Books + Creative Work

Owning Books (or the opposite thereof)
I love books: nonfiction and novels alike. I've probably kept more of my college textbooks than necessary. Owning books doesn't equate with being knowledgeable, but all the potential knowledge is very attractive. If you look at my bookshelf (as of 2/09), it will reveal some of what I've learned, what I'm fascinated by, and stories or facts yet to discover.

That said, I'm starting to consider selling off some of the ones that were textbooks and not directly related to my field, on eBay or Amazon. It might make my bank account a little happier than it is right now. But I've never done that, so I'm not really sure of the risk-to-reward ratio. Do you guys think it's worth the effort?

Reading Books
Maybe this is a good time to repeat that I'm loving having a library card again.

Here's a selection from Outliers, a book recently borrowed from my local public library, about creative work:

[T]here is complexity, autonomy, and a relationship between effort and reward in doing creative work, and that's worth more to most of us than money. Work that fulfills those three criteria is meaningful.

Hard work is a prison sentence only if it does not have meaning. Once it does, it becomes the kind of thing that makes you grab your wife around the waist and dance a jig.

(Malcolm Gladwell, Outliers, Page 150)

Think about that for a second. I think he's suggesting something that's true. This statement about creative and meaningful work seems intuitive or innate to me - but it isn't always easy to describe or live out for that matter.

Anyway, this book takes a really interesting look at opportunity and success, illustrated with stories that are easy to connect with. The discussion on meaningful work is only part of the story.