As far as gadgets go, I don't normally find myself drawn to products like Amazon's Kindle.  I like my toys powerful.  Colorful.  Multi-functional.

The Kindle doesn't really qualify in any of these categories.

So why can't I live without my little plastic companion?

The Kindle reminds me of my first iPod.  It wasn't powerful.  It wasn't multi-functional.  It was barely colorful.

That iPod was, to me, more of a device meant to remind me of a favorite pastime and to make that pastime even easier to indulge.

The Kindle is my iPod of books.  Just like the iPod reawakened my love, appreciation and collection of music the Kindle has done the same for the written word.

Music and the written word - both good for the brain, and both made better by two ground-breaking devices.