---
title: "The lifecycle of physical books"
url: https://perrotta.dev/2026/07/the-lifecycle-of-physical-books/
last_updated: 2026-07-18
---


Typically:

- **Step 1**: buy a physical book — via Amazon, bookstores, classifieds
  marketplaces (e.g. Craigslist in the US, Kijiji in Canada, Kleinanzeigen in
  Germany). Bonus points for used copies. This should take up to a week.

- **Step 2**: **read** the ~~goddamn~~ book. This is arguably the hardest part,
  albeit the most exciting one. As [Alex Kotliarskyi](https://frantic.im/80-20/)
  puts it (emphasis mine):

> The 80/20 rule says that 80% value come from 20% effort. What if we apply the
> 80/20 rule to the first 80%?
>
> So 80% of 80% of value come from 20% of 20% of effort. Or 64% of the value
> come from 4% of the effort. **Apply it again and you'll get ~51% value from
> ~1% effort**. Which is ballpark close to "Dimidium facti, qui coepit, habet" —
> Well begun is half done.

Once you start, it becomes _much easier_ to go through it, I promise.

- **Step 3**: **Find a way to get rid of the book**.

There's no shame. Have [gratitude](https://konmari.com/marie-kondo-gratitude/),
appreciate it, and then simply move on. I don't like to stick with physical
books forever. They _unnecessarily_ occupy space in my home.

There are various ways to do so:

- Donating is the easiest. Leave books by the vestibule of your apartment
  building complex with a post-it note stating that it's free[^1].
- Leave books in public [community
  bookshelves](https://www.muenchen.de/sehenswuerdigkeiten/oeffentliche-buecherschraenke-muenchen-unsere-tipps)
  or libraries.
- Gift a book to a friend. Bonus points for being thoughtful.
- Sell a book in a classified site. Bonus points for using the same one you got
  it from.

[^1]: _Zu verschenken_, as they say it _auf Deutsch_. In plain English, "for
    free" suffices.

And now, adding the missing alternative to my _repertoire_:

[momox](https://www.momox.de/):

> Schnell & einfach Gebrauchtes verkaufen
> Was möchtest du verkaufen?
> Bücher & Medien
> Kleidung

Momox [is](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Momox)

> a Berlin-based recommerce site for used books and media founded by Christian
> Wegner in 2004.

In plain English: it's like selling a book in a classified, but without having
to wait for someone to actually message you[^2].

Scan or input its ISBN, get an estimate of how much you'll get for it (assuming
it's in good condition), arrange a box, pack the book, ship it _for free_, wait,
and then get paid. It's very streamlined and easy to use.

So far, I've only heard of this concept in Germany. I would love to find out if
it's possible to follow suit in other countries.

[^2]: And eventually lowball or flake on you.