Really eclectic and amazing collection of books, James. "Grizzly Years" by Doug Peacock is one of my favourites. I will gave to check out the "Against Civilization" book. I'd heard about it and have not yet read it.
I have given away and reduced my own collection over the past few years. It was a difficult thing to do, but ultimately I feel lighter mentally somehow - hard to explain.
Thank you, Neil! Lighter is a good way of describing the feeling that comes with giving books away. It’s a lot to feel tied to, a library; it’s rewarding to lessen the scale of it and also spread the joy of good books.
James, You have quite the collection. Keep doing what you are doing with those books. Treasure them, give some away, obtain more. Books are our link to life learning. When I recently moved, my daughter took books I would have perhaps given to a thrift store so that I would still have access to them and also so she and her fiance might read them. I'm currently down to one bookshelf, and it's so laden with books I have to dig through the piles of books in front of other books.
Thank you, Pamela. Books are key to continuing to better ourselves and learn. They also are meaningful gifts to give. Most of my books live in piles too--at least they are accessible!
What a fascinating read. I have managed to move quite a few books on from my library but my canoeing and kayaking ones are more problematic. I have no desire to get rid of those. (currently nearly 700).Plenty of interesting books in your article which I am going to have to seek out.
700 kayaking and canoeing books! What a great depth of material. Definitely don't get rid of those (looking at your newsletter I see why you have so many). Thank you for reading, Kevin.
Thank you! I hope you end up with a great library.
Some books that stood out from my mid-20s were Notes From Underground, which I mentioned in the post already I just love it that much. Anna Karenina - Tolstoy. The Art of Loading Brush by Wendell Berry. Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man - Joyce. Camus's The Rebel, a lot of DFW, reading Infinite Jest was great because it's a great book but also the scale of the undertaking made for an experience. Same with The Brothers Karamazov. Anything Gogol, Stendhal's The Red and the Black. Susan Faludi's Stiffed. I could keep going, a lot of books have been important to me.
Perhaps it is what we collectors of books just do (?)
Every move I have made warrants a culling, painful in the moment, yet after I’ve reshelved what is left it’s difficult to remember what I gave away.
One friend (after helping me move into a 3 flights up apt) said “ just two words Teyani.. Library Card”. We all laughed.
While your collection is more erudite than mine, I too calm when sitting among my books.
I had a large guest bedroom in my condo that had two entryways, so naturally, I hired someone to erect a wall, cutting the room in half, and added built in bookshelves. A library!
Thank you for reading and for your comment, Teyani! I would not call my collection "erudite," maybe eclectic, but I appreciate the kindness of your word. A room totally dedicated to books is the dream, built-in shelves are the icing on the cake.
It’s MIT’s brief one about neuroplasticity, of that title. Definitely emphasizes the “neuro” side of it—hence my interest—and it has excerpts every so often that align with Resilient Mental State.
One of its full page excerpts: “Training optimizes the brain areas and neural pathways involved in performing a given task; as a result, the individual’s performance on that task improves, and the task eventually becomes automized and effortless.”
From the preceding chapter: “Physical activity, environmental enrichment, and learning tasks enhance the proliferation of neural stem cells and, in some cases, promote the survival of newborn neurons…”
When I read passages like that your mindset comes to mind! I remembered you said you liked the word “plasticity.”
The book is where I came across that 1890 quote about plasticity. “Weak enough to yield…strong enough not to yield all at once.” I love the sentiment though think the phrase “weak enough” has gained some negative connotations since 1890, namely the word “weak.” Weakness is a negative, I’d revamp it in a positive tone for 2025: Plasticity: Being flexible enough to yield when yielding facilitates longer-term growth; strong enough not to yield entirely.
Hell yeah. Appreciate you sharing. I’ll be checking it out. Always like trying to update my language in this space. All of my interest in neuroplasticity started with my work as an audiologist, particularly working with patients that had bothersome tinnitus. Fascinating what the brain is capable of in all directions.
