The Pleasures of Life is a new series of essays where I will talk about the things that enrich our lives. I won't talk about the Big Things, like marriage or careers. Rather, I will talk about the things we could live without, but not really… like bookstores.
Let's start with an obvious lie. They say you can't judge a book by its cover. No - book covers have lots of fun information that helps you judge the book. The title and the author. The price. If you're lucky, you get a nice picture. Most books also summarize the contents, a short bio and endorsements. Books want to be judged by their cover. They love it!
The bookstore has more judgement than a court. A well-loved bookstore will have hundreds, maybe thousands, of people come in and endlessly pass judgement on books.
Book judgment is a tactile and erotic act. You hold the book in your hand, you admire the cover art. You admire yourself for being smart enough to pick up this book.
I caress texts and smell the pages. I run my fingers across the pages to enjoy the texture of the book. I feel the surface of the cloth bound book. The threads inspire handsome confidence. Dress to impress they say.
Your judgments are private, but the pleasure of judgment is shared. Your stack may have a biography and a cookbook. The flannel clad woman at the end of the aisle has three murder mysteries and a collection of Neruda's best verse. The menu is different, but the meal is the same.
Book purchases transpire in a monastic environment. Your texts, for now, are holy. They hold promise. They promise divine experience, once you take the time to read them. Quietly, you wait in line with other adepts.
The modern bookstore will thank you by taking more of your money. You drift to the coffee shop and order something. Maybe you're a coffee beast, maybe not. Still, you won't have time right now to read through this pretty pile of paper you bought. Doesn't matter. Emotions settle. You know this first book is just as good as you thought. This other book, meh. And this last one? You will need to read to read to the end to really know if it was worth it, but you just realized that you will never have the time.
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My books: Grad Skool Rulz - cheap advice manual for grad students / The history of Black Studies / Obama and the antiwar movement / A Social Theory book you will enjoy reading / Intro Sociology for $1 per chapter