I remain steadfast in my belief/hope that projects for which I have some natural enthusiasm (such as the two I’ve set out for myself this winter) will not suck energy. And if I do get too sidetracked or lose interest, I can simply declare the project postponed or even cancelled, since I’m the one in charge!

I entirely agree about the memory of a book becoming my memory of the era in which I read it — but I don’t feel the same about needing to keep the book — keeping it doesn’t preserve the memory for me, in fact it can dilute it by ongoing interactions with the book. I think the only two books I have for that reason are “Ending Hunger”, which I sortof got to work on, though I’m not listed as a contributor, and — don’t laugh — my high school chemistry text. Bizarre, huh? And I certainly do have my “resource library” that will stay on my shelf. Beyond that, the only book I keep for sentimental reasons is “The World of Pooh”, inscribed by my grandparents for my 5th birthday… :)

And yes, having special privileges at the library (and first in line to see what comes in) is great!

Speaking of — we no longer have the space to hold a shelf or two of “buck a bag” paperbacks for sale. When they get donated, if I don’t want them for the shelf, they go immediately (soon as I can get to them) to the bookworm. But if I know that you are looking for certain subjects, authors or titles, I can always set them aside for you. So let me know your most-wished-for list — you never know, we get LOTS of donations…

Anyway, I find that because I read slowly a book can come to represent for me the period of time when I was reading it, and all its events. So that a book can stand as a mnemonic device, sort of, to trigger memory, and can be worth keeping on that basis alone. I also have the editor’s need to amass resources for future reference (hm, again–books as my past, books as my future …). But isn’t it great to hang out at the library where you get first shot at the NOW?

Generating buzz in the environmental community this fall is a book that was released on Earth Day 2008, “American Earth: Environmental Writing Since Thoreau,” edited by renowned author and movement organizer Bill McKibben and with a forward by Al Gore.

The first attempt to bring together in one place all the essential writings for the American environmental movement, American Earth is being called the “environmentalist’s bible.” It has started to gain mainstream accolades from the likes of U.S. News & World Report and The Boston Globe, which called it “the best resource between two covers” for anyone seeking to understand the “historical and intellectual roots of today’s environmental movement.”

The book has already been adopted into university curricula around the country, and environmental action groups like Earthjustice and the National Resources Defense Council have pegged this anthology of environmental literature a must-read.

At a time when being “green” is all the rage, this book is a great resource for anyone wanting a better foundation upon which to understand global climate change and other important environmental issues that have finally caught the attention of policymakers and leaders worldwide.

Check out the book’s website at http://www.americanearth.org for more information. It’s worth a look!