I would say this is the exact opposite of consumerism. People find a lot of artistic value and intelligence in the books they acquire. The post articulates beautifully how much connection this man has to his books. He does not regret for a moment for buying them, which is the feeling you have when you buy things you don't need. He looks at them and remembers the experience of reading them. This is beautiful and magical, and I can relate to that.
The acquisition of books is totally decoupled from the "artistic value" and "intelligence" that reading them proffers. I buy books too, rarely at retail but sometimes, and I make no bones that my desire to do so is as consumerist as anything else I purchase.
