Speaking of books

Ran across this article (via Reason) written by a book lover. He writes about the need to buy books and what that does for his living space.
But after living in smallish apartments for decades I just spent seven years in a house with a full-size attic, and everything went to hell. Books entered my house under cover of night, from the four winds, smuggled in by woodland creatures, and then they never left. Books collected on every surface; I believe that somehow they managed to breed.
That reminds me of a certain brother and father of mine. Yes, and me too. Actually I can relate to the entire thing. I love books and have to make an effort not to buy too many more. Used book stores effect me just like catnip does to the kitties. When I worked at a B&N with a used section, I'd come home with arm-loads of the things. This section spoke to me too:
Over the years I've gotten used to the inevitable questions about my accumulation of books. No, I haven't read all of them, nor do I intend to -- in some cases that's not the point. No, I'm not a lawyer (a question usually asked by couriers, back in the days of couriers). I do have a few hundred books that I reread or consult fairly regularly, and I have a lot of books pertaining to whatever current or future projects I have on the fire, and I have many, many books speculatively pointing toward some project that is still barely a gleam in my eye. I have a lot of books that I need for reference, especially now that I live 40 minutes away from the nearest really solid library. I have some books that exist in the same capacity as the more recondite tools in the chest of a good carpenter -- you may not need it more than once in 20 years, but it's awfully nice to have it there when you do. Primarily, though, books function as a kind of external hard drive for my mind -- my brain isn't big enough to do all the things it wants or needs to do without help.
Really, I could quote things from almost every paragraph in the piece. The whole thing is well worth reading.

Comments

readingdoc said…
Thank you for finding this article. Abnormal people do not understand what we normal people feel about books. There does come a revelation somewhere along the line that I will never even in a long lifetime read all the book I already have, but so what. So many tools and so little time to read.
Dad.
6:45 AM
Alfred T. Mahan said…
Sadly, I have read every book I own, at least once. I often re-read my books as well, even the most esoteric ones (who doesn't need a copy of An Illustrated Design History Of U.S. Battleships, I ask you?), and when I worked at B&N, it was often a choice between groceries or books.

Fortunately, my family's local, so I was generally able to sponge food off of them.
12:27 PM
Kate said…
I've moved many more times than I'm proud of, but I've always managed to hang onto my books. When the moving company called to do an "assessment" of my possessions when I moved from NC to SD they asked how many "book and record" boxes I would have. The number was appalling and the guy thought I was completely "off" and knew nothing about packing. Turns out I was dead on and that's all I heard about from the mover men. What? You got dead bodies in here? You don't seriously have all these full of books? You a damn teacher or something? Nope, nope, and nope. I love my books. I find comfort in certain books that I've read at different times in my life and I proudly cram them into the bookshelves that my dad made just for me and my passion (obsession?) I read and I read a lot and I love it!
1:01 PM
carrster said…
I love books, but recently have begun liberating ones that I can live without. I keep my favorites, the nice hardbacks and classics that I can re-read annually (if only I had time) but the ones that I enjoy but don't LOVE I try to pass on to someone else, and hope that they will do the same. My 925 square feet just isn't big enough otherwise. *sigh* someday I will have a library.
3:11 PM
Meigan said…
I think I've finally seen the day when *gulp* my kids' books outnumber mine. And that's hard to do - I saved every book from all my courses as an English major.

Speaking of books - go to The Loft on Thursday at 7:00 for my friend Brian's reading of his new novel. It's his 3rd book but the first time I've actually hired a sitter to go to his reading. Should be fun!
6:20 PM
MamaD4 said…
Yeah, you should see the look on the movers' faces when they come in to do our moving surveys and see the multitudes of Hans' books (oh, and my one measly bookcase full--someone has to have some restraint!).

I do the Carrster method: if it's not near and dear to my heart, I move it on. But Hans keeps EVERY. SINGLE. ONE.
2:17 PM
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