Re: Small libraries

From: Technotranscendence (neptune@mars.superlink.net)
Date: Sat Sep 16 2000 - 01:20:42 MDT


On Friday, September 15, 2000 6:20 AM David Lubkin lubkin@unreasonable.com
wrote:
> >I have a sense that many here have similar small libraries; are
> >we so unusual to other people?
>
> Absolutely.
>
> A majority of Americans will even admit in polls that they don't read a
book
> a year. People who actively read amount to at most a couple percent of
the
> population. This is confirmed by the orders of magnitude between readers
of
> a bestseller and the number of viewers of a hit tv show.

The problem, though, is Is this a trait people on this list have a monopoly
on? I reckon not. I know many non-transhumanists with decent sized
libraries. Heck, a few of these might even be considered
anti-transhumanist.

> I'm admittedly a hypertrophic case but my guess is that the smallest
library
> amongst us exceeds the average for self-described avid readers.

Guilty as charged!:)

> Why?
>
> I get two reactions from people who hear about my books: envy (from the
> ones who read books) and questions (from thems that don't). The second
most
> common question I'm asked (after the inane "Have you read all of them?")
is
> "Why don't you just take them out of the library?"

I get the same. I never answer such questions.

> Because the library doesn't have them. We all have broad and esoteric
interests,
> and an unquenchable thirst for knowledge. Implicit in being extropian.

It's not just that. Library books have to be returned. Until my memory is
perfect, i need many of the more technical volumes for reference.

But it is that too -- libraries not having them. While the average public
library has more volumes than me, in terms of the subjects I'm mainly
interested in, especially higher mathematics, the average library I've been
too has less of these than mine.

As for books in general, they're neat, but I don't fetishize them. It's
their information I enjoy, not the physical act of handling or smelling
them. (Not that I'm some kind of antisensualist. I definitely like
physical acts of other sorts.:)

Cheers!

Daniel Ust
http://uweb.superlink.net/neptune/



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