Tsundoku: How to Manage Your Ever-Growing Reading Pile | Chapterly Blog
Tsundoku: How to Manage Your Ever-Growing Reading Pile There is a Japanese word for the act of acquiring books and letting them pile up unread: tsundoku. It combines the words for stacking with the word for reading, and it describes something almost every book lover knows intimately. The stack of unread books on your nightstand. The overflowing shelves. The growing list of titles you absolutely must read next. If you feel guilty about your unread book pile, this guide might change your perspective. Tsundoku is more common, more understandable, and potentially more beneficial than you think. Why We Accumulate Books The Aspirational Self When you buy a book, you are making a small investment in a version of yourself that you want to become. The person who understands quantum physics, speaks conversational Italian, or finally reads all of Dostoevsky. Each book represents a possibility, and possibilities feel good to acquire even when we know we may never realize them. This is not irrational. Research on identity and motivation shows that surrounding yourself with aspirational objects can reinforce the identity you are building. The bookshelf of unread books is a physical manifestation of your intellectual curiosity and ambition. Fear of Missing...