We can spend Rs 5,000 for a meal at the Taj and thousands on all kinds of shopping, but we're always stingy ab... — Sudha Murty

We can spend Rs 5,000 for a meal at the Taj and thousands on all kinds of shopping, but we're always stingy about books. We always think of borrowing. Why? Writers can use some support. If you have space and money, you should buy your own books.

Author: Sudha Murty

Insight: There's something revealing about how we spend money. We'll drop serious cash on a fancy dinner or the latest gadget without much hesitation, yet when it comes to books, we suddenly become accountants. We hunt for used copies, wait for library holds, ask friends if we can borrow theirs. It's not really about the cost per page—it's about what we unconsciously believe deserves our investment. The tricky part is that books are arguably the most personal purchase you can make. When you own a book, you're not just buying pages; you're creating a relationship with an idea that lives in your space, gets marked up with your thoughts, sits waiting to be revisited. A borrowed book is temporary by definition. Your own book becomes part of how you think. It's there when you need it at 2 a.m., without needing anyone's permission or availability. There's also the quiet reality that writers—unlike restaurants or shopping malls—depend on actual sales to keep going. When we treat books as luxuries we borrow rather than own, we're voting with our wallets that ideas don't matter as much as experiences we can photograph or consume. Buying a book is one of the few ways regular people directly support the people whose thoughts have changed them.