Ryan, great article. I assume you probably never read the comments but in case you do, read Ray Kardaras' GLOW KIDS. It's incredibly interesting, if terrifying, and makes a compelling case for the superiority of physical books over online and e-reading; for example, those who read books tend to have higher retention rates.

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I've found a place for physical, digital and audio. Audio effectively serves as a filter - I can listen to books on the move, and if I like them or see value in them, I'll buy the physical as well. Authors earn double, but it allows me to derive the benefit of audio ("reading" when I wouldn't otherwise be able to), and go to physical if I want to reuse. Makes reading them a more satisfying experience as well.

I actually also use digital as a filter of sorts in a similar way. But in addition, there are books I know I'll read and note once (mostly some of the duller business books), and I won't get those in physical.

All in all, it means I spend a ton more than I should on books, I've managed to only have 3 in all 3 formats, but I think I get the best of all worlds.

Don't get me started on the combo of note taking (mindmaps, digital and paper, Evernote _and_ notebooks - sheesh).

What a comforting article! When we moved house recently all our helpers constantly complained about all the boxes of books we were lugging about, so that I began to feel that maybe there was something wrong with me! Most of the books had been in storage for 5 years, so for me it was 5 Christmases and birthdays all in one!!

Only 1500 books? If I had to live with so few books I'd probably have withdrawal. ;) I don't see the Kindle as an either/or choice with books. I can't carry 3500 books around with me without the Kindle.

I really enjoyed reading this post. I know what you mean in most of your points. I really laughed out loud for a few. :)

Great article, Ryan. However, I just find the Kindle so damn useful. I'm someone who moans about carrying several books when I'm on trains or in the airport and the Kindle makes it so much easier having several books to look through - and lighter! Side note: if anyone else, like me, obsessively highlights notes on their kindle, you can put your notes onto your Evernote, so when you need to reference the book you've got all your notes in one place.

Love the article. I used Kindle a lot in the last two years, but I completely agree with your comments about it. I recently switched back to buying and reading physical books.

However, how do you feel about reading Fictions on Kindle? I still use Kindle for them, as I've never felt the need to re-read a fiction book.

I grew up in a library, my mother worked at the check out and I'd go everyday after school and devour. It's a shame that libraries aren't frequented as much, there is something about losing yourself in a book whilst sitting legs crossed surrounded in the aisles of massive shelves filled with physical books. Every time we've moved the first thing we do is get our library card. My home library has changed and as we've moved have purged books - I'm not ashamed because the books I rid our library were purchased in vain. But I did feel good when friends of ours came over, saw our library, and said, "ooh who's reading Tana French". It felt nice to read the same book as a poetry reviewer for Slate Magazine and what a great conversation to have.

"You can show off your efforts (and you should–reading is something to be proud of). " ohh...NOW I understand the purpose of this article!

one of the best aritcles i've read lately. thanks

Loved this article -- from the preference for tangible books to the use of a commonplace book, this was all right on target. I would add, though, that libraries and personal library-building are not at odds. I am the dean of a university library and have a personal library of around 2,000 books, and frankly could not do without either. My approach: buy those books you want to devour, to mark-up and annotate. Borrow, in whatever format, those you wish only to read.

Very jealous--I love university libraries, it's where I wrote my first two books. But they're great for working

Challenging, inspiring. Thanks.

Yeah...the new Kindle Paperwhite is beautiful (girlfriend has one). I have an old Kindle, and it was just so ugly and dorky looking, on top of not being my style.

If they could somehow make the Kindle smell like a book...I'm constantly mocked for sticking my nose inside my books and sniffing them...but...I do it anyway.

I gotta say though, Ryan, I read fast enough and travel often enough that if I don't bring at least 3 books with me on a trip I'll go into an airport bookstore and buy some bullshit magazine or crap novel. Kindle is good for that.

Other thing is, reading a physical book is all right in your own space, but on a plane, train or bus I hate having to constantly re-balance a book as I turn the pages, hands get tired, etc. Especially with big books. I read about half of Master of the Senate on a flight from DCA to LAX last year. On my Kindle, because it would have just been awkward and ungainly on the plane.

