During residency, one of my junior residents, let’s call him
Jimmy, asked me for book recommendations.
I told him some good books, and mentioned one book that was absolutely essential
for our residency. Our main Sports
attending was in love with it and would nag you on that rotation unless you had
it. And it was actually a really good
book.
Jimmy didn’t buy the book.
He took it out from the library and agreed it was a good book, but he
didn’t want to buy it. He told me he’d
just take it out from the library during rotations where he needed it. He said he didn’t want to actually buy any
books during residency when he could get them for free from the library.
OK, yes, residents are not exactly rolling in dough. But Jimmy was married to a hospitalist, who
was probably pulling in about $200,000 per year. He had no kids and wasn’t planning on having
any for at least a few years. I don’t
know his debt situation, but I’m fairly sure he was doing better financially
than me and my student husband and baby requiring a nanny. So I was seriously kind of irritated by his
refusal to spend $40 on a good book.
What was up with that?
("Wouldn't it be easier to buy your own copy of
the Bible?" "Sure, maybe on a librarian's salary.")
Wasting money is wasting money regardless of your financial situation. While he may have been better able to afford to waste it, if he didn't need to spend the money on the book(wasn't planning on keeping it long term or reference it regularly for multiple weeks/months) than why buy it?
ReplyDeleteI agree. I don't buy books period unless I absolutely have no other choice but to buy them, or if I want to have them on my own bookshelf. Books that are temporary, no matter how important to someone else, just don't get bought if I can avoid it.
ReplyDeleteI live in a big city where housing is expensive and space is always at a premium. I avoid accumulating things like the plague!
ReplyDeleteI would have relied on the library, too. I buy books, but I try to keep a lid on it. The books I read for pleasure, I buy if I know I'm going to want to reread them. And the books I read for work, I only buy if I know I'm going to mark them up or if I'm going to be called upon to refer to them often or at a moment's notice. Or if the library doesn't have them, which is frequently the case.
ReplyDeletePartly it's frugality and partly it's because I would end up buried in books otherwise. As it is, I have a lot of books in the house.
Personally, I would have bought the book. It's just a lot easier if you need to consult it or have it with you frequently. But I don't see why it should annoy you so much. Unless you wanted to get the book from the library and he always had it. ;)
ReplyDeleteI have not bought a book in the last three years. I only buy books that I think are absolutely crucial. I didn't even buy the "Bible" of PM&R. But this book was something that I use so frequently during residency, not buying it was unthinkable. And he agreed how important the book was. I just felt like he was cheaping out for no reason.
ReplyDeleteYou cheap out on many things I see no reason for. :)
DeleteEveryone has different priorities. I hate spending money on clothes, even the cheap ones, but books are my addiction. I like to be surrounded by them, I love to stand in front of a bookshelf and wonder which one I'm going to read next, the whole deal.
Or maybe he and his wife are saving up for something? Or someone must have hit them up for some major moolah so they can't afford it now?
ReplyDeleteI manged to rely on the library all throughout medical school. If I don't think I'll use it long term then I probably won't buy it. The Medic Mind
ReplyDeleteWhat was the book? I'd like to buy it.
ReplyDeleteWhat was the book? I'd like to buy it.
ReplyDelete