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Sick Books

Double printed books for reading while sick and lying down.
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I find that when I'm sick in bed and want to read, it is much easier to lie on your side than anything other way. Unfortunately, the whole page turning aspect makes 50% of your reading awkward. The left side of the book is easier to read when on your right side, and vice versus.

I propose making double printed books that have the same content on either side of the page. Yes, this would in effect double the thickness of the book, but one could easily limit the number of books reprinted in this manner by looking at the market niche. No one reads French existentialists when sick and any book with more than 500 pages would be unliftable by someone with Strep throat when the book doubles in size. Also, Bob Barker's autobiography would be redundant based upon the tried and true home cold remedy of watching The Price is Right.

machaus, Nov 08 2002

sappho's idea for reading in the sunshine http://www.halfbake...k_20rest_20sunshade
what sunshine? sappho. [po, Oct 04 2004]

Just use one of these... http://www.bookholder.com/
[egnor, Oct 04 2004]

Randall Munroe (of xkcd fame)'s Kindle-in-bed device http://blog.xkcd.co...ursuit-of-laziness/
Mentioned in my anno. Looks reversible. [notexactly, Mar 30 2016]

[link]






       Lying on my side is my favorite stance for reading. (I have a cold right now, but it hasn't laid me flat yet.) While I agree that large hardback books are cumbersome, surely paperbacks are light enough so as not to present a problem, even in your debilitated state?
DrCurry, Nov 08 2002
  

       machaus, you have identified a genuine problem, and for that I salute you. Although I think there might be a solution to this, along the head-mounted book-stand lines, somewhere?
General Washington, Nov 08 2002
  

       Maybe this is a common thing. My bed (futon) is only inches off the ground, so when not feeling up to supporting the book I simply put it on the floor beside the bed and hang my head slightly off the pillow. What you really need is some sort of bedside stand designed to support the book at an angle.
rbl, Nov 08 2002
  

       Can you not let your hands overhang the edge of the bed so that both pages can be held vertically? Just be careful not to drop it into your sick bucket.
sild, Nov 08 2002
  

       [GW] I agree with everything you say and was about to annotate with practically the same text as you till I read your anno. This problems been bugging me for 12 years now. Maybe reorient the printing through 90 degrees. Have the 'top' of each page as the left hand edge of the left page. So the book could stand, open to about 110 degrees with little clips holding the pages in the right place. Does this make sence?
Zircon, Nov 08 2002
  

       Or you could limit yourself to reading books with sprial bindings. (or perhaps learn to spiral bind your own books)
baron555, Nov 08 2002
  

       DrCurry underestimates my laziness.
machaus, Nov 08 2002
  

       On a related note, hospital TVs should really be projected onto the ceiling - you could also project text.
whimsickle, Nov 08 2002
  

       If the size of the book doubles - then cut it in half and sell it as two volumes. This has been done before with very very large books.
migennes, May 01 2003
  

       We could sell "Books on DVD". Each page viewable on your TV, especially if projecting on the ceiling.
gardnertoo, Aug 23 2003
  

       wow!
neilp, Sep 24 2006
  

       So did this problem go away with the Kindle and other electronic readers ? Or to you still need an adapter to read on your left or right side ?   

       ( The only way my sinus drains during some colds is to keep flopping right to left and back. )
popbottle, Mar 26 2016
  

       Re Kindle and other e-readers: see [link] :)
notexactly, Mar 30 2016
  
      
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