Your experience and expertise as an audiologist give you a particular understanding of this space, I'd imagine. I don't have tinnitus, but my balance was dog shit for years and still isn't perfect. I was glad when you shared your post on balance training a little while ago. For further neuroplasticity reading I'd recommend anything by Norman Doidge if you haven't read him already: The Brain That Changes Itself and The Brain's Way of Healing.
In all I've read and experienced of neuroplasticity the common denominators are effort and intention. A few of your Intentional Stress Challenges are particularly useful for the brain: Learn a new skill; physical exertion; fear exposure (don't talk yourself out of trying stuff your brain still needs to learn, doing the thing is how it learns).
I apologize for the verbosity of my comments today, but I'm just happy we crossed paths here--and I've got a lot to say about the brain and neuroplasticity.
I love it! These are my favorite types of comments/discussions. Like you said, the balance system is another amazing one and where I found myself going deeper into the power of what we call “compensation” in the balance space where the brain and body adjusts to deficits in any of the sensory systems that contribute to balance.
The relationship we have with our books is so complex. So formative and intimate. Paul Swanson of the Contemplify podcast always begins his interviews by asking his guest this question:
“If someone were to take a class on you, James Freitas, what five books would be required reading?
James, I really enjoyed this post. I can’t help but appreciate the dog sled books. The Penguin collection is impressive. I’m reminded so much of all of the books that have passed in and out of my life over the years. I would have thousands had I kept them all, but I still have several from different times in my life.
I’m glad you enjoyed it Heidi! I figured you would enjoy the sled dog books. As books come and go or stay in our lives, they become central elements of our stories—talismans.
That's impressive! I do admire a good personal library! I'm in the process of re-arranging my house and making one room a dedicated library is on my list of things to do. It just involves moving books from one room to another, though. 😁
Thank you, Erik! A dedicated library room is the dream—a 100% library room, rather than 3 rooms that are each 33% library. Moving books can be arduous and frustrating but it also provides the chance to hold some copies and reconnect with them.
Enviable organization -- mine are arranged haphazardly, falling and stacking where they may. I look now: Jeffers next to Juvenal next to Stegner next to Murakami. I recognize many in your collection, am inspired to discover others. Thanks for sharing!
Thank you for reading, Lou! Haphazardness comes with all personal libraries, I probably make mine sound better than it actually is. Lots of piles that move all the time. Glad to hear Jeffers has a place in your collection, too few people give his work the attention it deserves.
Excellent! I was lucky to have been introduced to him in college. A professor (who also was a musher with a team of sled dogs, cool guy) asked: who is the greatest American poet? We all guessed wrong, his answer was Jeffers.
I recently unpacked mine, also. Lots of old friends there.
I don’t give books away. They are like the footnotes to my life. I suppose someday, someone will need to decide what to do with them. I pray they don’t end up in a yard sale priced at $2 per full apple box.
It’s tough to give them away, but passing a formative volume on to a friend or family member makes it feel a little better. Yard sales and bulk savings boxes are sad fates for good books.
So awesome, James. Reviewing this rich list will take me awhile. Looking forward to the adventure.
Thanks, Jesse. I hope there are some books in here that prove worth your while!
Really eclectic and amazing collection of books, James. "Grizzly Years" by Doug Peacock is one of my favourites. I will gave to check out the "Against Civilization" book. I'd heard about it and have not yet read it.
I have given away and reduced my own collection over the past few years. It was a difficult thing to do, but ultimately I feel lighter mentally somehow - hard to explain.
Thank you, Neil! Lighter is a good way of describing the feeling that comes with giving books away. It’s a lot to feel tied to, a library; it’s rewarding to lessen the scale of it and also spread the joy of good books.
James, You have quite the collection. Keep doing what you are doing with those books. Treasure them, give some away, obtain more. Books are our link to life learning. When I recently moved, my daughter took books I would have perhaps given to a thrift store so that I would still have access to them and also so she and her fiance might read them. I'm currently down to one bookshelf, and it's so laden with books I have to dig through the piles of books in front of other books.
Thank you, Pamela. Books are key to continuing to better ourselves and learn. They also are meaningful gifts to give. Most of my books live in piles too--at least they are accessible!
