Penguin recently unveiled its new e-book prototypes for the iPad, and as a McNugget would say, I’m lovin’ it! Here’s why:

1) Books are becoming more like games — which is a great thing; it means interactive learning and reading will flourish. If you caught Jesse Schell’s recent talk about social games at DICE 2010, you’re probably at least a little on board with this notion that gaming can improve our communities by using rewards systems and rich technology to encourage positive behavior. Now imagine if every illustrated children’s title carried interactive elements that would enhance the learning experience through game elements. Moreover, picture a how-to book that not only taught you how to do something through engaging interactive media, but because this book is always tied back to a Web-enabled device, readers can contribute their own content in a social context. For example, gardeners could use the helpful videos of a gardening e-book to raise the best tomatoes in America, or the most brilliant roses. All of their exploits are captured on video or Flickr photos and uploaded to the e-book, and made available in realtime. The winner could receive a year’s worth of seeds, a set of author-branded garden tools, or a nice fat cash prize. Runners up could track points on a leader board and compete for the next round of prizes, which will be dispensed based on a combination of user votes and author judgment. Suddenly, a book is more than a static piece of text; it harbors community. The book is the base product, the catalyst of content that drives this action and fuels the passions of thousands of readers. But it becomes bigger than itself. All thanks to the new capabilities of digitized, linked content. I also wonder what sort of price an e-book like this can command, if it promises a wealth of social, rich media experiences.

2) What does this mean for the role of authors and publishers? Companies like Vook have already produced enhanced e-books with video content, all of which is compatible with the iPhone and, I can only imagine, the iPad. So whereas for decades cookbooks were largely the work of one or a couple devoted writers, suddenly now they are a collaborative effort between the author, a production company like Vook, traditional publishing houses, and any talent that might appear in the videos. For example, Vook’s recent collaboration with Woman’s Day includes several recipe and technique videos that, while shot and edited by professional filmmakers, feature users as the on-camera talent.

3) And what about e-books that link to outside sources? For example, a book about the American Civil War that links to Wikipedia or a Ken Burns film, or Library of Congress videos about Lincoln? When books become hyperlinked, open, collaborative projects, who is the author? And given that these products could sit on the Web and evolve over time, has the idea of “editions” become obsolete? Will we “buy” iterations of books, or download them as app updates? The possibilities just boggle my mind.

I only hope that publishers and device-makers always seek the frontier of possibility, pushing for new ways to build the business and improve the experience for consumers.

DISCLOSURE: Many book publishers, including Penguin, are personal clients. While I personally don’t work for or do business with Vook, both Vook and my employer TurnHere share a founder. The companies occasionally do business together.