“Klein and Seligman seem to share a belief that book ownership can, and indeed should, serve as a medium for displaying something important about yourself. They signify either what you already know or whom you would like to be — and (this is the major point) they do so for someone else. By this logic, bookshelves are a medium of social interaction.”

I would say my bookshelves are 50/50. They are filled with books that I have read from cover-to-cover (some more than once), AND also books that signify what I already know/who I would like to be. Maybe I’ll go through my shelves later and see if my 50/50 statement is actually accurate. I know you’ll wait with bated breath for the results.