--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: There is a simple rule: practice a kind…" description: "\"“There is a simple rule: practice a kind of generous selfishness. Give a book to a friend, but don't lend it, because you will never get it back. ~ Jam..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d0c/leah-price-36354_book_there-is-a-simple-rule-practice-a-kind-o_359377.jpg" --- # There is a simple rule: practice a kind of generous… ![“There is a simple rule: practice a kind of generous selfishness. Give a book to a friend, but don't lend it, because you will never get it back. ~ James Wood, author of The Book Against God.” quote by Leah Price](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d0c/leah-price-36354_book_there-is-a-simple-rule-practice-a-kind-o_359377.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d0c/leah-price-36354_book_there-is-a-simple-rule-practice-a-kind-o_359377.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d0c/leah-price-36354_book_there-is-a-simple-rule-practice-a-kind-o_359377.jpg) > ““There is a simple rule: practice a kind of generous selfishness. Give a book to a friend, but don't lend it, because you will never get it back. ~ James Wood, author of The Book Against God.”” [Leah Price](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leah-price/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Generous selfishness means sharing resources without expecting return, fostering community while protecting personal assets. **In simple terms:** Share freely but keep your own copies. Key Takeaway Give gifts, retain originals. Themes generosity self‑interest community Mood thoughtful practical Type advice philosophical When to use this quote - gift‑giving - library lending - friendship building Key Concepts reciprocity resource management Questions to Reflect On - When is it okay to keep something for yourself? - How do you balance generosity with self‑care? A Different Perspective Risk of losing trust if boundaries aren’t clear. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Book](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/book/) [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [Borrowing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/borrowing/) [Kindness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/kindness/) [Selfishness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/selfishness/) ## Related quotes > [“I hate lending, or borrowing—if you want me to read a book, tell me about it, or buy me a copy outright. Your loaned…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leah-price/i-hate-lending-or-borrowing-if-you-want-me-to-read-a-book-tell-me/) [Leah Price](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leah-price/) > [“I can lend you my money not my books.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amit-kalantri/i-can-lend-you-my-money-not-my-books/) [Amit Kalantri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amit-kalantri/) > [Words are alive--when I've found a story that I love, I read it again and again, like playing a favorite song over and over.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-paulsen/words-are-alive-when-i-ve-found-a-story-that-i-love-i-read-it-again/) [Gary Paulsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-paulsen/) > [“A book is a friend.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anita-sax/a-book-is-a-friend/) Anita Sax > [A book is a friend; a good book is a good friend. It will talk to you when you want it to talk, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/b-a-billingsly/a-book-is-a-friend-a-good-book-is-a-good-friend-it-will-talk-to-you/) B A Billingsly > [I honestly believe there is absolutely nothing like going to bed with a good #book; or a friend who's #read one.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phyllis-diller/i-honestly-believe-there-is-absolutely-nothing-like-going-to-bed-with/) [Phyllis Diller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phyllis-diller/) > [A book, being a physical object, engenders a certain respect that zipping electrons cannot. Because you cannot turn a book off, because you have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mo-willems/a-book-being-a-physical-object-engenders-a-certain-respect-that/) [Mo Willems](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mo-willems/) > [If you have a book, you have a friend.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-delaney/if-you-have-a-book-you-have-a-friend/) [Frank Delaney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-delaney/) > [“A book is a friend that never asks you to leave.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/educator-x/a-book-is-a-friend-that-never-asks-you-to-leave/) Educator X > [I have a beautiful address book a friend gave me in 1966. I literally cannot open it again. Ever. It sits on the shelf…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-herman/i-have-a-beautiful-address-book-a-friend-gave-me-in-1966-i-literally/) Jerry Herman > [“One of the things I hear a lot from people is how they found my book, or how they’ve shared it with other people.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-rothfuss/one-of-the-things-i-hear-a-lot-from-people-is-how-they-found-my-book/) [Patrick Rothfuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-rothfuss/) > [A book lying idle on a shelf is wasted ammunition. Like money, books must be kept in constant circulation... A book is not only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-miller/a-book-lying-idle-on-a-shelf-is-wasted-ammunition-like-money-books-2/) [Henry Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-miller/) > [“Books are the ultimate ride-or-die companions. They’re always there, never cancel plans, and don’t care if you’re in your pajamas. They offer wisdom, adventure,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/life-is-positive/books-are-the-ultimate-ride-or-die-companions-they-re-always-there/) Life is Positive > [A good book is either a friend or a teacher. The bad one is the boss.