“We read to know we are not alone.”
– C.S. Lewis (1898-1963)
There are a dozen or so books that have been “life changing” for me. Six or seven of them rest in an antique box next to my computer. The two that matter most are at the front left of my writing desk in the home office. Multiple copies of some (I give lots of books as gifts), and tattered, worn copies of others — they’re like old friends gathered around me, and the momentos that grace my bookshelves make them seem even more so.
There are another fifty or so in my Kindle app on my iPad. The best of those get duplicated with hard copies to put on the bookshelves, in case anyone ever wants or needs to borrow one.
There are bookshelves in our houses and our offices, but there are also bookshelves in our minds; the places where we save the stories that shape who we are and who we will become.
One of my favorite moments when people come to the house is when they peruse the bookshelves and ask about specific titles, authors or the replica of David McCullough’s manual typewriter that graces the other corner of my writing desk.
Another of my favorite moments is when I pause to peruse the bookshelves in my mind. And dust off the stories that got me here, and ponder where they’ll take me from here.
All of our bookshelves are important. Within them rests the stories, lessons, adventures and mysteries that make us uniquely suited to make a difference.
Tom Gelin says
Steve,
As someone who has perused your bookshelf, I can appreciate the value of having the title and the physical book close at hand. Once those thoughts are truly absorbed by the reader, just having the physical presence of the book and the title is enough to regenerate some of the thoughts that came from the book. Some books are easy to give away, and some are very hard.
I enjoyed how many we had in common, and it reminds me to research some new books to grab. Fact or fiction, there is always something to learn from a good book.
Thanks for this post and all the others.
Tom
Steve Heston says
Thanks for being a loyal DD reader and a great friend!
Chuck Cline says
Steve, From a fellow book enthusiast, I would enjoy knowing what your list is comprised of, and especially the two that matter most. I would also enjoy hearing your thoughts on the book in print form vs. the digital media. They both have their advantages but the touch and feel of a book in print is much more satisfying to me. When I am done with a book, it’s like another trophy to display. Cheers.
Chuck
Steve Heston says
Chuck, the two that matter most are my NIV Bible and Oswald Chambers’ “My Utmost For His Highest.” The seven in “the box” are Buckingham’s “First Break All The Rules” and “Now Discover Your Strengths,” Covey’s “7 Habits,” M. R. Covey’s “The Speed of Trust,” “The Reagan Diaries,” my original Oswald and Rick Page’s “Hope Is Not A Strategy.” Also rotating in and out of the box are Ortberg’s “Step Out Of The Boat,” and a few others…
Thanks for chiming in!