--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I really like looking at other people's…" description: "\"I really like looking at other people's book collections when I'm at someone's house. I think it is an amazing cross section of a person's brain and li..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e97/phil-elvrum-22619_book_i-really-like-looking-at-other-people-s_2593461.jpg" --- # I really like looking at other people's book collections… ![“I really like looking at other people's book collections when I'm at someone's house. I think it is an amazing cross section of a person's brain and lifestyle. I think everyone should photograph their book spines and make a website. Seriously.” quote by Phil Elvrum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e97/phil-elvrum-22619_book_i-really-like-looking-at-other-people-s_2593461.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e97/phil-elvrum-22619_book_i-really-like-looking-at-other-people-s_2593461.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e97/phil-elvrum-22619_book_i-really-like-looking-at-other-people-s_2593461.jpg) > “I really like looking at other people's book collections when I'm at someone's house. I think it is an amazing cross section of a person's brain and lifestyle. I think everyone should photograph their book spines and make a website. Seriously.” [Phil Elvrum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-elvrum/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Observing others' books reveals personal tastes and habits; documenting spines creates a visual narrative of identity. **In simple terms:** Books show who we are. Key Takeaway Share your bookshelf online. Themes culture identity creativity Mood thoughtful curious Type personal inspirational When to use this quote - home visits - personal blogs - library tours - social media sharing Key Concepts personal expression visual storytelling digital archiving Questions to Reflect On - How do book choices reflect personality? - What platforms best showcase spines? A Different Perspective Privacy concerns may arise. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Book](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/book/) [Book Collections](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/book-collections-1881704/) [Book Spines](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/book-spines-1881703/) [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [Brain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/brain/) [Collections](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/collections/) [Crosses](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/crosses/) [House](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/house/) [Lifestyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lifestyle/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [People Book](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people-book-256811/) [Persons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/persons/) [Photograph](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/photograph/) [Photograph Book](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/photograph-book-1881705/) [Sections](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sections/) [Should](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/should/) [Spine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/spine/) [Think Photograph](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/think-photograph-855222/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [Website](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/website/) ## Related quotes > [To be a photographer, one must photograph. No amount of book learning, no checklist of seminars attended, can substitute for the simple act of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-callahan/to-be-a-photographer-one-must-photograph-no-amount-of-book-learning/) [Harry Callahan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-callahan/) > [“In my white room, against my white walls, on my glistening white bookshelves, book spines provide the only color. The books are all brand-new…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicola-yoon/in-my-white-room-against-my-white-walls-on-my-glistening-white/) [Nicola Yoon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicola-yoon/) > [And I told you: I think of a photograph you took of me, up in Montreal. You told me to jump in the air,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-levithan/and-i-told-you-i-think-of-a-photograph-you-took-of-me-up-in-montreal/) [David Levithan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-levithan/) > [there is this one photograph... that is just beautiful. it would be impossible to describe how beautiful it is, but i’ll try. if you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-chbosky/there-is-this-one-photograph-that-is-just-beautiful-it-would-be/) [Stephen Chbosky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-chbosky/) > [I think a photograph, of whatever it might be - a landscape, a person - requires personal involvement. That means knowing your subject, not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frans-lanting/i-think-a-photograph-of-whatever-it-might-be-a-landscape-a-person-2/) [Frans Lanting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frans-lanting/) > [When you can't think of anything else, photograph graffiti, nudes, or plants.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-jay/when-you-can-t-think-of-anything-else-photograph-graffiti-nudes-or/) [Bill Jay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-jay/) > [I think the first photograph I did was a ballplayer. It was a way of showing action or something.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-warhol/i-think-the-first-photograph-i-did-was-a-ballplayer-it-was-a-way-of/) [Andy Warhol](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-warhol/) > [You think you photograph a particular scene for the pleasure it gives. In fact it's the scene that wants to be photographed. You're merely…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-baudrillard/you-think-you-photograph-a-particular-scene-for-the-pleasure-it-gives/) [Jean Baudrillard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-baudrillard/) > [I think a photograph, of whatever it might be - a landscape, a person - requires personal involvement. That means knowing your subject, not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frans-lanting/i-think-a-photograph-of-whatever-it-might-be-a-landscape-a-person/) [Frans Lanting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frans-lanting/) > [A photograph never grows old. You and I change, people change all through the months and years but a photograph always remains the same.