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m/a-good-book-is-either-a-friend-or-a-teacher-the-bad-one-is-the-boss/) M > [Hard-covered books break up friendships. You loan a hard covered book to a friend and when he doesn’t return it you get mad at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-steinbeck/hard-covered-books-break-up-friendships-you-loan-a-hard-covered-book/) [John Steinbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-steinbeck/) ## More by Leah Price > [“I feel that my tendency to acquire books is rather like someone smoking two packs a day: it's a terrible vice that I wish…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leah-price/i-feel-that-my-tendency-to-acquire-books-is-rather-like-someone/) [Leah Price](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leah-price/) > [“When you stand inside somebody's library, you get a powerful sense of who they are, and not just who they are now but who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leah-price/when-you-stand-inside-somebody-s-library-you-get-a-powerful-sense-of/) [Leah Price](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leah-price/) > [A self without a shelf remains cryptic; a home without books naked.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leah-price/a-self-without-a-shelf-remains-cryptic-a-home-without-books-naked/) [Leah Price](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leah-price/) > [“People sometimes act as though owning books you haven't read constitutes a charade or pretense, but for me, there's a lovely mystery and pregnancy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leah-price/people-sometimes-act-as-though-owning-books-you-haven-t-read/) [Leah Price](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leah-price/) > [Paper remains the standard to which digital media can only aspire.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leah-price/paper-remains-the-standard-to-which-digital-media-can-only-aspire/) [Leah Price](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leah-price/) > [“I do lend my books, but I have to be a bit selective because my marginalia are so incriminating.” --Alison Bechdel”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leah-price/i-do-lend-my-books-but-i-have-to-be-a-bit-selective-because-my/) [Leah Price](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leah-price/) > [“Just as television didn't put an end to radio or the movies (to say nothing of books), I don't think e-books will put an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leah-price/just-as-television-didn-t-put-an-end-to-radio-or-the-movies-to-say/) [Leah Price](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leah-price/) > [“Correction of Earlier Entry: 8/01/12 We read over the shoulders of giants; books place us in dialogue not just with an author but with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leah-price/correction-of-earlier-entry-8-01-12-we-read-over-the-shoulders-of/) [Leah Price](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leah-price/) > [“RE: Kindle, iPad, et cetera: For a researcher, these new ways of accessing information are just extraordinary. I thing it introduces the possibility of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leah-price/re-kindle-ipad-et-cetera-for-a-researcher-these-new-ways-of-accessing/) [Leah Price](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leah-price/) > [I felt the breath of God go cold on my skin.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leah-price/i-felt-the-breath-of-god-go-cold-on-my-skin/) [Leah Price](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leah-price/) > [Correction of Earlier Entry: 8/01/12We read over the shoulders of giants; books place us in dialogue not just with an author but with other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leah-price/correction-of-earlier-entry-8-01-12we-read-over-the-shoulders-of/) [Leah Price](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leah-price/) > [“I hate lending, or borrowing—if you want me to read a book, tell me about it, or buy me a copy outright. Your loaned…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leah-price/i-hate-lending-or-borrowing-if-you-want-me-to-read-a-book-tell-me/) [Leah Price](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leah-price/) [Explore all 13 Leah Price quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leah-price/) ## More Book quotes > [I think a new world will arise out of the religious mists when we approach our Bible with the idea that it is not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aiden-wilson-tozer/i-think-a-new-world-will-arise-out-of-the-religious-mists-when-we/) [Aiden Wilson Tozer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aiden-wilson-tozer/) > [If I had a dollar for every time I couldn’t sleep, I could buy a billion locks and finally read a book in peace.