--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: There are 10,000 books in my library, and…" description: "\"There are 10,000 books in my library, and it will keep growing until I die. This has exasperated my daughters, amused my friends and baffled my account..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8aa/pete-hamill-11832_accountants_there-are-10-000-books-in-my-library-and_1142240.jpg" --- # There are 10,000 books in my library, and it will keep… ![“There are 10,000 books in my library, and it will keep growing until I die. This has exasperated my daughters, amused my friends and baffled my accountant. If I had not picked up this habit in the library long ago, I would have more money in the bank today; I would not be richer.” quote by Pete Hamill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8aa/pete-hamill-11832_accountants_there-are-10-000-books-in-my-library-and_1142240.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8aa/pete-hamill-11832_accountants_there-are-10-000-books-in-my-library-and_1142240.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8aa/pete-hamill-11832_accountants_there-are-10-000-books-in-my-library-and_1142240.jpg) > “There are 10,000 books in my library, and it will keep growing until I die. This has exasperated my daughters, amused my friends and baffled my accountant. If I had not picked up this habit in the library long ago, I would have more money in the bank today; I would not be richer.” [Pete Hamill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pete-hamill/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. He humorously notes his endless book collection, acknowledging it brings joy despite financial cost, suggesting passion outweighs material wealth. **In simple terms:** He loves books so much they cost money, but he values the joy they bring. Key Takeaway Prioritize passion over profit. Themes literature passion materialism Mood playful reflective Type humorous philosophical When to use this quote - home libraries - budget planning - gift‑giving Key Concepts bibliophilia financial trade‑off personal fulfillment Questions to Reflect On - How do you balance hobbies with financial health? - What value do books bring beyond money? A Different Perspective Accumulating books may strain finances and relationships. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [000 Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/000-books-743572/) [Accountants](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/accountants/) [Baffled](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/baffled/) [Book](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/book/) [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [Books Library](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books-library-1462499/) [Children](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/children/) [Daughter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/daughter/) [Friendship](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/friendship/) [Growing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/growing/) [Habit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/habit/) [Habit Library](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/habit-library-3189014/) [Library](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/library/) [Library Growing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/library-growing-1828255/) [Library Long](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/library-long-3189013/) [Long](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/long/) [Long ago](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/long-ago/) [More money](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/more-money/) [My daughter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/my-daughter/) [Today](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/today/) [Writer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writer/) ## Related quotes > [“A little library, growing larger every year, is an honourable part of a man's history. It is a man's duty to have books. A…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-ward-beecher/a-little-library-growing-larger-every-year-is-an-honourable-part-of-a/) [Henry Ward Beecher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-ward-beecher/) > [“I don’t think that the definition of library has changed. Libraries have never been repositories solely of books. In Alexandria for instance, the model…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alberto-manguel/i-don-t-think-that-the-definition-of-library-has-changed-libraries/) [Alberto Manguel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alberto-manguel/) > [“A little library, growing larger every year, is an honorable part of a man's possessions. A library is not a luxury. It is one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-ward-beecher/a-little-library-growing-larger-every-year-is-an-honorable-part-of-a/) [Henry Ward Beecher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-ward-beecher/) > [A little library, growing every year, is an honorable part of a man’s history. It is a man’s duty to have books.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-ward-beecher/a-little-library-growing-every-year-is-an-honorable-part-of-a-man-s/) [Henry Ward Beecher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-ward-beecher/) > [A library is an ever-growing entity; it multiples seemingly unaided, it reproduces itself by purchase, theft, borrowings, gifts, by suggesting gaps through association, by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alberto-manguel/a-library-is-an-ever-growing-entity-it-multiples-seemingly-unaided-it/) [Alberto Manguel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alberto-manguel/) > [Ranganathan's 5 Laws: Books are for use. Books are for all. Every book its reader, or every reader his book. Save the time of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-r-ranganathan/ranganathan-s-5-laws-books-are-for-use-books-are-for-all-every-book/) [S. R. Ranganathan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-r-ranganathan/) > [A library is a growing organism.