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Sharing and Giving

A great idea for this time of year
by kylara70
November 20, 2004
I love bookcrossing. It is a unique and interesting experiment in this chaos we call humanity.

There is just something special about giving things away. We often never read a book again, it sits on our shelves and gathers dust. How often does someone come into your home and ask to borrow a book? It does not happen very often to me, in fact, maybe once in a blue moon. Even when I have guests and they are visiting for a long period of time, they will rarely pick a book off the shelf and read it. Are my books boring, or not their style? I have a VERY eclectic mix, and it would be almost impossible for them not to find SOMETHING they like. I have Tennyson and Shakespear, Nancy Drew and The Hardy Boys, Dr. Suess and Shel Silverstein. I have Fantasy, Science Fiction, science fact and college textbooks. I have antique books that I know no one younger than 50 has read. I have magazines of many kinds. These are all available and out where they could choose them, if they looked. But I have no takers.

So, I give them away with Bookcrossing. I love the idea, the spirit, of bookcrossing. I want so badly to pass on the books I've enjoyed and I can do this through relasing books in the wild and sending them off to people who would like to have them. I can save others' money. I can release in places where people who NEED books are most likely to find them. I can choose to release my ideals through books that communicate these thoughts. I can release laughter through a funny book. I can release art if that's what is most important to me. I can release my religious views through books that share them. It is unadulterated Freedom of speech, Freedom of religion, and Freedom of expression. This is the way to share with people who are interested, because no one picks up a book and takes it home and sighs, "Well, I guess I HAVE to read this." There is excitement. There is joy, and hopefully, there is thankfulness after the read for a book shared, an idea shared, and a few moments well spent.

What a GREAT idea! Thanks Ron, for coming up with this concept and promoting it and supporting it.

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