Booked Solid: Some Readers' Cherished Collections Have Nowhere to Grow

The Washington Post ^ | March 23, 2006 | Annie Groer

[wideawake]

The stereotype about the Scholastics is that they were engaged in Theological Gymnastics (Do Angels have navels? Are lobsters immortal?) as opposed to actual worship.

The lesser-known scholastics often tangled themselves in minutiae, but the best - Thomas Aquinas, Bonaventure and Duns Scotus - were focused and on point.

Their writings have greatly enhanced my prayer.

[RadioAstronomer]

Thanks for the info. Way cool!

[wideawake]

I meant no offense of course.

None taken.

My friend read both and meant it facetiously but no he isn't particularly religious.

Precisely - so for him both books had no particular relevance to his life in any way he could imagine.

[tbird5]

I'm always dipping back into it, too ('Summa Theologica'), and makes me feel really bad about myself everytime.

[Borges]

Anselm would be the founder of Scholasticism right? Of course there is Johannes Scotus Eriugena who predated it by a few centuries.

[CaptRon]

I agree about the paper and ink thing but it's neat that you can carry this info around on your hip. I even have a copy of the Constitution!

There are a couple of utitlities out there that will convert docs to Palm eReader format which might make some of the ones you're having trouble with easier to read.

[Centurion2000]

One crosses the line between bibliophilia and bibliomania when one purchases duplicates without realizing it.

Been there and done that several times actually.

[js1138]

Are lobsters immortal? Aside from being eaten?

[Borges]

I want to read the Confessions of Augustine which are said to be unparalleled in their candor and power to move in Western Literature.

[1rudeboy]

I've done it deliberately.

[RadioAstronomer]

I've done it deliberately.

So have I. One for reading and one for the shelf. (Especially books I read over and over)

[RadioAstronomer]

My God, I love books. The greatest invention of all times IMHO.

[HKMk23]

My collection includes two county library systems.

LOL!! Now THAT is funny!

"I have an extensive shell collection, which I keep scattered on beaches throughout the world."
-- Steven Wright, Comedian

[Dumb_Ox]

Why all the fuss? Just memorize the book on your first run-through, and turn it back to the library.

That's what I do. It sure passes the time on the flights to my dinosaur-ridden private island.

[Dumb_Ox]

"When I have a little money, I buy a book. When I have more, I buy food."

That was Erasmus. And he actually said "I buy Greek books," which were a bit more scarce at his time.

[1rudeboy]

Don't forget gifts. I have some friends that were convinced that I was trying to corner the market on P.D. Ospensky's The Strange Life of Ivan Osokin (when it was out-of-print).

[1rudeboy]

Ouspensky

[absolootezer0]

library for my books, shelf in the kids room, shelf in the garage for repair manuals, shelf in the basement for gun manuals/ reloading books, plus books scattered all over the house.

[MineralMan]

"Books hold little value if they aren't 1st edtions,1st printings (with an A or 1 on the copyright page) or in leather. Also must be free of remainder marks. Some just aren't worth keeping."

I must disagree. For me, the value of a book is in the contents of that book. I often buy somewhat damaged copies of old, out-of-print volumes. I read them, then shelve them for future reference.

I do not care about the monetary value of any of my books. It is their contents that hold value, at least for me.

That said, I rarely buy fiction. I obtain my fiction from the library, as needed. I also very rarely reread fiction. There is too much that is new and worth reading, and too much non-fiction to waste time rereading fiction I've already read. When I die, I have no illusions about my library. I'm quite sure it will be consigned to the dump.

[Xenalyte]

I am.

When we moved into our current house, we had 50-some boxes. Roughly 37 of them were my books.