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-r-ranganathan/a-library-is-a-growing-organism/) [S. R. Ranganathan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-r-ranganathan/) > [“In the wake of the British army’s burning of the roughly 3,000 books belonging to Congress at Washington, Jefferson offered to sell the nation…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-meacham/in-the-wake-of-the-british-army-s-burning-of-the-roughly-3-000-books/) [Jon Meacham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-meacham/) > [If you have read 6,000 books in your lifetime, or even 600, it's probably because at some level you find 'reality' a bit of a disappointment.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-queenan/if-you-have-read-6-000-books-in-your-lifetime-or-even-600-it-s/) [Joe Queenan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-queenan/) > [I've read over 4,000 books in the last 20+ years. I don't know anybody who's read more books than I have. I read all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-winget/i-ve-read-over-4-000-books-in-the-last-20-years-i-don-t-know-anybody/) [Larry Winget](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-winget/) > [If you look on Amazon - if you do a search for personal finance, there are literally 20,000 books written on personal finance, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-patzer/if-you-look-on-amazon-if-you-do-a-search-for-personal-finance-there/) [Aaron Patzer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-patzer/) > [ \[General James Mattis\] a very talented individual. He's - has a personal library of about 10,000 books and he's read most of them on… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-r-mansoor/general-james-mattis-a-very-talented-individual-he-s-has-a-personal/) [Peter R. Mansoor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-r-mansoor/) > [“Every year, more than 120,000 new books are published in Britain, creating millions of volumes that will never be opened, let alone read. Many…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/every-year-more-than-120-000-new-books-are-published-in-britain/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“There are two kinds of people in the world, those who re-read and those who don’t. No, don’t be silly, there are far more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jo-walton/there-are-two-kinds-of-people-in-the-world-those-who-re-read-and/) [Jo Walton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jo-walton/) > [I attempt to read one book every day. I don't always achieve that, especially when I'm traveling. But when I'm home, I read almost…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-canfield/i-attempt-to-read-one-book-every-day-i-don-t-always-achieve-that/) [Jack Canfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-canfield/) ## More by Pete Hamill > [“The great novel of twentieth-century New York might be the Daily News.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pete-hamill/the-great-novel-of-twentieth-century-new-york-might-be-the-daily-news/) [Pete Hamill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pete-hamill/) > [Don't tell me about the world. Not today. 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Politicians may come and go, but they always get booed at the ballpark.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pete-hamill/more-than-anything-it-s-a-game-of-innocence-politicians-may-come-and/) [Pete Hamill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pete-hamill/) > [Human beings want to know too much abut each other, and that's why there are so many lies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pete-hamill/human-beings-want-to-know-too-much-abut-each-other-and-that-s-why/) [Pete Hamill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pete-hamill/) > [“ "The wanderer in Manhattan must go forth with a certain innocence, because New York is best seen with innocent eyes. It doesn't matter…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pete-hamill/the-wanderer-in-manhattan-must-go-forth-with-a-certain-innocence/) [Pete Hamill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pete-hamill/) > [There is something elegantly sinister about the Rolling Stones. They sit before you at a press conference like five unfolding switchblades; their faces set…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pete-hamill/there-is-something-elegantly-sinister-about-the-rolling-stones-they/) [Pete Hamill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pete-hamill/) > [The library is a place where most of the things I came to value as an adult had their beginnings.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pete-hamill/the-library-is-a-place-where-most-of-the-things-i-came-to-value-as-an/) [Pete Hamill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pete-hamill/) > [Frank Sinatra was the voice of the 20th-century American city.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pete-hamill/frank-sinatra-was-the-voice-of-the-20th-century-american-city/) [Pete Hamill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pete-hamill/) > [This is truly marvelous work full of mystery, nostalgia, joy, The Color of Whimsy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pete-hamill/this-is-truly-marvelous-work-full-of-mystery-nostalgia-joy-the-color/) [Pete Hamill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pete-hamill/) > [“In Mexico, I first encountered the attitude that was missing from the optimistic sense of living in the United States: a tragic sense of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pete-hamill/in-mexico-i-first-encountered-the-attitude-that-was-missing-from-the/) [Pete Hamill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pete-hamill/) > [“The world was a grand confusion. 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To be honest, I am a bit vague about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-robinson/property-is-my-major-investment-my-accountant-has-put-money-into/) [Anne Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-robinson/) [Browse all 226 Accountants quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/accountants/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "There are 10,000 books in my library, and it will keep growing until I die. This has exasperated my daughters, amused my friends and baffled my accountant. 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