I still have too many unread books on my bookshelf, but this has helped me temper my obsession a bit. Now if only I could buy some more time..
I still have too many unread books on my bookshelf, but this has helped me temper my obsession a bit. Now if only I could buy some more time..
His motivation was that he simply did not have any more space for books in his house and his SO made up this rule. When I was about 20 (already owning more than 5000 books that I had paid for with my own money) I tried to apply it. A miracle happened: After a few weeks I realized that it was not just about some arbitrary "equilibrium of books" in my bookshelf. What I did realize instead: I could not decide which book to get rid off because I could not even remember most of them! A few years later I moved out of my apartment/the country/the continent and just gave away all books I did not instantaneously decide to keep.
Ever since I stopped the compulsory book buying thing and only buy those I desperately want to read now. If I don't have time right now, it goes on a list of book to buy (compared to the list of books bought to read). Result: I read 100% of the books I buy.
EDIT: And of those I read, most go to public libraries when I am done, the few books I really, really want to keep (well, in storage in my home country/continent) fill 2 boxes. The rest of them, I can buy again when I really need them.
I would try the app if I were you. I always thought it was more like the late 70s. Maybe we will all have more time than we think! Makes burning a few years on a startup now also seem like an ok idea. Life is long, for many of us - according to the actuaries.