"Renting" Books

[OCLittleFlower]

You didn't mark in your books during college?

Gosh no!  My mother would have sensed it, driven to the college, and tanned my hide.

You know that books have margins solely so that you can write in them, right?

I thought it was for pleasing white space and to prevent text being cut off in case of a booking binding or printing error.  :p

[piabee]

You didn't mark in your books during college?

Nope. If there were specific passages I needed to review I just remembered.

You know that books have margins solely so that you can write in them, right?

Tell that to my dad.

[Kaesekopf]

You didn't mark in your books during college?

Gosh no!  My mother would have sensed it, driven to the college, and tanned my hide.

You know that books have margins solely so that you can write in them, right?

Aren't they for printing tolerances and to ensure no print goes off the page?...

[Penelope]

A book without marginalia is a book that has not been thoroughly and deeply loved.

[Kaesekopf]

A book without marginalia is a book that has not been thoroughly and deeply loved.

You can hold your erroneous position, but it won't make you correct. 

[LouisIX]

A book without marginalia is a book that has not been thoroughly and deeply loved.

And it has not been thoroughly understood.   

[piabee]

I do just fine loving and understanding a book using the author's words and not my own.

[Kaesekopf]

I do just fine loving and understanding a book using the author's words and not my own.

Exactly. 

Why anyone would desecrate a defenseless book is beyond my mind.

God gave us notepad and paper, at best, for taking notes. 

[Penelope]

A book without marginalia is a book that has not been thoroughly and deeply loved.

And it has not been thoroughly understood.   

I agree. I was going to say the same, but I didn't want to offend. Your statement probably rings truer than mine, though.

[Spooky]

On another thread, not too long ago, I was singing the praises of e-books: the convenience etc

And then...

My tablet broke. Both the AC adapter broke AND the USB port on the tablet itself broke. I have no idea how to charge it now.

I never used to write in books because I used to only get books from the library. But with my own books I've been making notes in margins (in pencil). I usually also note the last time I read it.  It's also fun to buy used books and read the notes in the margin. My "Sinner's Guide" as a lot stuff underlined with notes to a certain person with things like "You do this too!" and  "hanging out with boys is a sin!!!"

[Bernadette]

It's also fun to buy used books and read the notes in the margin. My "Sinner's Guide" as a lot stuff underlined with notes to a certain person with things like "You do this too!" and  "hanging out with boys is a sin!!!"

I love finding books with marginalia in them!  It's one of my favorite things about buying used books (the other is the price, of course). I don't mark in my books anymore, except to underline parts that I find interesting or clever- but I've been highlighting like crazy on my kindle. 

[OCLittleFlower]

I do just fine loving and understanding a book using the author's words and not my own.

Exactly. 

Why anyone would desecrate a defenseless book is beyond my mind.

God gave us notepad and paper, at best, for taking notes.

This.  Though I'm not one to write things down when I have the book at hand.  Doesn't make sense to me.  But then, I'm a verbal learner rather than a visual learner or a "learn by doing" sort.

[Penelope]

It's so you can remember the important things you've read. If I tell my students to trace the use of a symbol throughout a novel, I want them to write down every single time that symbol pops up and then some ideas about why it's important. If I want them to trace a character's development, I need them to come to class with notes prepared so that they know what to say during a discussion. I need them to jot down page numbers so that they can tell the rest of the class where to flip to in order to find the references. If I ask them a question about the novel and tell them to come to class prepared to discuss it the next day, they need to have written down something concrete so that they can easily point everyone to it. Most people can't hold all of this information (particularly specific page numbers or the number of times a symbol is used) in their minds. They have to write things down. Those students who refuse to write anything down are the ones who are unprepared for class and have difficulty participating in the discussions.

[Kaesekopf]

And you can do all of that far better with a notepad and paper.

[Spooky]

And you can do all of that far better with a notepad and paper.

Which then becomes lost and eventually tossed in the trash. For me anyway. Much easier to grab the book and look for the highlight.

My grandma was a Fundamentalist Protestant, and the thing that sticks out to me the most was her Bible. Underlines, highlights, notes written in margins about sermons she heard. That book was used.