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The "stuff" I struggle with pitching is books. It just seems criminal. And I hate that I can only get 10% of what I paid from a used book store. But I miss v
by mathattack 13y ago
The "stuff" I struggle with pitching is books. It just seems criminal. And I hate that I can only get 10% of what I paid from a used book store. But I miss very little of anything that I've pitched over the years. Out of sight, out of mind.
- kens 13y agoIt's interesting how books have this almost religious aura to them, that it's morally wrong to throw them out. Like discarding a book on Windows 95 will somehow lead to book-burning and totalitarianism. Is this a universal view, or are there people who have no trouble discarding unwanted books?
- onedev 13y agoIt feels like throwing away knowledge.
- zachsnow 13y agoI have a ridiculous number of Sci-Fi and fantasy novels hanging about. I never get rid of them. I think it's because each one represents something like an entire year (often much more) of one human's efforts. With movies, say, you know it was hundreds of people. So it's no big deal. But with books you are tossing someone's whole world. Also I like to reread them. Honest.
- mathattack 13y agoIt took me a long time to pitch old SF books but I never reread them. I feel that each time you read a great book you can get half the remaining insights so unless a book is awesome I will go for new ones.
- fusiongyro 13y agoI have gotten rid of a few books like that, but once they get old enough they seem to acquire a certain quaint charm. My books on DOS and BeOS, for instance, I'm stuck with now. Of course, Windows Game Programming with VC++ 6.0 was a goner.
- mathattack 13y agoI admit that hoarding books is an irrational pack rat behavior. :-)
- grey-area 13y agoLend them to friends when they visit, give them to a charity shop - that way someone else will enjoy them too. Why would you need to get money for them? There's no need to throw a good book away, or leave it collecting dust on your shelves (which is close to the same thing). Most books nowadays won't last longer than a human lifetime due to the perfect binding and terrible paper, so you're not keeping them for posterity by hoarding them.
- mathattack 13y agoI'm with you on goodwill and lending, or giving. I found that most folks don't give back when I lend so I don't create the expectation that they should.
- kaybe 13y agoHow about this: http://www.bookcrossing.com/ http://www.bookcrossing.com/ ? I always have a few books that I do not consider mine althought they legally are. I just borrowed them from the public.