Member SilverFox1(he)

My collection is largely non-fiction with a specialization in the field of philosophy - slightly over half of my titles are tagged as philosophy. The remaining titles are across many fields in the liberal arts and humanities, especially in the social sciences and classic literature/Great Books categories. I have a sizeable collection of fine press books such as Franklin Library, Heritage & Limited Edition Club, etc. I have only a few antiquarian, 1st editions, or signed copies. Primarily I focus on collecting books that I have read and would like to have on my shelf, or books that I plan to read or would want to read. Of course life is short so I won't have time to read them all, but one of the pleasures of a curated library is knowing there are always good books on one's shelf still to read. While I appreciate the beauty of quality editions of books on a bookshelf, ultimately my interest in the content of the book trumps my interest in the book as a collectible object.

I have loved books all my life and can't imagine living in a home without them. My education is in the liberal arts with a degree in philosophy, followed by a few years in a philosophy doctoral program (ABD), thus explaining my special interest in reading/collecting philosophy books. I left academia to pursue a career in private industry (primarily in telecom), and am now semi-retired in my senior years, which has allowed me more time to return to my love of reading and books. Besides reading and collecting books, other hobbies in my life have included maps/cartography/geography, caving, and competitive distance running - having competed over the last 23 years in hundreds of races at distances ranging from 5K to the marathon (33 completed marathons and counting).