The Tyranny Of The To-Read Pile

Sent in by Zen In Darkness: The Tyranny Of The To-Read Pile. An excerpt:

Over recent months I've read plenty of articles about the impact the credit crunch will have on publishing, and the general consensus appears to be that while it will doubtless be affected like every other industry, the impact will likely be gentler than elsewhere. The industry is used to struggling already, so it's less likely to be panicked by narrowing profit margins than those skittish coke-fiends in the city. What's more, recessions generally don't seem to stop people buying books. Punters may have less money to throw away on extravagant food-porn absurdities such as The Big Fat Duck Cookbook, but this is balanced out by the sad fact that plenty of people suddenly find themselves with a lot more time to read.

I'm prepared to go along with that theory, but an article I just came across on bookninja.com has led me to question the premise slightly. The stealthy links-master (whom I love even though he once tried to have me assassinated) suggests that if we're feeling the financial pinch, we should stop going to bookshops: "Instead of going out and buying more books you fully-intend-to but are-not-going-to read, why not examine your shelves for ones that slipped through the cracks and feel lonely and neglected."

If everyone has as many unread books as I have such actions won't help the industry - as bookninja suggests. And much as I'd appreciate the spare cash he also points out will result from not buying books, the challenge has a definite dark side. In directing us to the books we already own, bookninja is asking us to confront the tyranny of the to-read pile head-on.