When I’ve read a book that has really resonated with me, I quickly start to think about who I can share it with. And sharing for me takes different forms. Like many I’m sure, I’ll often share the Amazon link to a meaningful book. But if the book has really impacted me, I’ll purchase multiple copies and send them to friends and colleagues whom I think will benefit. As my family well knows, a small pile of “books to give“ lives in one corner of my Studio office.
So why exactly do I do this? I suppose an obvious answer would be that I’m being generous, and if that’s what you thought, thank you! But the truth is the motivation for me runs deeper.
Through my long and privileged career, I’ve witnessed different relationships with knowledge. All too common are those that treat knowledge as power. For these people, my sense is that the books they’ve read are akin to a secret sauce which if shared, would somehow diminish their personal value.
Contrasting this might be those that drop book references into conversation like they are sports scores. I admit this might be a cynical take, but I do often find myself wondering if they’ve really read, fully understood, and formed their own opinions behind these literary needle drops…
With these polar extremes as a backdrop, my personal view is that books are powerful when they become part of a communal experience. Whether fiction or non-fiction, the beauty of books is that we will all carry unique interpretations of their messages, be they stories or teachings (or both). And exchanging these interpretations with others can both challenge and affirm our thinking while creating unique social bonds.
So answering the question of why I give books, it’s because I love building community around a shared reading experience, because I want to know what you think, and because I care about you.
And by the way, have you read Nike’s “After all, there is no finish line”? It’s a fantastic book about building and working to realize envisioned futures, and it’s available here from Actual Source Books.