Next Project: Critical 1,000 Books to Keep
It feels a little like brain surgery: how do you decide which parts are important and which parts are just meat?
And what if what you thought of as a useless fraction of brain mass now turn out to be the critical piece that controls a vital human function (read: ability to plan and significant points in the cerebral cortex) and you would have to live your whole life not being able to imagine a future just because at one point in time you thought, “oh well that part is dispensable anyway”?
I’m stuck. I’m stuck with over 3,000 books inside my teeny tiny house. Not all of it is mine, of course. About 700 or so belonged to my parents (management books, teaching aids, religious texts, reference materials for all possible branches of the social sciences). Approximately 45 belongs to my sister Ella (yeah, she loves to read, obviously). There was a point in time I would’ve felt boastful pride (redundancy intended) in the sheer number of literature available at my fingertips (because I sure as heck didn’t read them all just yet, especially not the “Joys of Statistics” textbook), but now, I just look at them and sigh. I need space. I need air. I just need to let go of some of my babies because I can’t give them the quality of life they deserve.
This Holy Week, my purging comes in the form of letting a portion of my precious horde go. I imagine by this time next week, at least a third of it will be dispensed of, donated or put up for adoption (for a minimal adoption fee). I have signed on to Book Mooch and opened an EBay account. I have even left books in random places for strangers to find. I like the idea that I’m making it cheaper for some people to read books. I’m doing everything necessary to find good homes for my beloved friends. It’s a win-win situation, they get read (hopefully) and by this time next week, my house would also be 60% less cluttered.
My geeky friends are of the idea one should never give away a book. I think that way too. But the difference between my geeky friends and me is the availability of funds to redecorate a whole section of the house just to put up wall-to-wall shelving. And besides, I need the trimming down. Less material things to worry about. At least in one aspect of my life, I’d actually feel lighter.
If you feel like helping me out, feel free to “adopt” a couple of my books. List will be out on Monday after Easter. :)D
And what if what you thought of as a useless fraction of brain mass now turn out to be the critical piece that controls a vital human function (read: ability to plan and significant points in the cerebral cortex) and you would have to live your whole life not being able to imagine a future just because at one point in time you thought, “oh well that part is dispensable anyway”?
I’m stuck. I’m stuck with over 3,000 books inside my teeny tiny house. Not all of it is mine, of course. About 700 or so belonged to my parents (management books, teaching aids, religious texts, reference materials for all possible branches of the social sciences). Approximately 45 belongs to my sister Ella (yeah, she loves to read, obviously). There was a point in time I would’ve felt boastful pride (redundancy intended) in the sheer number of literature available at my fingertips (because I sure as heck didn’t read them all just yet, especially not the “Joys of Statistics” textbook), but now, I just look at them and sigh. I need space. I need air. I just need to let go of some of my babies because I can’t give them the quality of life they deserve.
This Holy Week, my purging comes in the form of letting a portion of my precious horde go. I imagine by this time next week, at least a third of it will be dispensed of, donated or put up for adoption (for a minimal adoption fee). I have signed on to Book Mooch and opened an EBay account. I have even left books in random places for strangers to find. I like the idea that I’m making it cheaper for some people to read books. I’m doing everything necessary to find good homes for my beloved friends. It’s a win-win situation, they get read (hopefully) and by this time next week, my house would also be 60% less cluttered.
My geeky friends are of the idea one should never give away a book. I think that way too. But the difference between my geeky friends and me is the availability of funds to redecorate a whole section of the house just to put up wall-to-wall shelving. And besides, I need the trimming down. Less material things to worry about. At least in one aspect of my life, I’d actually feel lighter.
If you feel like helping me out, feel free to “adopt” a couple of my books. List will be out on Monday after Easter. :)D
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