devices like Kindle Fire are awesome and enable us to recommend books with our social networks. But I’m really going to miss the day when you can judge a book’s popularity by its cover. – Glen