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-einstein/a-photograph-never-grows-old-you-and-i-change-people-change-all/) [Albert Einstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-einstein/) > [The thing itself photographed becomes less interesting when you go back to it years later but I think the photograph becomes more important later…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-a-tice/the-thing-itself-photographed-becomes-less-interesting-when-you-go/) [George A Tice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-a-tice/) > [I think you can photograph a certain sliver of human presence in its absence... images taken in the empty rooms, the marks left on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mona-kuhn/i-think-you-can-photograph-a-certain-sliver-of-human-presence-in-its/) [Mona Kuhn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mona-kuhn/) > [“I close my eyes and think of the photograph Culler showed me. I see it in my head perfectly. He'll be there, at that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/courtney-summers/i-close-my-eyes-and-think-of-the-photograph-culler-showed-me-i-see-it/) [Courtney Summers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/courtney-summers/) > [There are people who are always, I think, going to remain people of the book, to use another author's title, but people of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louise-erdrich/there-are-people-who-are-always-i-think-going-to-remain-people-of-the/) [Louise Erdrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louise-erdrich/) > [“We are the people of the book. We love our books. We fill our houses with books. We treasure books we inherit from our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cory-doctorow/we-are-the-people-of-the-book-we-love-our-books-we-fill-our-houses/) [Cory Doctorow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cory-doctorow/) ## More by Phil Elvrum > [I learned how to sit on the couch in front of the fire and read a magazine, just for like eight hours a day,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-elvrum/i-learned-how-to-sit-on-the-couch-in-front-of-the-fire-and-read-a/) [Phil Elvrum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-elvrum/) > [Whenever I get a tweet that's trying to promote a thing someone cares about, I'm like, "how annoying!"](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-elvrum/whenever-i-get-a-tweet-that-s-trying-to-promote-a-thing-someone-cares/) [Phil Elvrum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-elvrum/) > [I'm not ... pumped about being alive. But I don't think about suicide ever. I have a kid. I think that's just an automatic…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-elvrum/i-m-not-pumped-about-being-alive-but-i-don-t-think-about-suicide-ever/) [Phil Elvrum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-elvrum/) > [All things in the world are singing a song, reciting a poem, inaudibly, to their surroundings, to the things they encounter.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-elvrum/all-things-in-the-world-are-singing-a-song-reciting-a-poem-inaudibly/) [Phil Elvrum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-elvrum/) > [I probably wouldn't kill a spider now, I'd probably try to scoop it up in a cup and put it outside, but not for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-elvrum/i-probably-wouldn-t-kill-a-spider-now-i-d-probably-try-to-scoop-it-up/) [Phil Elvrum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-elvrum/) > [I've been thinking a lot about Anacortes and what it's like to be here, though I'm not trying to get people to move here…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-elvrum/i-ve-been-thinking-a-lot-about-anacortes-and-what-it-s-like-to-be/) [Phil Elvrum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-elvrum/) > [When I sing the songs, there's a color tone and a place, and it's not a place that I remember in reality. It's usually…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-elvrum/when-i-sing-the-songs-there-s-a-color-tone-and-a-place-and-it-s-not-a/) [Phil Elvrum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-elvrum/) > [I think that I probably inevitably fetishize nature, although I try not to, because it's kind of embarrassing, repulsive behavior. I think it's just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-elvrum/i-think-that-i-probably-inevitably-fetishize-nature-although-i-try/) [Phil Elvrum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-elvrum/) > [All the books on my shelves, when I would go to them to look for help with my anguish, they all just seemed so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-elvrum/all-the-books-on-my-shelves-when-i-would-go-to-them-to-look-for-help-2/) [Phil Elvrum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-elvrum/) > [Nirvana really touched me as a teenager and started making me pay attention to music as a participatory thing that I could do. Music…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-elvrum/nirvana-really-touched-me-as-a-teenager-and-started-making-me-pay/) [Phil Elvrum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-elvrum/) > [I was going to tweet every three seconds about every thought that went through my mind, and I did that for a few days.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-elvrum/i-was-going-to-tweet-every-three-seconds-about-every-thought-that/) [Phil Elvrum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-elvrum/) > [A lot of my songs are about death and the fleetingness of life. It just feels good to remind myself about that a lot.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-elvrum/a-lot-of-my-songs-are-about-death-and-the-fleetingness-of-life-it/) [Phil Elvrum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-elvrum/) > [Death is natural, and it happens early for some people. I acknowledge that, and in the next sentence, reject it, because it just sucks.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-elvrum/death-is-natural-and-it-happens-early-for-some-people-i-acknowledge/) [Phil Elvrum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-elvrum/) > [If my music is political in a way, and it might be, it's in the way of generating a sensitivity in people, a deeper…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-elvrum/if-my-music-is-political-in-a-way-and-it-might-be-it-s-in-the-way-of/) [Phil Elvrum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-elvrum/) > [I wanted to lift the aspects of the lyrics and imagery that I found sincerely powerful and touching, plus the amazing musical extremities, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-elvrum/i-wanted-to-lift-the-aspects-of-the-lyrics-and-imagery-that-i-found/) [Phil Elvrum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-elvrum/) [Explore all 27 Phil Elvrum quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-elvrum/) ## 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": "I really like looking at other people's book collections when I'm at someone's house. I think it is an amazing cross section of a person's brain and lifestyle. I think everyone should photograph their book spines and make a website. Seriously.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Phil Elvrum" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-elvrum/i-really-like-looking-at-other-people-s-book-collections-when-i-m-at/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Book" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-elvrum/i-really-like-looking-at-other-people-s-book-collections-when-i-m-at/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e97/phil-elvrum-22619_book_i-really-like-looking-at-other-people-s_2593461.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e97/phil-elvrum-22619_book_i-really-like-looking-at-other-people-s_2593461.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e97/phil-elvrum-22619_book_i-really-like-looking-at-other-people-s_2593461.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I really like looking at other people's book collections when I'm at someone's house. I think it is an…” — Phil Elvrum", "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": "Phil Elvrum", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-elvrum/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I really like looking at other...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-elvrum/i-really-like-looking-at-other-people-s-book-collections-when-i-m-at/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-elvrum/i-really-like-looking-at-other-people-s-book-collections-when-i-m-at/#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 } } ] } ```