The word investing usually conjures up visions of high finance, stocks, bonds, real estate, and commodity trading. While those are all important financial investments, and should form your current account and retirement portfolio, there are other forms of investment as well. One of those is investing in yourself.
While other financial investments have periods of rising bull markets or falling bear markets, personal improvement doesn't go through business cycles. In fact, the value of investing in oneself only increases in value over a person's lifetime. The more you learn in your areas of interest, and the more general knowledge you gain in other areas, the more successful you will become. Knowledge is power, and the road to achieving your personal and business goals.
One time tested way to enhance your personal knowledge is to purchase books and build a personal library. While there are indeed many other methods of adding to your store of knowledge, we'll concentrate on books today.
There are two ways to buy books. One method is to buy brand new books. The other technique is to purchase used books. I recommend both ideas as a means of developing a personal knowledge reference library. Both new and used books have their advantages and disadvantages, just like anything else. A good home library will consist of books purchased through several different venues.
Buying used books
Several sources of used books are available on a very regular basis. One place to buy used books is a store that specializes in buying and selling secondhand volumes. Very often, some rare or hard to locate editions will appear in used book shops, helping to fill out your collection with a very valuable item. As an added bonus, the book can be read and its wisdom absorbed. Get to know several used book dealers as they can be an important source of assistance in locating hard to find books, and be willing to negotiate a better price for you. They will also be more than willing to purchase or exchange books with people whom they know as well.
Another couple of great places to buy used books are the lowly garage sale amd the flea market. Many times, some very good books, especially business and general knowledge books, are available at very low prices. We are talking under one dollar per book here, with room to negotiate the price even lower if you are volume purchaser. The problem with the yard sale or the flea market is many boxes of less than desirable books have to be sorted through prior to finding your nugget of literary gold.
Public libraries often hold public sales of books no longer required in the library stacks. Since many of the library holdings are hard to get anywhere else, it's advisable to attend one of their sales. Be sure to arrive at the opening of the selling to get best selection, and to purchase those difficult to source editions. At the same time, be sure to attend the very last couple of hours on the final day of the sale. Very often, unsold books will be remaindered to the public in bulk at very low prices. Overlooked or volumes just outside of your main target areas will be offered at almost giveaway prices as the staff doesn't want to remove the excess stock.
Pre-owned books can also be purchased online through dealers, online flea markets, eBay and Amazon.com.
Careful searching of various sources of used books will enhance your growing library. Books increase your knowledge of your subject area, as well as enhance your information level, on other topics outside your usual knowledge boundaries.
Next in Books and Kowledge: Invest in yourself Part 2:
Buying new books
