OVERRATED

An e-book is not a book. A digital screen does not replace the feeling, the scent and the joy of turning the pages of a classic novel. That's why I wouldn't be caught dead using an e-reader -- be it the Kindle, the Nook or even an iPad. In July, Amazon reported that sales of e-books on its website have surpassed real hardcover books. Just imagine: If the circumstances of Ray Bradbury's dystopian future in "Fahrenheit 451" were to happen today, the government wouldn't even have to burn books. They'd just press a button to delete them. That's sad.

UNDERRATED

Miami rapper Rick Ross used to be a lumbering, boorish lyricist whose songs played out a fantasy crime-boss lifestyle. Then he was outed as a former correctional officer by the Smoking Gun and was sued by a real-life drug lord, "Freeway" Ricky Ross, for using his name. You might expect the guy to run for the hills after such a humiliating couple of years. Nope. He has returned with one of the best hip-hop albums of 2010 in "Teflon Don," where he showcases a new agility in his rhymes (even outshining Jay-Z on "Free Mason"). But he's still a crime boss -- in his lyrics, at least.

TOM HORGEN