Chill. It’s Not Books vs. Amazon. You Can Have Both!

There are few other things more soothing to people of a certain type—myself included—than leisurely browsing their favorite neighborhood bookstore. In San Francisco, my favorite store is Green Apple Books, on 9th Avenue in the Inner Sunset district, right by the Golden Gate Park. Walking between those tall stacks of books under the warm store lights feels reassuring. The faces at the counter are friendly. And you know you’re in the presence of others who share in your comfort there. Hiding among the shelves, you think (and you imagine others are thinking), might be your next beloved book, the one you later push onto family and friends, one that freezes some essential idea about the world that you immediately want to share with others.