I love to read.  I set a modest goal to read at least 12 books per year in addition to my weekend Wall Street Journal.  I like to mix up my books and read a balance of leadership books and fiction just for fun.  My preference is still to read real books, made of paper.

There are two key reasons I prefer paper books:

I love the feel of the book.  I like to be able to see the bookmark progress towards the end.  I love the idea of being able to make a note or underline, though I rarely do so.  Yes, many of these things are available in digital form but are not quite the same.  Many times, I digitize my notes anyway, but that isn’t the point.  There is something special about the tactile feel of the book.  Plus, seeing it in my bag or on the nightstand is a much bigger reminder to read than seeing my phone or computer.  There are lots of things I can do with those, so my first instinct is not necessarily to pick it up and read when I see it.

The second reason is real books are easy to give away.  Again, I know it is possible to give books digitally.  However, there seems to be something unique about sitting across the table from someone, handing them a book, maybe even the copy I read, and discussing it.

My favorite new habit I developed last year, was to give away every book I read.  This was not true of any of the books I read in a digital format, but for all the books I read on paper.  It seemed like with every book I read, someone would inevitably come to mind.  I would think to myself, “I bet (fill in the blank) would love to read this too.  They would enjoy it and benefit so much from it just as I have.”  Then when I would finish the book, I would meet with them, give them the book and share why I think they will enjoy it.  It was such fun to see their surprise and interest.

In full disclosure, this idea was partly inspired by my wife asking me every time I bought a new book “Now what are we going to do with all these books?”  Solved that problem.  Love you, Ashley!  Thanks for the inspiration!

Here are some examples of the books I read, then gave away last year:

What To Do When It’s Your Turn by Seth Godin
Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie
Turn the Ship Around by David Marquet
The Trial by Franz Kafka
The Tom Peters Seminar: Crazy Times Call for Crazy Organizations by Tom Peters
Frank Sinatra Has A Cold by Gay Talese
The Compound Effect by Darren Hardy – This one is extra cool because it was first given to me, so I really just passed it on

If you could go to your bookshelf right now, pick a book and give it away, what book would it be and who would you give it to?