Very jealous of the fly fishing collection - McGuane has got to be the all time best. Give “bloodknots” a read if you haven’t yet.
Thank you for sharing your love of books - I had to pause and quickly scroll before deciding to revisit later.
Walter Benjamin wrote a memorable essay about his library - you continue to carry the torch.
Thank you so much! Benjamin’s essay is so good.
What a fascinating read. I have managed to move quite a few books on from my library but my canoeing and kayaking ones are more problematic. I have no desire to get rid of those. (currently nearly 700).Plenty of interesting books in your article which I am going to have to seek out.
700 kayaking and canoeing books! What a great depth of material. Definitely don't get rid of those (looking at your newsletter I see why you have so many). Thank you for reading, Kevin.
Hope to have a collection like this one day James. Do you have a recommendation for a man in his mid-twenties to read?
Thank you! I hope you end up with a great library.
Some books that stood out from my mid-20s were Notes From Underground, which I mentioned in the post already I just love it that much. Anna Karenina - Tolstoy. The Art of Loading Brush by Wendell Berry. Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man - Joyce. Camus's The Rebel, a lot of DFW, reading Infinite Jest was great because it's a great book but also the scale of the undertaking made for an experience. Same with The Brothers Karamazov. Anything Gogol, Stendhal's The Red and the Black. Susan Faludi's Stiffed. I could keep going, a lot of books have been important to me.
That’s fantastic I will dive into all of those
Perhaps it is what we collectors of books just do (?)
Every move I have made warrants a culling, painful in the moment, yet after I’ve reshelved what is left it’s difficult to remember what I gave away.
One friend (after helping me move into a 3 flights up apt) said “ just two words Teyani.. Library Card”. We all laughed.
While your collection is more erudite than mine, I too calm when sitting among my books.
I had a large guest bedroom in my condo that had two entryways, so naturally, I hired someone to erect a wall, cutting the room in half, and added built in bookshelves. A library!
No one was using that old room anyway! 🤗
Thank you for reading and for your comment, Teyani! I would not call my collection "erudite," maybe eclectic, but I appreciate the kindness of your word. A room totally dedicated to books is the dream, built-in shelves are the icing on the cake.
If you weren’t already cool enough…
Thank you, Kyle! The neuroplasticity book I'm reading has a lot just about the word "plasticity"--great stuff about a great word.
What is the book called?
It’s MIT’s brief one about neuroplasticity, of that title. Definitely emphasizes the “neuro” side of it—hence my interest—and it has excerpts every so often that align with Resilient Mental State.
One of its full page excerpts: “Training optimizes the brain areas and neural pathways involved in performing a given task; as a result, the individual’s performance on that task improves, and the task eventually becomes automized and effortless.”
From the preceding chapter: “Physical activity, environmental enrichment, and learning tasks enhance the proliferation of neural stem cells and, in some cases, promote the survival of newborn neurons…”
When I read passages like that your mindset comes to mind! I remembered you said you liked the word “plasticity.”
The book is where I came across that 1890 quote about plasticity. “Weak enough to yield…strong enough not to yield all at once.” I love the sentiment though think the phrase “weak enough” has gained some negative connotations since 1890, namely the word “weak.” Weakness is a negative, I’d revamp it in a positive tone for 2025: Plasticity: Being flexible enough to yield when yielding facilitates longer-term growth; strong enough not to yield entirely.
https://mitpress.mit.edu/9780262529334/neuroplasticity/
Hell yeah. Appreciate you sharing. I’ll be checking it out. Always like trying to update my language in this space. All of my interest in neuroplasticity started with my work as an audiologist, particularly working with patients that had bothersome tinnitus. Fascinating what the brain is capable of in all directions.
Your experience and expertise as an audiologist give you a particular understanding of this space, I'd imagine. I don't have tinnitus, but my balance was dog shit for years and still isn't perfect. I was glad when you shared your post on balance training a little while ago. For further neuroplasticity reading I'd recommend anything by Norman Doidge if you haven't read him already: The Brain That Changes Itself and The Brain's Way of Healing.
