I have successfully reduced my paper book collection to 0 since I got my ebook reader. I think it's great! All my ebooks are backed up excessively, and are much safer than any paper books could ever be.
It'd be nice if libraries carried no paper books, and instead used a printing service for people that can't/won't use a reader. Paper backups are useful too, but I wouldn't have any in my house without good reason.
While I mostly agree, there is one aspect of physical pain that I would avoid more than psychological pain: permanent, disabling physical damage.
I don't wish to belittle what you went through, but you were lucky. You could've been paralysed for life. I would rate that worse than heartbreak.
Testing can show the presense of bugs, but not their absence. -- Dijkstra