Why Buy a Book About Divorce When We Have the Internet?

The Printed Word Is Still Relevant in the Digital Age

by Michael Heath

When anyone thinks of bringing their marriage to an end, they often go online. A person in a failing marriage may search for local divorce attorneys or the particulars on issues such as child custody and alimony. The internet is replete with divorce information so it is certainly a good resource. It also has its drawbacks.

Too Much Is Not Such a Good Thing

Typing the word divorce into a major search engine results in an endless list of relevant webpages, along with lots of clickbait tempting one’s curiosity with dirt on the latest celebrity couple breakup or some X (Twitter) exhortations sharing opinions on divorce situations. It is easy to get drawn in even if one believes it will be only for a moment. These distractions hamstring the exercise of getting valid information and can even confuse searchers as to what they are looking for. Efficiency flies out the window. Where does one begin when searching the internet? It is a good idea to write down a few notes beforehand, then commit to exploring only what has been jotted down on the paper.

Quality Counts, Not Quantity

Anyone can post regarding just about anything. The ease of providing information allows people a public forum where they can say what they want. That certainly does not make them an expert or even means they are qualified to write about a subject. There is an old saying that “a little bit of knowledge can be dangerous.” We all know someone with limited experience on a topic who speaks like an authority. Listening to such dilettantes typically leads to regret.

Books command a certain amount of respect because they take a long time to write and usually are written by people with a deep understanding of a subject. Someone who has gone ice fishing once or twice can post blogs on the internet and even share photos; however, it is unlikely they will write a book based on such limited experience. Authors who publish books on divorce come from that world. They may be a matrimonial attorney with many cases under their belt or a sociologist whose life work includes accumulating data on why marriages fail. It could even be a financial expert with a wide breadth of experience assisting those challenged with a divorce. Even people who simply want to share their own failed marriage experience while providing advice are required to perform hours of research if their work is going to be substantial enough to develop into a book anyone chooses to read.

The Case for a Book

Books provide in-depth knowledge without all the intrusions that internet advertisers put forth. When one sits in a quiet room with a book it is, in a sense, a lecture by the author to the reader. What is printed on the pages is what the writer feels is most important, and nothing else. If the reader wants to learn more about what to do in a failing marriage, then that is only what they will get from a book written about divorce. Pages never contain advertisements or text about the latest high-profile relationship scandal. Nor does flipping through the pages trigger an algorithm that sends many unwanted ads. A book is often dense with good information which is only what most people want.

Give the Gift of Information

The internet may be free but for all that books provide, they are a great value. Anyone can tell a friend or relative who is in a failing marriage to use their phone or computer to look something up. Giving them a book is a sincere gesture of caring. If a person is in a bad marital situation, they should even feel free to gift a book to themselves. Why not? After experiencing so many rough patches they deserve it.