Little Free Libraries Reveal Neighbors Secrets
What you can learn by looking inside the box
Have you noticed any of these little boxes in your neighborhood?
These are Little Free Libraries that allow anyone to take a book and/or leave a book. I see them on my daily walks and they provide a fascinating window into the lives of the people who live around me.
The boxes are positioned at the edge of someone’s property and initially filled and maintained by the owner. One of the missions of the Little Free Library program is to help neighbors get to know each other better.
Here are some things I’ve discovered about my neighborhood by looking at the books inside these boxes.
The author describes his experiences in a Nazi concentration and his search to discover the meaning of life, love, hope, suffering, and survival. There are powerful messages for everyone going through challenging times.
We are surrounded by Stanford University and world-renown experts. Makes sense that someone would want to bring out the best in their kids as well.
It’s Silicon Valley, so of course, there’s a book by Peter Thiel, a co-founder of Paypal, Palantir, and infamously known as the first outside investor in Facebook. He’s sharing his personal beliefs about identifying opportunities, building companies, and inventing the future.
This photo of a man lusting after a piece of meat seemed rather ominous but it turns out this is a celebrity chef who really loves meat. This is a cookbook for people who are serious carnivores. Although, someone has donated it, so maybe my neighbors have been transformed by the Impossible Burger.
I think this little library reflects the beautiful diversity of our neighborhood. From the frivolity of searching for 28,000 missing rubber ducks, to an investigative report of the Taliban, to a billionaire’s how to build the future book, all three sit together in this box.
In this little library, there’s lots of inspiration and motivation to live your best physical, mental, and spiritual life. Here the Bhagavad is squeezed between Nice Girls Finish Fat and the Ultrametabolism book.
At first, I thought My Life On The Run, might be a reference to a fugitive or someone in the Federal Witness Protection Program. But, instead, it’s the true story of Bart Yasso who recounts the difficulties he’s overcome to be one of the top runners in the world. It’s full of memorable race experiences and despite being chased by rhinos, there’s plenty of encouragement for others to take up the sport.
So there’s always that one house that makes you think twice about who lives there. Stephen King’s book, The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon, is a psychological thriller and Linda Grant’s Random Access Murder is an edge-of-the-seat mystery. Not quite as intimidating as How to Commit the Perfect Crime and Get Away With It, but we might skip this house next Halloween.
From David Sedaris to Dr. Seuss. From Not Giving a F*ck to the End of Life Book Club. This house seems to have it all. They’ve got humor, something fun for the kids, life-changing advice, and the sweetness of an end-of-life story.
I love my neighborhood. Here are the top ten things I learned from looking inside the boxes.
- We are all searching for meaning and ways to get through tough times.
- We want the best for our kids while building a better future.
- We care about what we eat.
- We are globally connected.
- We want to stay physically active and have fun.
- We still like to hear scary stories.
- Dr. Seuss is still counting his fish.
- Humor is still the best medicine.
- Losing your rubber duckie can lead to great adventures.
- Even at the end of life, books can bring us home.
If you enjoyed this story, please consider supporting my efforts to continue writing by clicking here. https://ko-fi.com/susanbostian
If you want to have unlimited access to more stories consider a membership to Medium. It costs $5 a month and you will be able to read and write here too.