And yet another thing is-I generally only read nonfiction on my Kindle. For some reason I just can't read Pynchon or Dostoevsky on a Kindle- I *need* a hard copy.

And finally, there was a time in my life when I just couldn't afford to move all of the books that I owned. Fucking frustrating that there are a few dozen books I still want to finish reading *that I already bought* because it was too inconvenient and expensive to move them with me. I can never leave a Kindle book behind.

As much as I agree with almost all of this, and I love my library, I find a small dose of Kindle and Audio books helps get more "reading" in there.

I listen to audiobooks while on the treadmill, on crowded NJ/NYC trains and subways and while driving.

I read Kindle books on my PC at work when I have downtime, for example during lunch break. (Sounds dumb but I can still read and look like I am getting work done. With a physical book it doesn't appear so. ie I dont get flack from coworkers this way)

I usually save easier or "lighter" reading for the audio and kindle books. The heavier stuff has to be done with physical books.

For example, The Biography of Arnold Schwarzenegger was a great audible book. The Alchemist was a great audio book.

Any book by Marcus Aurelius or Zen or Taoism or philosophy or psychology or physics or science just isn't doable unless its a physical book. There's something about physical books that just isn't replaceable by any other medium.

Great article, love these kinds of posts. Hope this helps too!

Ryan, what are your strategies for reading fast? Do you speed? How long does it take you read a regular book? What are your thoughts on E-Books? I personally love ability to have a library of my books anywhere I go by having digital copies.

I've written about this for TC, take a look at my archives

Hey Ryan I love your library! I already know you and I disagree on a few points (Evernote forever! Lover of my Kindle and my audiobooks during work, where I keep my notes in, you guessed it, Evernote). But I definitely took a few of your points seriously since I've been on your list, including quit books that SUCK (just quit one a few minutes ago, bored me out of my mind) and read books that are in the reference/bibliography section. I also need to take your advice on not loaning books. I just...can't let people borrow my books lol when will I see them again?

Even with my love affair with my Kindle Fire, I do still have and get and borrow (there we go again disagreeing) hard copy books. And every weekend I wonder what I can find at B&N. Also, can't treat my books bad. I'm the weirdo who has a breakdown when stuff is dog-earred. Maybe we're not meant to be lol.

Funny, considering your most recent "book" is only available as a Kindle download.

Not really all that funny (especially since I addressed that IN this post.) It's not different than how this article is only available online

"I can say seriously that there isn’t a single time that I read a good
digital book that I didn’t immediately wish I had a physical copy of."

In other words, you don't think your own book is all that "good".

Which is (still) funny.

Slight correction, he wrote: "...that I didn't *wish* I had a physical copy of."

Wishing you have a copy of something, and being able to get it, are two different things.

Funny would be your poor grasp of logic. My esingle is a single--not a full book, therefore it is digital only (except in a bunch of foreign countries which are bringing out print versions. There may be a US print version if the publisher gets around it.)

All the singles I've read...I wished I had physical versions of. The fact that I can't get them says nothing of their quality. It's just a reality.

Ohhhhh a "single". Awesome - makes total sense now. Thanks! My logic has been corrected.

(Perhaps, then, you should stop referring to it as your new "book", which you have on numerous occasions in web posts, emails, etc. Ya know... since it's a "single".)

I agree! I just put a Little Free LIbrary in my yard to share some real books with the
neighborhood. I have books in three rooms cause they won't fit in just one in our house.

This is wonderful! I've always dreamt of having my own library. I feel a sense of fulfillment every time I purchase a book that I love. I'm glad there are still people who think that real, tangible books are better than e-books. Sure, e-books are convenient and don't take up any physical space, but they just don't feel the same as books in print. I don't like folding or writing on pages, though. I just can't stand the sight of my books getting damaged, which is why I make it a point to issue death threats to my friends when they borrow my books. :P

On RESIST THE KINDLE and ideal mediums of reading:

I went through a couple of reading phases. I was born and raised an avid library reader, until I found that I exhausted the children's section of all of the decent books. (There were those repetitive, 100 titles and up, mystery series, but they all ended the same.) I was too immature to understand adult books, and there seemed to be no more books in the world. I didn't read for years.