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aesop-rock/if-i-had-a-dollar-for-every-time-i-couldn-t-sleep-i-could-buy-a/) [Aesop Rock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aesop-rock/) > [Young men, especially in America, write to me and ask me to recommend “a course of reading.” Distrust a course of reading! People who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-lang/young-men-especially-in-america-write-to-me-and-ask-me-to-recommend-a/) [Andrew Lang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-lang/) > [The Rosary is the book of the blind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fulton-j-sheen/the-rosary-is-the-book-of-the-blind/) [Fulton J. Sheen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fulton-j-sheen/) > [I have many who keep me going, I am very fortunate in this sense. There is nothing like a child who knows more about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/floyd-cooper/i-have-many-who-keep-me-going-i-am-very-fortunate-in-this-sense-there/) [Floyd Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/floyd-cooper/) > [I think books in which people are really happy and things are going well are probably the most challenging novels there are to write,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-quindlen/i-think-books-in-which-people-are-really-happy-and-things-are-going/) [Anna Quindlen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-quindlen/) > [It's like the query letter problem that I just mentioned, magnified a hundredfold. You might be good at telling a story, but that doesn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-rothfuss/it-s-like-the-query-letter-problem-that-i-just-mentioned-magnified-a/) [Patrick Rothfuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-rothfuss/) > [I don't think I have made as much of my life as I should have. I should have written more books.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-m-schlesinger-jr/i-don-t-think-i-have-made-as-much-of-my-life-as-i-should-have-i/) [Arthur M. Schlesinger, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-m-schlesinger-jr/) > [Some books are not read in the right way because they have skipped a stage of opinion, assume a crystallization of information in society…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doris-lessing/some-books-are-not-read-in-the-right-way-because-they-have-skipped-a/) [Doris Lessing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doris-lessing/) > [“People talk about books that write themselves, and it's a lie. Books don't write themselves. It takes thought and research and a backache and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/people-talk-about-books-that-write-themselves-and-it-s-a-lie-books/) [Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/) > [There are great books in this world and great worlds in books.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-bronte/there-are-great-books-in-this-world-and-great-worlds-in-books/) [Anne Bronte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-bronte/) > [The purpose of this book is to supply, in the form suitable for laymen, guidance in the adoption and execution of an investment policy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-graham/the-purpose-of-this-book-is-to-supply-in-the-form-suitable-for-laymen/) [Benjamin Graham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-graham/) > [But I think that of all the literature that I studied, the book that did more than any other to fire my enthusiasm was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kwame-nkrumah/but-i-think-that-of-all-the-literature-that-i-studied-the-book-that/) [Kwame Nkrumah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kwame-nkrumah/) > [It's amazing to see things that are suggested in the book fully developed and so brilliantly realized through the artistry of the designers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzanne-collins/it-s-amazing-to-see-things-that-are-suggested-in-the-book-fully/) [Suzanne Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzanne-collins/) > [“But I’ve developed a great reputation for wisdom by ordering more books than I ever had time to read, and reading more books, by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilynne-robinson/but-i-ve-developed-a-great-reputation-for-wisdom-by-ordering-more/) [Marilynne Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilynne-robinson/) [Browse all 29,378 Book quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/book/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“There is a simple rule: practice a kind of generous selfishness. Give a book to a friend, but don't lend it, because you will never get it back. ~ James Wood, author of The Book Against God.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Leah Price" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leah-price/there-is-a-simple-rule-practice-a-kind-of-generous-selfishness-give-a/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Book" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leah-price/there-is-a-simple-rule-practice-a-kind-of-generous-selfishness-give-a/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d0c/leah-price-36354_book_there-is-a-simple-rule-practice-a-kind-o_359377.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d0c/leah-price-36354_book_there-is-a-simple-rule-practice-a-kind-o_359377.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d0c/leah-price-36354_book_there-is-a-simple-rule-practice-a-kind-o_359377.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“There is a simple rule: practice a kind of generous selfishness. Give a book to a friend, but don't lend it…” — Leah Price", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Leah Price", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leah-price/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“There is a simple rule: practice...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leah-price/there-is-a-simple-rule-practice-a-kind-of-generous-selfishness-give-a/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leah-price/there-is-a-simple-rule-practice-a-kind-of-generous-selfishness-give-a/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```