On Electronic Reading Devices

Without wishing to sound even more Luddite than usual, I've realised I have an acute problem with electronic reading devices like the Kindle. 

I retain enough faith in the intelligence of the British public to assume that many, if not most, of us know that 'Tropic of Cancer' and 'Delta of Venus' are dirty books. People can read them if they like and it's nobody else's business what you read, but if you were to read those books in public somebody nearby would know that you were reading a dirty book. 

With Kindles or other such devices, each product manufactured with the same appearance and with the screen only accessible to the reader, any fear of social disapproval that might be felt should one feel the urge to read 'Tropic of Cancer' on the bus to work in the morning could easily be overcome. I'm sure that those who regulate and monitor the content which can be viewed through these devices apply extremely rigorous selection criteria; yet I can't help but think of one definition of Japanese society I once came across, that the Japanese salaryman will break into a cold sweat at the thought of not having the right type of coffee for a guest while having no compunction about reading hardcore pornography on the train. 

I really wouldn't like us to go down that route. The time may come when I might find one very useful, in which case I'll be at the head of the queue to get one; but not yet.