A few years ago, I decided to go all-in on using my Kindle. It was a conscious choice — for environmental reasons, convenience, and the joy of carrying an entire library in my pocket. I had access to thousands of books anywhere, anytime.
But one thing always puzzled me: Why are ebooks sometimes more expensive than physical ones? None of the explanations I read ever fully convinced me. My wife, for example, always preferred physical books. Even if she read them digitally, she wanted to own the print version too.
When we moved to Sweden, we had to leave behind many things — including our books. I packed my Kindle, which had my digital library, thinking that would be enough.
It wasn’t.
For the first time, I felt something missing — not in what I could read, but in what I could see and feel. Back in our old home, I always had books around me: on the shelves, by my bed, on my desk. I hadn’t realized how much that mattered until they were gone.
We eventually started buying physical books again. And guess what? It felt different. Even if I wasn’t reading them every day, just being surrounded by books made me feel more curious, more focused, more like myself. It reminded me of the feeling you get in a library — that quiet invitation to explore, learn, grow.
Why This Feeling Happens: What the Science Says
That feeling isn’t just emotional. It’s also backed by research:
- The Anti-Library Effect (Nassim Nicholas Taleb):Books you haven’t read yet aren’t wasted. They’re reminders of everything you could learn — keeping your curiosity alive and your ego in check. They make you humble and hungry at the same time.
- Environmental Enrichment Theory:Neuroscience shows that rich environments — filled with books, art, ideas — help the brain grow and stay sharp. A book-filled room isn’t just decoration. It’s brain fuel.
- Visual Salience & Behavioral Cues:What we see every day influences what we do. If you see chips on the table, you’ll eat them. If you see books, your brain starts thinking, “Maybe I’ll read something.” This idea is used in habit formation strategies everywhere.
- The Family Scholarly Culture Study:A study across 27 countries found that children who grew up in homes with more books stayed in school longer — regardless of their parents’ education or income. The presence of books creates an invisible culture of learning.
Books as a Mirror (and a Reminder)
It’s strange, isn’t it? The same words might live in your Kindle and on a printed page — but the feeling isn’t the same. Physical books carry presence. They remind us who we are — or who we want to be. They shape the space around us and the space within us.
So yeah, maybe a book is like a glass. What matters is what’s inside. But still — the glass matters, too.
A book can be poison, or it can be fresh juice. Choose your books wisely. And if you can, let them surround you. Even silently, they speak.
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