World, Writing, Wealth discussion

Reading them? Nah, that's too trivial.
Although some people dispose of books, books can be such a multi-purpose item. From home decor to something more sophisticated:

Or maybe this:

How else can one use them?

Tim wrote: "The pictures above demonstrate the misuse of "paper" books, a form of reading material that I think is becoming and will become obsolete... ..."

So it seems and I see piles of paper books on the streets to be picked up by municipalities.. I, though, still buy and read physical copies..

It's not a very serious thread, guys. If anyone used a paperback to kill a fly - we won't be too stern -:)

Books are there to bedevil our minds and capture our souls. (Curses...)

Tim wrote: "Interestingly, Nik, I grew up in a home where books were central to our lives. Walls were lined with stacked bookshelves. I remember as a toddler struggling to carry a wildlife encyclopaedia into t..."

Me too. And then in my childhood - indie authors meant something very different - those whom censorship wouldn't allow through and their books were home-typed and circulated underground..
Hope they use recycled paper to print new books.. I spend too many hours in front of the screen to enjoy reading e-formats -:(

Tim wrote: "Nik wrote: It's not a very serious thread, guys. If anyone used a paperback to kill a fly - we won't be too stern -:)

Let's not swat flies. All life forms add their own colour to the world and we..."

:) I was working outside on my property today, and I'd say this: I don't consider gnats my equals. They are far superior in speed and dexterity. Just no defense against these most irritating of creatures. Would have happily annihilated every one within a mile.

I've used stacked books as bedside tables, supports for boards to make stacked bookshelves, and for bookends when I was a student.

Good thing they turned that book into a safe to protect all those ONE DOLLAR BILLS! :D

J.J. wrote: "Good thing they turned that book into a safe to protect all those ONE DOLLAR BILLS! :D"

Right -:) Maybe it's an additional decoy and they have hundred bills underneath

Makes sense to me. I always fold the cash I carry with the dollar bills on the outside. I suspect that if a hundred were visible to the guy behind me at the checkout, he'd snatch the wad and run! Paranoia is my default setting.

Armor.

Duct tape books to your body and you have poor-man's body armor.

Stuff books, like phone books, into your car, and you have an armored car.

Fill your hollow walls and crawlspaces with books, and you will harden your home (though not your windows).

Do any of the above and you can never say knowledge won't protect you.

Books to me are a treat both for information and entertainment.

I've just finished - a (5 * for me) exciting adventure/thriller. Born in Africa, I'm naturally drawn to stories in that setting. Here's my review for Wilbur Smith's 'Assegai':
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Books are for reading. Thanks for that recommendation, Melanie

J.N. wrote: "Armor...."

Good idea. Wonder whether bulletproof vest is possible with hardbacks -:)

Nik wrote: "J.J. wrote: "Good thing they turned that book into a safe to protect all those ONE DOLLAR BILLS! :D"

Right -:) Maybe it's an additional decoy and they have hundred bills underneath"

Don't ruin the fun I'm having thinking someone is trying to protect their TWENTY-FIVE DOLLARS :D

Scout wrote: "Makes sense to me. I always fold the cash I carry with the dollar bills on the outside. I suspect that if a hundred were visible to the guy behind me at the checkout, he'd snatch the wad and run! P..."

Sadly in our world, someone will kill you anyway even if they thought all you had were a few one dollar bills. Big thing in crime these days is to knock off banks and chain stores because company policy has shifted toward giving them what they want without question rather than risk your life. Not only are the employees more complacent than ever before, but there's also a sense that because they're a business, they're insured so they won't take the loss anyway. What makes it worse, is some of these animals decide even with the ease of the crime, they still have to kill the clerk or the shop owner.

Just around me, the owner of a pizza place was killed a few years back, the owner of a smoke shop a year or two after that, and the owner of a pawn shop last year. Seriously, for what? A couple hundred bucks at the most? I think ironically, I tend to be more fearless than I should be; not careless, but in this country with our attitude toward crime fighting revolving around "innocent until proven guilty," I don't usually presume trouble on suspicion, paranoia, or (as a lot of people do) general stereotypes.

A little more lighthearted of a story, I took a road trip to Florida a number of years back, and one night I stopped to take a room at a really, really sketchy motel. I knew it wasn't exactly the best area, but I didn't realize just how...off...it was until I had a guy approach on a bike subtly offering to get me a prostitute. I was a little more cautious than I was when I first got there, but otherwise I didn't worry too much. Survived the night without any problems and came away with it being one of the more memorable places I've stayed.

While I mostly read books, I suppose I can think of a few instances where I used them for other purposes.

One Halloween, my best friend and I wanted to throw one of those murder mystery dinner parties, where each guest takes on the role of a different suspect. In order to save money -- and have as much fun as possible -- my friend and I decided to write our own murder mystery dinner party game. We wanted to have one of our characters be shot to death during a blackout, but couldn't figure out how to make a convincing gunshot sound. We thought about this for awhile and eventually came up with a solution.

Turns out throwing a hard cover book as hard as you can onto a hardwood floor produces a surprisingly and terrifyingly loud bang.

Daniel J. wrote: "throwing a hard cover book as hard as you can onto a hardwood floor produces a surprisingly and terrifyingly loud bang. ..."

