Intellectually, we know that the reach of the internet is vast. Anyone with access to a smartphone can conjure up information instantly about the most esoteric of subjects. Today, the world’s knowledge fits in our pockets.
Emotionally, however, we remain wedded to the physical book, as the crowds flocking to the world's biggest book sale in Dubai this week testify. No amount of digital ingenuity or convenience can ever hope to outshine the evocative magic of a book. The simple act of holding one and smelling the musk of ink and paper is to connect organically with the subject matter and the author – even the tree from which it was wrought.
The print process has been virtually unchanged since, as history has it, Johannes Gutenberg created the first book in the 15th century. Words, in whatever language we read them, are merely the latest iteration of the gift of writing, given to the world more than 5,500 years ago by the Sumerians of ancient Mesopotamia.
Any book, from the humblest pre-school primer to the greatest masterpiece of literature, is a tangible manifestation of the uniquely human compulsion to seek, record and communicate knowledge.
To assemble millions of such magical emissaries in one place, as the Big Bad Wolf pop-up book sale is doing this week in Dubai Studio City, is to make reading delightfully and serendipitously accessible in a way that even the largest bookshop cannot hope to match.
The sale is welcome evidence that the book continues to hold its own. In fact, last year publishers across the world enjoyed record sales, driven largely by an unexpected increase in the sale of hardback books. In the Mena region, where governments are investing increasingly in education and Arabic learning tools, more than 10 million people have attended book fairs this year alone, in cities from Dubai, Riyadh and Bahrain to Baghdad, Casablanca and Alexandria. More than two million are expected to pour through the doors of Sharjah International Book Fair alone later this month.
Books connect us to the world and offer a window into the human condition. Pick one up today. It could change your world.
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League, last 16, first leg
Liverpool v Bayern Munich, midnight (Wednesday), BeIN Sports
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Ads on social media can 'normalise' drugs
A UK report on youth social media habits commissioned by advocacy group Volteface found a quarter of young people were exposed to illegal drug dealers on social media.
The poll of 2,006 people aged 16-24 assessed their exposure to drug dealers online in a nationally representative survey.
Of those admitting to seeing drugs for sale online, 56 per cent saw them advertised on Snapchat, 55 per cent on Instagram and 47 per cent on Facebook.
Cannabis was the drug most pushed by online dealers, with 63 per cent of survey respondents claiming to have seen adverts on social media for the drug, followed by cocaine (26 per cent) and MDMA/ecstasy, with 24 per cent of people.
Sweet%20Tooth
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If you go
Where to stay: Courtyard by Marriott Titusville Kennedy Space Centre has unparalleled views of the Indian River. Alligators can be spotted from hotel room balconies, as can several rocket launch sites. The hotel also boasts cool space-themed decor.
When to go: Florida is best experienced during the winter months, from November to May, before the humidity kicks in.
How to get there: Emirates currently flies from Dubai to Orlando five times a week.
COMPANY PROFILE
Founders: Alhaan Ahmed, Alyina Ahmed and Maximo Tettamanzi
Total funding: Self funded
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Business Insights
- Canada and Mexico are significant energy suppliers to the US, providing the majority of oil and natural gas imports
- The introduction of tariffs could hinder the US's clean energy initiatives by raising input costs for materials like nickel
- US domestic suppliers might benefit from higher prices, but overall oil consumption is expected to decrease due to elevated costs
The%20specs
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
The years Ramadan fell in May
Brolliology: A History of the Umbrella in Life and Literature
By Marion Rankine
Melville House
Places to go for free coffee
- Cherish Cafe Dubai, Dubai Investment Park, are giving away free coffees all day.
- La Terrace, Four Points by Sheraton Bur Dubai, are serving their first 50 guests one coffee and four bite-sized cakes
- Wild & The Moon will be giving away a free espresso with every purchase on International Coffee Day
- Orange Wheels welcome parents are to sit, relax and enjoy goodies at ‘Café O’ along with a free coffee
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
%E2%80%98FSO%20Safer%E2%80%99%20-%20a%20ticking%20bomb
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MATCH INFO
Who: France v Italy
When: Friday, 11pm (UAE)
TV: BeIN Sports
