I am moving so I need to decide which book remains essential to my sense of what I am and which book will enrich me by its companionship in my journey through life. What should I keep and what should go to the recycling bin.
The life of a book can be hours or days - about as long as it takes to read it. But not all books have such a limited lifespan. Some books need to be skimmed or read only once through and that is surely enough. Other books deserve reading and rereading and the urge to read yet again is never entirely satisfied, for every reading reveals a new layer of meanings and novel applications. Some books last a lifetime, others even longer. The lifespan of the ideas in a book gives the book its lifespan. Some ideas are best forgotten as soon as they are read through, as in an entertaining tale in pulp fiction. Others need to be downloaded to the hard drive of the mind for they are immortal; they can shape lives and determine the course of history.