Ah, but what's he keeping?
Yes, it was an interesting list, and yes, it gave me a glimpse into both his and
my past. But it was only a partial, even fractured, glimpse. In order to get a
more accurate picture of my friend's history, I'd have to know not only which
books he's giving away, but also which he can't bring himself to part with. I
doubt that he's emptying his shelves. Instead, he's only making some room. And
that means that some books are staying on his shelves, some books are still important
to him as reference points, that simply gazing at the titles (and perhaps sometimes
even opening them) focuses his thinking, calls up associations that are still
important to his thinking.
Go to: Thanks, but no thanks, or
Go to: Now what are the odds on that happening?