This article looks at some of the hype and the reality of e-books in higher education. An e-book is an electronic book that can be read digitally on a computer screen, a special e-book reader, a personal digital assistant (PDA), or even a mobile phone. In other words, e-books are consumed on a screen rather than on paper. However, underlying this simple and seemingly obvious definition are some important distinctions that may make an e-book something other than just a "PDF version of the printed book." These differences lie in the electronic nature of e-books, which are changing the nature of what a "book" is within an electronic context. Higher education is expected to be at the forefront of the wave of e-book adoption over the next two years. Some experts predict that 2007-2009 will be transition years for the higher education e-book market, with large growth expected in both digital textbooks and digital library collections. Publishers and campuses alike are exploring the use of e-books and other forms of digital content. Such explorations in the educational markets may signal a tipping point in e-book usage on college campuses from occasional oddity to a mainstream technology in less than five years. (Contains 1 figure, 2 tables and 25 notes.)