As I was preparing for our office relocation, the major issue I faced was my collection of books. Over the past decade, I’ve amassed around 5,000 volumes. I considered disposing of them due to financial constraints, but ultimately found it too hard to let them go.
When my thoughts get tangled and the reasons unclear, I often find solace in bookstores. I frequent Kyobo Book Centre and the Aladin used bookstores. I visit Aladin when it’s likely the layout has changed and Kyobo when curious about new releases. Roaming through the aisles, I skim through books on various subjects—novels, essays, society, finance, computers, and more. Invariably, some titles catch my eye, and I usually end up buying between five to ten books. Reviewing these purchases later helps me understand what concerns are occupying my mind and what I’m mentally engaged with. The range of books available means I never leave a bookstore without feeling some attraction.
When I buy books, I typically read 10% to 20% of them from the day of purchase to the following week. Another 10% to 20% get read over the next year, and about 10% catch my eye randomly later on. The remaining 50% stay unread. If I’ve bought many specialized or challenging books, these percentages might be lower.
When guests visit the office, they often ask if I have read all the books. Because of this, about 60% of the books on display are ones I haven’t yet read. Reflecting on whether to dispose of my collection, I’ve realized these books serve as an extension of my brain. Each of the 5,000 books has a specific reason for being purchased at a specific time, and even if I haven’t read some, I vividly remember their contexts.
Thus, visiting bookstores to purchase new books or simply browsing my existing collection at home serves as a mini-version of surfacing my concerns and interests. This process is crucial not just for the knowledge gained from books, but also for becoming aware of my own mind, making decisions, and taking action.
That’s why, when organizing my books, I take care to ensure that none of the titles are obscured. You never know when or where an idea might spring up.