Good usage -:)

Great idea, Daniel! Some of you may remember how satisfying it was to slam down the landline handset on someone who made you angry on the phone. Not so satisfying is that little beep when you end a call on a cell phone. Maybe keep a book handy for that occasion just to get a satisfying sound effect before hanging up :)

Sometimes books are investments.

Way back in 1979, I bought a copy of this paperback because I wasn't old enough to get into the theater to see the movie:



I paid probably $2 for it. It was one of those books that should have been tossed out or given away, but for some reason I still had it. Glad I held onto it; I sold it for $400 two years ago.

I'm guessing that this will not be the case with ebooks.

Right :)

When's the last time you hit someone with a book? :)

Sacrilege! :-)

Nik wrote: "When's the last time you hit someone with a book? :)"

Why do you ask? 8^)

Holly wrote: "Sometimes books are investments.

Way back in 1979, I bought a copy of this paperback because I wasn't old enough to get into the theater to see the movie:....I paid probably $2 for it. It was one of those books that should have been tossed out or given away, but for some reason I still had it. Glad I held onto it; I sold it for $400 two years ago.

I'm guessing that this will not be the case with ebooks...."

That will make the paper book all the more valuable.

Books to me are the soul of humanity....

I of course read them and I am collecting them too. I am planting the proverbial forest I will never sit under. I tell my son these books are for his grandchildren.

There is also the added benefit of watching someone look at them and ask if I have read them and see their face when I reply yes.

Papaphilly wrote: "Nik wrote: "When's the last time you hit someone with a book? :)"

Why do you ask? 8^)"

To make sure they still serve as a non-lethal and not-very-exotic - weaponry :)

Storing books is also carbon negative :-)

Books are externalized memories. They allow us to know the thoughts of Marcus Aurelius and Thomas Jefferson even though they passed long before any of us were born. They have turned the the fancies of a long dead playwright into a common emotional language. And they permit us to share in the dreams of our greatest dreamers and poets.

Nik wrote: "Papaphilly wrote: "Nik wrote: "When's the last time you hit someone with a book? :)"

Why do you ask? 8^)"

To make sure they still serve as a non-lethal and not-very-exotic - weaponry :)"

Oh Ok, I usually use my fist. i would not want to damage the book....8^)

As Jerry Seinfeld said,"People read books,and then keep them like trophies."
Plus,books are to be read and then boasted about,here on goodreads.
And also for taking up lots of space.

In prison, they do use books and magazines as body armor.

I saw a photo a few years ago where the books had been stacked in such a way as to create a Christmas tree, which probably would be a useful manner to store books I haven't read yet during the holiday season. If I were really creative, I could do a stacked theme for each holiday.

Interesting thread.....Nik....the threads you create make me smile...well at least most of the time. :)

Books are used for - well for some people...they are dust collectors! I am surprised no one mentioned that usage! lol :)

I agree, Marie. Nik's threads usually make me smile. And my books definitely collect dust :-)

Glad when the desired effect is achieved :)

Collecting dust is a desired effect, Nik??

For a vacuumer :)

Scout wrote: "I agree, Marie. Nik's threads usually make me smile. And my books definitely collect dust :-)"


Your poor books, Scout! Maybe you need Nik's vacuum! LOL :-)

I'm not much on dusting or vacuuming :-) Too many more interesting things to do! What's a little sneeze here and there?

Scout wrote: "I'm not much on dusting or vacuuming :-) Too many more interesting things to do! What's a little sneeze here and there?"

Sounds like a grave vacuum unemployment in your area :)

How many of you have lots of paper books besides myself?

Papaphilly wrote: "How many of you have lots of paper books besides myself?"

I do. Spending enough screen time on other stuff, to enjoy reading solely on paper..

Nik wrote: "Papaphilly wrote: "How many of you have lots of paper books besides myself?"

I do. Spending enough screen time on other stuff, to enjoy reading solely on paper.."

Nothing like paper.

Papaphilly wrote: "How many of you have lots of paper books besides myself?"

I used to have more paper books but the last move from one state to another I donated all the fiction that wasn't science fiction to the local public library (thrillers, mysteries, legal novels). I have probably over a thousand science fiction paperbacks (star trek, babylon 5, quantum leap) in storage. I have four 5-shelf bookcases full, with some shelves double-stacked and most of that is sci-fi from Asimov and Heinlein to Weber and Corey.

It's become more difficult to read as I get older. Vision is going, so I don't buy much in the way of real paper books except for those that I collect as part of a series I already own (like the new Dune books). I am way behind on reading them though because of needing light and glasses rather than picking up an e-reader and reading anywhere.

I have noticed that what I read in actual physical books sticks with me a whole lot easier than reading a screen.

Scout wrote: "I'm not much on dusting or vacuuming :-) Too many more interesting things to do! What's a little sneeze here and there?"

I hate both of those tasks. I replaced all carpet just so I don't have to vacuum. I would rather grab the broom or dust mop. My idea of dusting is to hire someone else to do it once a year. But they don't touch my books. I usually have my daughter dust them when she is here to visit because I don't want someone ruining my books.

In between, I am good with living with the dust, except for the ceiling fan over my bed. Staring at it during bouts of insomnia, I feel the need to clean it at odd times.

Nice to have a sister who's also not into dusting/vacuuming. I also have all wood floors, so I do some Swiffering when necessary. I wanted to tell you about my neighbor who bought these glasses with lights in the frame. She says it makes reading books much easier for her. Happy reading!