I own an ebook, and I find it more comfortable linear reading than in physical books. Also, it's very handy when looking for exact words.

But I find flipping the pages looking for something that is not bookmarked or you don't know exactly where it is, (and you don't know what words look for) or doing diagonal reading on several pages much easier in physical books.

One thing that it's not very important to me, but it is to a lot of people is the aesthetic and emotional factors. A good physical book is something pretty that you can have and manipulate on your hands and that looks well on your bookshelf. Also, in time you can be emotionally attached to your manuals (especially if you own only a handful), but is rarer to feel the same to a digital file.

Still, it's probable that if you have a good and fast ebook reader, the advantages of digital formats are more than the disadvantages, but answering your question, these are the benefits of physical books that come to my mind.

What are the benefits of owning a physical book?
This question was triggered by the following line in a home inspection:


  Blocking is not installed for I joists above beams in basement.


I have found pictures of blocking at http://www.diychatroom.com/f14/sister-studs-ceiling-easy-question-11349/ (linked from Floor Joist Blocking).  I have also found that cross bracing is an alternative to solid blocking. According to the National Wood Council's Details for Conventional Wood Frame Construction:


  Adequately nailed subflooring will maintain the upper edges of floor joists in proper alignment. Nailing the ends of joists to band joists or headers provides additional joist support that, under normal conditions, eliminates the need for intermediate bridging.


I feel like I understand the term, and what must be done, but my wife understood the inspector to mention load distribution in relation to the supporting steel beam when he commented to her during this portion of the inspection.

Is my understanding of blocking missing something? Does the possibility of compromising the positioning or structural integrity of the steel support beam exist because there is no blocking?
