Continuing on the theme of Things we old people must do, one of the challenges most of us face is managing a lifetime accumulation of books. Fortunately, for me, most of the books that I've purchased over the years have been school books, reference books to help in my professional work, and non-fiction works; although, I must admit to having gone through my teen-years reading sci-fi.
It has always been easy for me to pass along school books. When I was graduated from high school (1955), my books were passed down to Younger Brother. When I completed my physics degree, most of my physics books, again, were passed down to Younger Brother who would be attending the school at which I had studied physics, as an electrical engineering student (he eventually obtained an MSEE and a PhD in geophysics.) When I actually went to work as an engineer (1974), I passed nearly all of my graduate-level physics books on to a young man, with whom I worked, when he became a grad student in physics at the same school at which I had made that pursuit (I had switched into engineering about 1/2-way through the graduate physics degree pursuit.)
Likewise, it has always been easy for me to pass along technical books used in my professional life. When it became obvious that I no longer needed them because I had switched areas of emphasis in my professional career (1985), I gave away many of my school and reference books on aircraft structures and the like. It was a shock, when, in order to come back to Kansas (1990) a couple of years after Hunky Husband and I remarried, I went back into the field of aircraft structural integrity. Oh, well! Unfortunately, I still stock most of the books accumulated during the last 14 years before retirement. They sit on shelves in the basement looking woe begone.
Yesterday, in chatting with our insurance broker (home, 2 cars, umbrella policies) when I saw him to pay our annual fees, he and I got to the subject of his son, of whom he is enormously proud. That son took his undergraduate degree in physics and has moved around, professionally, in software development - now being co-owner of a startup. Ron thought that his son, whose graduate work I do not recall, would enjoy having the above-mentioned technical books. (Of course, I expect that Ron will read through at least a couple of them before passing them along.) I just culled the books in the photo, below, to take to Ron. Fearing that they would be of no interest, Hunky Husband convinced me to include no books older than 40 years. Well, the guided missile book (the green one) was actually purchased by HH in 1960; but, I thought that would give Ron's son a good laugh. Too, Kreyszig's book (the red one) was purchased in 1981. I kept the 3rd edition of that book which had been much more used.
Ah, but, family. I failed to mention in Things we old people must do that, in addition to the boxes of paperwork from my mother, I've a couple of boxes of books from her. Mostly, they are old text books that she and dad or one of their parents had used in primary school, as mentioned in a 2013 posting, Old, family books. Those may be addressed in a future posting.
ADDITION OF 12/28/2018 - Books not (yet) dispatched
Hunky Husband took the books in the photo, above, to Ron, yesterday. However, Stu and I have been exchanging photos of various piles of books around our respective houses to see how much overlap we spot. Not much. In his last photo was included a copy of the CRC Handbook of Chemistry and Physics, 42nd ed. I have had several editions of that book over the years, my first one having been purchased in 1955 or 1956. However, I cannot find any of them, just now. I suspect that I gave them all away since I recall having given WichiDude one of them about four or five years ago. I cannot imagine that I've given away my first one (37th ed, as I recall) since it was printed on rice paper which I found pleasing. Below is a photo of some of the books of which I have not disposed - some of which may stay with me until I die because I do, on occasion, use them for reference.
P.S. It is difficult for Stu and me to get enough books in one place to produce a photo. I have books spread throughout the house and Stu laments that he even has books in his attic!
ADDITION OF 12/29/2018 - Mystery Solved
As Bogie tells us in her comment, below, she is the one to whom I had given the CRC Handbook of Chemistry and Physics, 37th ed. It is good to know that a loved one has it and I hope she enjoys using it as a doorstop (or in her work) for many years to come. That confirms, to me, that it was a later edition that I had given to WichiDude. The photo, below, is not one of the better photos that Bogie and her phone have produced, but I thank her for sending it.
Just one book in common : The elusive neutrino.
Posted by: Ole Phat Stu | December 27, 2018 at 05:07 AM
Stu--Nick is still at WSU. Of course, on occasion (mostly, summers) he goes elsewhere. He spent last summer at the Fermi Labs in Chicago, for instance.
It's not surprising, given our respective careers, that our reference books don't match up. Had I kept my physics books, I'm sure we would have had more overlap in our libraries.
Posted by: Cop Car | December 27, 2018 at 08:52 AM
One book in common, Mechanics of Materials and two near misses. Just plane old Structural Analysis and Michael Chrichton’s Airframe. The missile book would be a fun addition to an office bookshelf.
Posted by: Ingineer66 | December 27, 2018 at 06:58 PM
Ingineer--Thanks for the laugh in comparing Niu's Airframe Stress Analysis and Sizing to Chrichton's novel, Airframe.
The photo that I just posted shows the Mech of Mat'ls book that, I believe, Hunky Husband used in school (1958). I believe the one in the top photo was one that he or I bought for reference since it is not the book that I used in school (1973). Since I gave my books away along the way, few if any of the books we still have were ever used by me in taking a course. The missile book was HH's. I was program manager on a small missile program in 1988, but don't think I bought any books on missiles - ever.
Posted by: Cop Car | December 28, 2018 at 11:45 AM
Response online now at my blog.
Posted by: Ole Phat Stu | December 28, 2018 at 01:37 PM
Glad you got a laugh out of my lowbrow attempt at humor. Now I see more books that I have in common. While I do not know the exact edition since they are buried at the office or on long term loan to other engineers, I own CRC Math Tables, a Fluid Mechanics, Engineering Mechanics and an Elementary Surveying Book. The CRC book I purchased in High School.
Posted by: Ingineer66 | December 28, 2018 at 10:25 PM
I have the 37th edition of the C&P, so yes, you did give it away.
Posted by: bogie | December 29, 2018 at 05:52 AM
Ingineer--I had failed to note your punning "plane" for "plain". Shame on me!
Bogie--Thank you, Sweetheart. I will quit tearing the house apart looking for that book. I'm happy that you have it!
Posted by: Cop Car | December 29, 2018 at 09:01 AM