another note on books

Just now I entered that Bains book into my catalog, and saw that I own a total 1,614 books. It’s a large number, though certainly not in the big leagues of book collections of people in my age group.

It occurred to me that although they were once my dearest possession, that is now far from being the case. In fact, I wish I could snap my fingers and turn most of them into pulp. I’d really rather have them on an electronic device than in paper form, where they are simply a burden on my mobility.

There are a few exceptions, of course. Either books that special people gave to me, or ones that I read with an especial impact that is tied in memory to the physical copy of the book rather than just to the book as an abstract content that can be reprinted at will. If I had to flee the proverbial flood or nuclear power accident, those are the ones I would take.