Social capital, the influence you gain through your connections with other people, is like a good book. It’s value is increased with continual use.
Although I’m constantly acquiring and reading books, I don’t keep many of them on shelves. Instead, I look for opportunities to lend books onto friends, coworkers, and new acquaintances.
As soon as I find out the reading genre someone likes — or the topics someone is interested in — I conduct a mental inventory of books on hand to determine the best books to recommend or put in their hand.
Typically, this leads to one or more of these outcomes: a discussion about books that both of us have read and our takes on the author; recommendations of books the other person liked in the same genre; and the unexpected gratitude of someone who’s received a book.
Lending a book is a pure expression of social capital.
I treasure instances when people return a book dog-eared, underlined, highlighted or worn — particularly if they want to talk about it. It’s satisfying when books are returned. But, even when they’re not returned (or returned unread), it doesn’t matter. Honestly. The act of passing on a book to someone who might enjoy it, or learn from it, is enough.
The Internet makes sharing books easier. Read It, Spread It and Pass The Book are favorite ‘reading chain’ websites. Pass The Book was created in 2004 to share books with strangers. “We found the idea of releasing books into the wild via bookcrossing.com appealing, but were annoyed when the released books remained wild, perhaps — who knew? — packed away in some Great Lost and Found where they would never be looked upon again by the eyes of man,” said the site’s founders. After completing a book in the program, readers are asked to recommend it to friends, posting a review on Amazon.com, or buying the book as a gift for someone else.
I’m intrigued by the Amazon Kindle, Sony E-Reader and other portable e-book readers — but I’m not ready to give up the social capital gained by sharing books.
Credits: Cartoon courtesy of brainstuck.com.
Do the Circulation
There’s a great new craze that’s sweeping the nation.
Come on, do the Circulation!
About Troy Janisch