To be a true anything, to me it's not what you physically have, it's how passionate you are about the topic and how you apply yourself to the situation.  So.....I guess what I'm trying to say is, I'd rather have one book of quality, vice 100 full of fluff.

I am somewhat guilty of straddling the fence on this issue of quantity vs. quality.  Since I am overly curious, I will always want to know what is inside each book.  However...


When it comes to spiritual or religious books, I try to understand what I can from a few books before I continue onto other books.  Otherwise, the new stuff will confuse me.  While the amount of books out there are good for scholarly purposes, I feel I learn just as much (if not more) from people who have been indoctrinated in a religious tradition out there.  So, I use books for scholarly and research purposes, which makes me get more than just a few..  At the same time, though, experiential aspects of religion and spirituality are equally as important (and take precedence over scholarly knowledge).  I am not sure if I make any sense here...

When it comes to learning skills, I am definitely leaning toward quality in books.  The skills that can be obtained from book knowledge is limited, and I strive to try to find an accredited teacher to continue the mastery of certain skills...so getting more and more books strikes me as counter-productive in this regard.

I think in the end, it really depends.  If people read fiction, they will likely find themselves looking for only certain categories or styles and therefore pay attention to the quality...but then they also start trying to get more and more books by that author for as long as the author keeps the same, quality-level writing.  I tend to fall under this category, as well.



See? I cannot just pick one or another.  :-D  It really depends.


Sincerely,
ResplendentSeraphim