I’m reading The Book of Alchemy by Suleika Jaouad, and I’m reading it on my Kindle. I love physical books, but there’s one experience I get from a Kindle that I don’t get from physical books (even if a couple folks have scribbled in the margins): seeing which passages readers have highlighted, and exactly how many have highlighted it. An example:
But I knew that a fear-driven life was one where I never made plans, where I stopped myself from dreaming ambitiously. It meant living safe and small, always hedging against the worst-case scenario. Instead, I wanted to live boldly. I wanted to hold the best-case scenario at the forefront and have that guide my decisions and actions.
At the time of my reading, 274 people had highlighted that passage on the Kindle. 274 people who maybe felt the same way as the author. 274 people who might similarly want to guide their actions with the best-case scenario. Kindle highlights are aspirational. They’re little nuggets you can collect to validate who you are or who you want to be.