Ilikereadingbooks.Inotonlybuybooksbutalsoborrowbooksfromlibrariesandfromotherpeople.Overtheyears,thishasbecomeahabit.Thishabitofmineisbuiltuponthefamoussaying"Somebooksaretobetasted,otherstobeswallowed,andsomefewtobechewedanddigested."
EverytimeIgotothebookstore,Iwillbuysomebookslikedictionaries,referencebookswhichareofpragmaticuseandclassicalliteraryworkswhicharetobechewedanddigested.Unlikesomepeoplewhobuybooksjustforthepurposeoffillingtheirshelvesandshowingothershowlearnedtheyare,mypurposeissimpleandpractical—reading.Moreover,thebooksIwanttokeepareusuallytooexpensiveandIcanaffordonlyafewvolumes.
FromlibrariesIborrowbooksthataretobeswallowed,because,ononehand,librarybooksarenotallowedtokeepalongtime;andontheotherhand,thelibraryisaseaofbooksandIthinkIhavetodospeed-reading,thatis,toswallowasmanyasIcan.
Ialsoborrowbooksfromfriends,especiallynewarrivals.Ijustwanttohaveataste.Ifthetasteisgood,thenIwillgoandbuythemtoaddtomystore.Ifnot,well,justforataste.
Inshort,Idon'tmindwhereIcangetbooks,butbooksarealwaysmysourceofknowledgeandwisdom.