A book will sit there and haunt you. As it’s lifeless body lies there, stowed away, its sense of abandonment and unexplored potential will loom over your shoulders and guilt you until you’ve gone mad.
Why read or buy books?
In the beginning, pulling out your book at that local coffee shop will feel a bit like you’re trying to fit an image and your attention will be stolen in between paragraphs by the sound of cups clinking in the back and the constant shuffle of people sitting and leaving. After a while the magic sets in and taking out that book becomes a fortress of story and thought not even a brigade of hipsters playing musical chairs can penetrate.
Why read or buy books?
Every time I visit the doctor, go to the dentist, receive law consultation, etc. I make the assumption that these professionals have done their reading. I assume they’re well versed in their craft, know the rules and regulations, and are aware of their career’s history as well as its trajectory. Could we say the same about you?
Why read or buy books?
Have you ever shared your browser history with someone? That’s much different than a bookshelf.
Why read or buy books?
Sending someone a URL differs largely from handing them a book. No one remembers the day a Medium article was sent to them, no matter how profound that article was, however, even being handed a mediocre book is memorable. There’s a transient nature to the internet so our experiences with it become equally as fleeting. Looking someone in the eye, handing them a book, holding that book at the same time as them, and telling them what it’s about—now that’s a living experience.
Why read or buy books?
Closing the tab of an article that’s boring or you aren’t enjoying is far less satisfying than dramatically slamming a book shut or flinging it across the room.
Why read or buy books?
Remember the childhood excitement of candy stores, arcades, and the like? Do you share a similar experience now as an adult? Bookstores are my candy stores, and libraries are my arcades.
Why read or buy books?
Because if you aren’t doing the reading, what’s pushing you forward? This isn’t to say our history or the views and experiences of others are the be-all-end-all. However, it is to say that reading makes you think different, and thinking different is integral to progress, and you don’t think differently by sitting in your own bubble. Anyone can not do the reading. That’s the easy way out. That’s the default. Are you the easy way out? Are you the default?