Trading my oversized NASA atlas for a tiny poetry book, still thinking about it

Last month at a swap in Portland, this older guy offered me a beat-up paperback of Rilke for my 15 pound NASA atlas. He said, 'That atlas will just sit on a shelf, but this will sit in your head.' I laughed and took the trade, mostly because he seemed so sure of himself. Now I'm wondering if I gave up something visually stunning for something that's technically harder to read. Is the value of a giant book in its presence or its contents? Has anyone else swapped big for small and regretted it or loved it?

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skyler_baker20d ago

I did the exact same thing a few years back with a huge art book, swapped it for a slim collection of essays. The art book was gorgeous, but honestly it just collected dust and looked heavy on my shelf. The essays I've reread like five times now, and every time I pick it up I find something new. The guy was right in my case, it's about what the book does for you, not what it looks like sitting there. The atlas will still be around somewhere if you ever really need it, but that Rilke might end up being worth way more to you in the long run.

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