Preserving Thought

"A bookstore is one of the only pieces of evidence we have that people are still thinking."

- Jerry Seinfeld

Comedian

When was the last time you were in a bookstore?  Most of you who are reading this blog are success-minded people and therefore readers, for the most part.  But even those of us who love books and to read as much as we can, don't often hit the bookstores like we use to.  Amazon and other on-line stores have made book shopping quick, easy and it comes to your door.  But is that what getting a book is all about?

                My wife and I love bookstores.  If we are traveling we will always stop at every bookstore we see.  We have been known to go to five or six different stores in one day.  "But don't they carry the same books?" someone may ask.  Yes they do.  But they are not the same store.  Bookstores are like the people who run them, they have a personality and each is a bit different than the others.

                Reading is more than just spending some down time with a good book.  Reading should be an experience that takes you on a thrilling adventure each and every time you open your book.  You could be reading a classic or a book on economics and still be excited and lost in the moment.  Reading is learning and learning is living. 

                So why go to a bookstore?  If you can get your books so easy on-line, why take the time and energy?  Please allow me to give you three simple reasons the head out to your local bookstore.

1)  Bookstores offer you a walk through a forest of knowledge

                We all find it relaxing to spend some time in the quiet and restful forest; surrounded by trees and all kinds of living things.  So it is with a bookstore.  You can wonder and be lost for hours looking through the shelves of books, new and old.  Bookstores are not the place you run in and out of.  They are meant to be browsed and enjoyed leisurely.  When in the bookstore, stop and take it all in, the sights, smells and feel of a place filled with the brilliant thinking of so many people.

2)  Bookstores allow you the find the treasure you did not know you were looking for

                When we shop on-line, it is most likely for a particular book you have heard about or seen advertised.  That is fine and you want that book at this time.  However, when you go into a bookstore, even looking for a particular title, you see so many wonders on display.  If you take the time you will find that book meant just for you.  You did not know you wanted it, but you know when you see it you have to have that book. 

3)  Bookstores offer us hope for tomorrow

                I will be the first to agree that not every title in a bookstore is good or even worth the paper it is printed on.  However, it is one of the only real remaining areas of free speech in this world.  Free speech, whether in print or  spoken, does not mean that people have to listen to you.  Therefore if you know a book is bad or you disagree with it, don't buy it.  This is where the free market comes into play.  If a book does not sell it will be taken off the shelves.  The thing you do not want to lose is the freedom to write what you wish.  The great majority of books in the store are worth a look.  They are filled with ideas, fantasies, adventure and information.  It is up to you as to what is useful to you.

                If you have not been to a bookstore in a while, plan a trip and go.  In fact, be a regular supporter.  We cannot allow the local bookstore to decline.  They are a key element of our community and society.  To lose a bookstore is to lose what it is that makes us great - the power of thought.  Here is a great idea from author and humorist, Roy Blount, Jr., "Get your friends together, go to your local bookstore and have a book-buying party."

To read more from John Patrick Hickey or to get his books, training and book him to speak to your church, business or group, visit our website at http://www.growthcenter.net or www.johnpatrickhickey.com.   © 2014 John Patrick Hickey