A Manifesto For Personal Book Disbursement

 “- A MANIFESTO- for disposing of books – part one.

1. Out of copyright, get it on the eReader, Oxfam or eBay

2. Old mangy curled up pages, dim print and obviously about to disintegrate. Trash it.

3. “I don’t think I’ll ever read that again” (or “did I really have an Iris Murdoch phase”). Oxfam or eBay

4. Someone else might want to read it. At a later date. Someone might just spot an Iris Murdoch on your shelf, borrow it, and have a life changing experience. No. Get real. If Iris Murdoch then Oxfam or eBay

5. “I like it on the shelves because it makes me feel and appear intelligent and well read” Oxfam or eBay, or unless it really does make me feel intelligent and well read.

6. Borderline. Decent crime / Ian Rankin, James lee Burke etc. Be strong. Oxfam or eBay. But it’s good to have easy read books for when people stay and are bored witless so want something undemanding to read. Reconsider. Take a mercenary review - eBay if there’s cash to be had.

7. The history, psychology (R D Laing, Fritz Perls, Transactional Analysis, for God’s sake). Store in boxes as hideous warning of what the 60s and 70s were really about? No, trash ‘em. Nooo….

8. Annotated Signet Shakespeares from my degree with occasional Arden editions. Labelled storage boxes. Why?

Was this well received? Did I receive supportive and sage advice. I'll leave you to judge from the bare data:  Jane Lucas: "Get out the house, Bill x"

I don't know - 2010 for God's sake, I was so ahead of the game and where am I now?

A later offer that I forgot I made: "I am for hire and offer deep counselling for Personal Book Disbursement (PBD). (I only say book trashing in weak, savage moments)."  It is still current. Reasonable rates.