Potter

In a conversation I had with an acquaintance a couple weeks ago, I mentioned that I was in the book publishing business. He remarked, "Man, I sure hope people are still reading books ten years from now."

Nice of him to say that, but his worries have no basis in reality. For, despite the rise of the internet, despite television's enduring popularity, despite the glitz and lights and sounds of the information age, despite the temptations for kids to turn on their playstation instead of read a book -- despite all of this, we still live in a world where records in book publishing can be utterly shattered.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, the seventh and final installment in the Harry Potter series, sold 8.3 million copies in its first 24 hours of sales. That's five thousand books sold per minute, and that just in the US - the worldwide figures must be much larger.

This is not only a victory for Ms J.K. Rowling or for the books' publishers (though I extend my congratulations to them) - it is a proud and unmistakable sign that books will continue to be read for a long long time, no matter what flashy gadgets or other advances in circuitry are made.

Congratulations, Mr. Potter. And long live the book!