How many books are necessary?

[evangelist6589]

Going through my stuff and boy did I buy allot of books over the years. For the love of all I had way too many books! These days I only buy them in iBooks for carrying around an iPad is far easier! I mean who has the time to read all these books? Any of you overwhelmed with books?

 

[Rolfe]

I prefer the feel and smell of paper. I tend to keep them.

 

[annsni]

I have more books on my Kindle than I will ever read but I still pick them up because at times, it has been good to have them. Hubby has done some sermon series where books that I got (usually for free) were VERY handy (he just used The Sermon on the Mount by Sinclair Fergason) and other times I've used them for my own study/life circumstances. I didn't know that when I picked up the book When Your Husband is Addicted to Pornography by Vickie Tiede in 2014 or I Surrender All: Rebuilding a Marriage Broken by Pornography by Mark A. Tabb in 2011 that we would have to counsel a couple struggling with this particular sin in their life and marriage. I had never dealt with it but when the books were free, I grabbed them and they were VERY quickly read before our counseling session. My husband was able to read them too because of the family shared thing with Amazon. I subscribe to a few blogs and e-mails that send out info on free and low cost books and I'll grab them when they come up even if I'm not yet interested in them. You just never know - but that means I have over 1000 books on my Kindle and others that aren't even uploaded yet!! LOL Hope...The Best of Things by Joni Erickson Tada is the most recent upload I got a couple of weeks ago. It's now $4 but it was free at that time.

 

[exscentric]

Over 10,000 and still picking up free books, why not, you might need them

 

[HankD]

I gave up a long time ago trying to keep any semblance of order to my library.

A few years ago I was convicted by this verse:

1 John 2
26 These things have I written unto you concerning them that seduce you.

27 But the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him.

At first I didn't include vs. 26 and concentrated my thinking on verse 27 and overlooked the context that these men who were trying to seduce the church John was addressing were false teachers, mere men who had not the Spirit.

So I do look for books by trustworthy authors along with inquiry of the LORD.
That keeps me busy enough.

But even at that I depend less on commentaries than I have in the past.
I do use my grammars and lexicons which are in reach of my desk (on it, around it, etc).

Currently in the senior group we are going through the Book of Hebrews and the commentary I am using is Peter O'Brien's The Letter to the Hebrews.

My suggestion FWIW is read/study/meditate upon the text first then have a primary trustworthy commentary.

I consulted with my pastor and to my surprise he had O'Brien books as well.
Though some have been recalled because he needs healthier documentation.

It always helps to consult with others when you buy books.

Ecclesiastes 12:12 And further, by these, my son, be admonished: of making many books there is no end; and much study is a weariness of the flesh.

HankD

 

[InTheLight]

How many books is necessary?

At least one more. A book about proper grammar would be helpful.

 

[Salty]

I would recommend this book by Dale Carnegie


JON - I am very serious about this book

 

[TCassidy]

I have about 10,000+ ink on paper books and another 6,000 e-book titles. But I am a life-long bibliophile. I got my first hard cover book when I was 4. The title was "Indian Paint." My older brothers (8 years, 10 years, 13 years, and 15 years my senior) thought it was funny to teach me to read when I was 3. So for Christmas they bought me the book. I still have it. And I am now over 70. I still have all the brothers too.

 

[Squire Robertsson]

At least as many as Spurgeon had in his library.

 

[HankD]

I have about 10,000+ ink on paper books and another 6,000 e-book titles. But I am a life-long bibliophile. I got my first hard cover book when I was 4. The title was "Indian Paint." My older brothers (8 years, 10 years, 13 years, and 15 years my senior) thought it was funny to teach me to read when I was 3. So for Christmas they bought me the book. I still have it. And I am now over 70. I still have all the brothers too.

Mama mia! Great you have the brothers! I hope you are better at organizing than I am.
I would never be able to find a book in that kind of a library - Dewey Decimal I presume.

I have a cousin on my fathers side, he's a Catholic scholar/professor with several rooms full of books in his basement. He mails me a box full every once in a while.

He lives up the street (Little Italy) from The Old North Church in Boston.
He and I were more like brothers growing up.
After mass my parents would visit his house (Uncle Joe) and eat most of the day then he and I would go see what mischief we could get into.

Never could convince him to "convert" but still trying.
We now have long theology conversations - still looking for mischief after six plus decades.


HankD

 

[evangelist6589]

At least as many as Spurgeon had in his library.

How many did he have?

 

[evangelist6589]

I would recommend this book by Dale Carnegie

It's a worldly book with worldly wisdom.

 

[evangelist6589]

How many books is necessary?

At least one more. A book about proper grammar would be helpful.

You need a book on rabbits.

 

[evangelist6589]

I have about 10,000+ ink on paper books and another 6,000 e-book titles. But I am a life-long bibliophile. I got my first hard cover book when I was 4. The title was "Indian Paint." My older brothers (8 years, 10 years, 13 years, and 15 years my senior) thought it was funny to teach me to read when I was 3. So for Christmas they bought me the book. I still have it. And I am now over 70. I still have all the brothers too.

For the love of the gremlin! My my that's allot of books! I bet you either live in a cheaper area or have a better income than me as to why you can have all those books.

 

[annsni]

For the love of the gremlin! My my that's allot of books! I bet you either live in a cheaper area or have a better income than me as to why you can have all those books.

Or maybe he's quite a bit older than you (sorry TC) and has been collecting books since he was young. Often times pastors receive books from congregants, the church buys books for the library and they often inherit books from other pastors who have retired and are downscaling. It doesn't mean he makes more money than you.

 

[TCassidy]

At least as many as Spurgeon had in his library.

Yes, but he had 12,000 hard bound books. More than mine and those have been accumulated over a 70 year period. Spurgeon died when he was only 57. Imagine what more he could have accumulated in another 13 years!

 

[JonShaff]

I went to an estate sale earlier this year and picked up some really good hard bound books for $.50-.75 each. The man was a baptist pastor. he had about 5000 books or so in his library.

 

[TCassidy]

I went to an estate sale earlier this year and picked up some really good hard bound books for $.50-.75 each. The man was a baptist pastor. he had about 5000 books or so in his library.

I was at a library sale of an old pastor who had passed away and his family was selling his entire library. I bought a copy of a first edition of Murdock'stTranslation of Mosheim's Ecclesiastical History for $.50. I later found out it was worth about $500. Needless to say I still have it.

 

[InTheLight]

You need a book on rabbits.

 

[JonShaff]

View attachment 1139

Looks delightful