In all I've read and experienced of neuroplasticity the common denominators are effort and intention. A few of your Intentional Stress Challenges are particularly useful for the brain: Learn a new skill; physical exertion; fear exposure (don't talk yourself out of trying stuff your brain still needs to learn, doing the thing is how it learns).
I apologize for the verbosity of my comments today, but I'm just happy we crossed paths here--and I've got a lot to say about the brain and neuroplasticity.
Thank you for recommendations on Norman too as I haven’t read him yet
I love it! These are my favorite types of comments/discussions. Like you said, the balance system is another amazing one and where I found myself going deeper into the power of what we call “compensation” in the balance space where the brain and body adjusts to deficits in any of the sensory systems that contribute to balance.
Thanks for sharing your library
Thanks for reading, Peter!
The relationship we have with our books is so complex. So formative and intimate. Paul Swanson of the Contemplify podcast always begins his interviews by asking his guest this question:
“If someone were to take a class on you, James Freitas, what five books would be required reading?
What a great question--though not an easy one! I'll probably change my mind in five minutes about this:
1. Notes From Underground - Dostoevsky.
2. The Art Of Loading Brush - Wendell Berry.
3. To A God Unknown - John Steinbeck
4. Consider The Lobster - David Foster Wallace
5. A Box of Matches - Nicholson Baker
I already want to change that list but I'll leave it as is.
What about you? If someone were to take a class on you, Ann Collins, what five books would be required reading?
James, I think it’s fine if the list keeps changing. Life is a perpetual unfolding. it’s such a fun question, right? :-)
Here’s my 5 (the first two that never change and the last three that constantly change)
Always We Begin Again by John McQuiston II
Anam Cara
by John O’Donohue
The Essential Rumi
trans. Coleman Barks
Emergence Magazine: Vol. 5 Time
The Struggle to Adore poems by Alane Rolllings
(1994)
All titles to add to my TBR!
I feel the same about your list, James. My mom just sent me Wendell Berry’s
Jayber Crow and wants me to read it with her. also, the poem Berry wrote for his wife is one of the most beautiful things I’ve ever read.
https://allpoetry.com/poem/12625918-The-Country-of-Marriage-by-Wendell-Berry
James, I really enjoyed this post. I can’t help but appreciate the dog sled books. The Penguin collection is impressive. I’m reminded so much of all of the books that have passed in and out of my life over the years. I would have thousands had I kept them all, but I still have several from different times in my life.
I’m glad you enjoyed it Heidi! I figured you would enjoy the sled dog books. As books come and go or stay in our lives, they become central elements of our stories—talismans.
That's impressive! I do admire a good personal library! I'm in the process of re-arranging my house and making one room a dedicated library is on my list of things to do. It just involves moving books from one room to another, though. 😁
Thank you, Erik! A dedicated library room is the dream—a 100% library room, rather than 3 rooms that are each 33% library. Moving books can be arduous and frustrating but it also provides the chance to hold some copies and reconnect with them.
Enviable organization -- mine are arranged haphazardly, falling and stacking where they may. I look now: Jeffers next to Juvenal next to Stegner next to Murakami. I recognize many in your collection, am inspired to discover others. Thanks for sharing!
Thank you for reading, Lou! Haphazardness comes with all personal libraries, I probably make mine sound better than it actually is. Lots of piles that move all the time. Glad to hear Jeffers has a place in your collection, too few people give his work the attention it deserves.
Came across “Carmel Point” a few years ago, couldn’t believe I hadn’t heard of Jeffers sooner — and immediately sought to rectify that!
Excellent! I was lucky to have been introduced to him in college. A professor (who also was a musher with a team of sled dogs, cool guy) asked: who is the greatest American poet? We all guessed wrong, his answer was Jeffers.
I recently unpacked mine, also. Lots of old friends there.
I don’t give books away. They are like the footnotes to my life. I suppose someday, someone will need to decide what to do with them. I pray they don’t end up in a yard sale priced at $2 per full apple box.
It’s tough to give them away, but passing a formative volume on to a friend or family member makes it feel a little better. Yard sales and bulk savings boxes are sad fates for good books.