Finally, my maturity caught up with my reading level, and I went again with the library option. THIS WAS DIFFICULT. I mostly read classics at this point, and now I'm finding I'll have to re-read it all if I actually want to grasp what the author is saying. I make a lot of notes with post-its, and that synthesis and analyzing that can only be found through the use of OWNED physical books can really increase your competency.

Because I read classic books, I thought getting a Kindle would be a good idea. Project Gutenberg! They're all free. The price will pay for itself. Bad idea. When entering the eBook world, there's so much "FREE! FREE! VERY, VERY CHEAP!" screaming at you. I downloaded all of the Classics I wanted to read--with no essence of commitment--and then searched up free books.

There are so many bad, free, indie books out there for free. I began to read one a day and felt proud. Quantity over quality is what that little % mark at the bottom of the page tells you.

Luckily, my Kindle broke nearly a year ago now. It really made me re-think my reading habits. Owning a physical book and getting into that mindset of being able to rip it up makes you comfortable with taking it (and your note-taking tools) with you everywhere. This increases the competency and reception I lacked when I started to read the Classics.

Also, the commitment of the $3.50 spent on my Dover Thrift editions + the nagging presence that you can't turn off is making me read very deliberately.

Do what works for you, of course, but if you're constantly reading hard, meaningful, and probably not best-seller works, physical books offer much more bang for your buck than the eBook versions and audiobook versions. (Audiobook being the worst of the three.)

RIght, you usually get what you pay for.

I love this. I too have recently moved and had the pleasure of re ordering all my books. It's nice to know there's someone else out there who has a 'Books That Don't Fit On Shelves' category.

Coffee table books are notoriously humongous and don't follow any standard paper sizes or book dimensions whatsoever. They just stick out randomly and don't really fit in anywhere but I love love love them. I score second-hand bookstores for art and fashion coffee table books.

I put all these on top of the shelves

I've read my entire life. I am now in a moment where I can see that reading is the source of so many things for me, but the moments when you don't read and are mindful is a great source of wisdom too. Maybe it is also important to balance the reading w/ some feeling of the world by your own lenses without having so many ideas orbiting our minds all the time. I've been always thinking about the ideas of the books and this protected me and gave me a kinda of powerful repertoire and critical thinking but also eclipsed the development of a part of my mind that would come if I had more room to grow my own feelings and points of views instead of being sort of drowned i the sea of ideas from all the books I read. I feel that being alone is scary and new too me when I have no books in my head but also makes room for one to grow your own stuff and reflect about how the world really is if all you have is your own skin. In summa, now, I am more and more selective and less "volume" reader and I kinda of feel that this is making me more aware of my surroundings and myself. 2. Books are also storytellings, sometimes very manipulative, some even evil for the reader. 3. Maybe after formation years, when we need more input, but then, the seeds grow and you have your own garden of them and need only to keep pruning and enriching it with quality over quantity. that is the way I feel now.
What do you think, Ryan? Reading a lot still works for you? Do you think you will read that much as you grow older?
Tks for your posts and books :)

Books and experience feed each other

I would add: mindfullness to this. tks ryan

I know it saves a lot of space when you keep books upright with the spine out so that you can read the titles, but I store my books horizontally. Saves a lot of time when I dust my shelves. They always get so dusty, and when I stored my books upright (such as in libraries) the dust always gets in the pages or ruin the paper on the top part of the page of the books.

I do this as well, particularly when I run out of space but it looks messier so I try to avoid it when I can

And yes, OMG the hardest part of moving is hauling the books in and out. It's the most back-breaking part of my recent move to my new place. I ditched my old furniture and my whole closet fit into two large suitcases, but my books took up most of the space in the truck. I don't even have a shelving unit up yet (it's been a month since the move) so I still trip over my boxes during many a drunken nights.

P.S. I love you. Marry me, Ryan. :P

Since I was a kid, my parents would refuse me toys or other stuff but allowed me to buy as many books as I wanted. So now at 19, my house is practically cramped with books. Every free space is taken over by books. We prefer it that way. Someday I hope to have a bigger library of my own......."Books are the basis."

