abandoned book syndrome

i was discussing this over margaritas on friday, but have now given myself an official diagnosis.

i have a problem. i start books, then drop them. i pick up something else with jazzier bells & whistles. and start the new one. and then drop that one. i used to be a reader - i wouldn't say a prolific reader, but i'd go through phases - sometimes fiction, sometimes non-fiction. but i would read and - generally - finish my book before looking for another one. but not anymore.

i have abandonded book syndrome. hell, let's give it a 3 letter acronym (ABS).

i didn't realize how bad my problem was until last night. i counted. i found 5 books in my bedroom that i had abandoned. that was the bedroom. the living room was even worse. 9 abandoned books. that's 14 abandoned books. by next week, i'm sure you can add the 2 books i am currently 'actively' reading, bringing the total to 16.

and all are at different stages of defeat. i the lower end, i managed only 5 pages of 'buddhism: plain and simple'. in the mid-range, we have 'neurolinguisitc programming' at page 66 and the biography of the pineapple ('king of fruits') at page 75. my worst case is page 205 - that can be a complete book in itself - is 'sho-gun'. 205 pages of commitment and i dropped it like a hot wok.

is it only me who has such a short attention span? does anyone else do this? are you as bad as me? why? is it a function of todays' busy life? or, the internet - instant gratification in short bursts?

they say the first step to recovery is admitting you have a problem. i have ABS. wish me luck.