Penguin Chairman John Makinson Comments re: eBooks

The UK Guardian Media 100 profile of Penguin Chairman John Makinson (#86) focuses almost entirely on eBooks:

Penguin reinvented publishing in the 1930s with the invention of the quality paperback. Now its chairman and chief executive, John Makinson, wants to do the same with the ebook in the digital age. "The definition of the book itself is up for grabs," he has said.

The former Financial Times journalist – chairman of Penguin since 2001 and its chief executive since 2002 – is helping to define how we will consume books, and how the publishing industry tackles a digital transition that hobbled the music industry.

Makinson has promised a new definition of books providing "interactive learning experiences", with "book applications" for the Apple's iPad and Amazon's Kindle reader that include embedded audio, video and streaming content.

"The transition from physical to digital is a momentous moment for the industry," said Makinson, who compared the rise of the ebook to the 15th-century invention of the printing press. "The decisions that we take now on behalf of authors will determine the future of publishing." ...