Thanks to Mary M.
Ed Note: Sir Francis Bacon famously stated that “some books are to be tasted, others to be swallowed, and some few to be chewed and digested”. This quote, found in his essay “Of Studies,” reflects his view on how different types of books require varying levels of engagement from the reader.
Tsundoku, the Japanese art of stockpiling unread books, is something to cherish, not feel guilty about
What can you do with a bunch of books you haven’t read yet? You can stack them up and make a shaky nightstand next to your bed, creating a ready-made stash of reading material for those times when counting sheep isn’t working. (Although an avid reader on a Reddit site mentioned that his makeshift bookcase toppled over on his new girlfriend, leading her to think there was an earthquake taking place. Not a pleasant way to entertain a guest, especially one you hope will return.)
You can whittle the pile down by not setting foot in any bookstores or libraries. You can label yourself a hoarder and swear you won’t buy any more books until the cows come home (an odd promise for a city dweller like me) breaking your promise almost immediately because … well, you’re someone who revels in the pleasure of Tsundoku.
The Japanese word Tsundoku describes the act of owning a lot of unread books, with some using it to describe the pile itself.
The Japanese word Tsundoku describes the act of owning a lot of unread books, with some using it to describe the pile itself. It is the buying of books with the intention of reading them either now or in the future, as opposed to bibliomania, which is about collecting, perhaps rare volumes or first editions, for the sake of collecting. “Bibliomania; or Book-Madness” is also the title of a quirky 19th century tome by Reverend Thomas Frognall Dibdin, who claimed that the act of being unable to stop collecting literature was a kind of malady. Those afflicted with the condition were obsessed with unique books such as first editions and illustrated copies. Perhaps the cure was written about in a medical textbook, a worthy addition to almost any learned person’s book compendium.
The term Tsundoku, which dates from the Meiji era, comes from a combination of tsunde-oku (to let things pile up) and dokusho, meaning to read books. It was initially used sardonically about teachers who possessed many books but never read them.
The Value of Intellectual Humility
Lebanese American scholar Nassim Nicholas Taleb, in his 2007 book “The Black Swan: The Impact of the Highly Improbable,” dubbed his ample collection of unread books an antilibrary, acting as a reminder to gather knowledge and to remain curious. He wrote, “You will accumulate more knowledge and more books as you grow older and the growing number of unread books on the shelves will look at you menacingly.” (continued on page 2 or here)