The Problem With Books
Photo by Ed Robertson on Unsplash
I love actual, physical books. Mostly non-fiction, sometimes fiction as well.
I love not only the content in the books I buy, but I love how it feels in my hand, even how it smells. It’s a rare, almost nonexistent thing now, but I love walking through a bookstore, discovering new and interesting titles across all sorts of genres. That process of discovery is (was) one of the best things ever.
But I also have a problem when it comes to books.
Once I’ve bought one, I feel compelled to finish it. I think I need to start at the beginning and work my way through every page, in order, until I’m done.
Sometimes, though, a book turns out to be not very good - the content doesn’t match the cover, so to speak. But, I’ve made a commitment, so really I should work my way through it, right?
Well, as I’m allowing myself to learn and accept, I don’t actually need to.
That is, I’m coming to grips with the idea that not all books deserve equal attention, especially in terms of books that I buy. I don’t have to read them sequentially. I don’t have to go chapter by chapter. I I can simply glean what I need from the various sections and move on. (Gasp! An unfinished book!)
The key is to ask “what am I learning?”, “is the time I’m investing worth it?”, “am I getting value?”.
In other words, I should take what I need from it and, if that means, I should read the entire book, fine. But if I don’t, that’s fine too.
The point is, I don’t want to be beholden to a process or predefined ideas of what it means to derive value. I don’t need to give my time to those things that I don’t believe continue to give me value. I just need to focus my time on those things that give me the most value (however I define that). It’s really that simple.
So, if you’re like me, stop feeling guilty. Go ahead and give yourself permission to not finish that book. It’s really OK.