"Treat them like shit." Once had a guy tell me if I didn't fold the pages I would get a better buy back price. I told him I had no intention of selling then back and they were worth more dog earred and marked up. I'm envious! Loved the article. When does your monthly book list come out. I signed up last month and recognizing your name realized I haven't received anything.

One will go out today actually

I have a large library too and, as a father, I've discovered a few added bonuses...
Kid's love reading, or just looking through the pictures of, a well stocked library will give them hours and hours of peaceful time.
More importantly it's a physical presence in the children's life and will show them (not tell them... that never works) the importance of reading.

I'm 21 and I feel like I'm the only one in my circle of friends and aquaintances that actually READS. I don't grasp the concept of people not doing so. I learned to read at the age of 3, I grew up with books, since then they have been my best friends, sources of memories, knowledge, joy, everything. Keeping physical books in my home is what keeps me sane. Just looking at them makes me feel content and at peace and though my libraray has yet to reach the size of yours, my home wouldn't feel right without them. I love everything you write so, so much and find myself frantically nodding along with every thought you offer in your articles. It's just great to know there are people like that out there. Great work.

(English is not my first language, so I apologize for any grammar or spelling mistakes)

I agree with you on some level. But I can't help thinking of the people who do not always have the means to spend $4000 on books a year and pay for their cardboard box of an apartment the books wouldn't fit in, anyway, because not even a couch would fit in there.

I mean, I love books. So much so that when I give into instant gratification and order the icky kindle version of a title for my iPhone, I always get the physical version because it's like a souvenir to me. A souvenir of what's actually significant: reading.

It's great to want a library, and to have one. But I think it's just great to read in general. Whether you own those books, borrow those books, buy them and sell them at the end of the day so you can have more money to buy other books...who the hell cares as long as you're reading?

First off, I have lived in some TINY places. Books can fit anywhere. I'm not saying everyone has to spend $4,000 on books every year. That's certainly not what I did even a few years ago (because I myself couldn't afford it). They should spend what they can.

"“When I get a little money I buy books; and if any is left I buy food and clothes.” Petrarch

Ben Franklin (I'm reading his auto-biography now), gave up boarding with a different family to receive half as much as his brother (who he apprenticed for) spent on him. He bought vegetarian food (mostly bread) and stayed in the printing press where he worked at night, studying, and spending the rest of the little money he had on books.

I'm working on building up a library now, and do not have the means to instantly build up a library the size of Ryan's. I don't think anyone has the means. Because my library is so small right now, I'm using the top of my closet. If it gets bigger, I may use the unused cupboards on top of the refrigerator.

You don't have to buy $4,000 of books or even a bookshelf to build a physical library. Chances are, until we all get very proficient at reading, you'll be spending less than what is normally spent on cable or going to the movies and a dinner every Friday.

It's all about priorities.

I find it interesting that you've missed the main point of my argument, to even go as far as suggesting that I, a person who does not own a TV or even enjoy the company of anyone around me enough to eat out with them with any regularity, spend more on those latterly mentioned (I'm sure you would say) frivolous things than I do on books.

But since you clearly didn't get the meat of the matter, let me reiterate in as simple terms as possible: placing a higher importance on hoarding books than on simple reading those books, however you can/want to, is, fucking, stupid.

Enjoy your library.

I'm not sure why you think my post is about HAVING and not HAVING AND READING books

If you want, see my other (standalone, not a reply) comment on why I prefer physical books and why it isn't hoarding. In fact, your suggestion of collecting books as hoarding misses the whole point of this post. If you constantly refer to your books and the notes in your books, it isn't hoarding. It's a tool.

About a year ago, I was living in Moscow where ebook readers are absurdly popular (as is literature). I told a man who was gushing over how amazing his kindle was that Americans often deride e-book readers as 'just not the same.' His amazing response was 'Huh, that's because Americans have SPACE for all those books.' So there you go, all your waxing poetic about the 'need' for physical books is really just privilege.