Could books be part of your legacy?

I read about 1-2 books per month. That’s 18 per year or 180 books per decade. That’s not a whole lot of books.

With the awareness that time is limited, I’d like to be very intentional about what I’m reading. 

I enjoy a mix of fiction and non-fiction. For the most part, reading is a tool for self-development and maintenance for my brain.

But could there also be something to leave for future generations with what I’m acquiring?

How has reading impacted my life in general?

How have particular books helped me?

What are the most relevant books I’ve read in my life?

I think the answers to these questions are more relevant than our physical or digital books themselves. I often prune my bookshelves (yes, I have more than one). I’m not particularly eager to burden individuals with giving them books and have an inherent expectation of them finding the time to read them. I instead take my books to a used bookstore and pass them into the hands of strangers that might give them a 2nd or 3rd life.

I could think about the connection this creates between people who don’t know each other or don’t know about their relationship of holding the same book in their hands, but that goes too far into the spiritual world and is beyond the purpose of Footprint Questions. You’d have to talk to my life partner Michelle Wolf. She’d be all over that. 

Let’s stay focused and go back to the questions above.

One of the most level reading is part of our brain & speech development. I read a lot of my news in German, and nearly all my books are in English. This guarantees solid exposure to the two languages I know best. Reading provides me with knowledge and talking points. We say that teaching is a great learning experience. My learnings from readings often turn into tiny teachings. 

One important thing I learned is that books can be a great anchor for me in times of crisis. In my young years, I struggled in a co-dependent relationship. I felt a lot of pity for myself. I went to see a therapist, and she pulled a book out of her shelf. I started reading and learned about other people sharing my struggles. My self-pity was replaced by curiosity and learning from others how to manage their co-dependency. Reading this book didn’t make me an expert in the subject, but it made me feel much better.

I can think of other situations where the right book fell into my hands at the right time. I once browsed an airport bookstore and found a book about Highly Sensitive People by Elaine N. Aron. Reading about “my tribe” made me feel less alone and ok with myself when I felt overwhelmed by too much overall noise in my life.

At another time found a book named “A small treatise on the great virtues” by a French philosopher named Andre Compte-Sponville. I’m not religious and only mildly spiritual. This book is like a manifesto of my moral compass. 

The biography about the Wright Brothers by David McCullough also profoundly impacted me. Reading about their achievements gave me goosebumps. It almost gets you addicted to having some of those moments yourselves. Their interaction is also fascinating. They always had great respect for each other, but they did argue a lot—all in the interest of coming up with the best solution to a problem they were facing. The reasoning was not about being right or diminishing the other. It was complex problem-solving. At times they even adopted each other’s positions and still kept arguing. Today I see a lost argument as a win since I actually learned something new. 

I could add to this list, but you get the point.

You might still want to keep your entire library and eventually pass it on to someone else. But some of you might see value in a different approach.

Prepare a list for others and answer some of the questions above. Maybe add some questions of your own. 

I would not go as far as to say: “Tell me what books you read, and I will tell you who you are.” But sharing about your most influential reading could be an essential part of your legacy. It might very well be a moment of self-reflection worth sharing. 

As always: please let me know your thoughts in the comments. Your feedback is important to me.