Am I the only one who will not write in a book...

[Kathleen in VA]

dogear a page, highlight a sentence, etc. because I'm afraid it will ruin the resale value of my books and magazines? I never thought about it until I began homeschooling and found that I could resell stuff (especially stuff I didn't end up using) for not much less than what I paid for it (particularly highly desirable items).

 

I used to scribble comments and notes in the margins, underline unfamiliar words to look up later, highlight every meaningful (to me) sentence, and dogear pages to be able to find them again quickly to my heart's content. Now I treat my books and magazines like long-term investments.

 

I'd love to go back to those days of carefree book handling - just throw caution to the wind and enjoy marking one up recklessly - but I'm afraid it's too late. I just. can't. do. it.

[JoyfulMama]

For any reusable curriculum book, I purchase it with the plan of using it for a few years. I want my notes to myself to make using it the second (and third and maybe eventually fourth) time using it to be easier because I was so kind to myself the first time. :D Also, by the time I am done using it, there's most likely going to be another edition out anyway.

I also had a college prof heavily encourage us to make the books "our own" - after all, we paid enough money for them. If someone else wants to pay for our wonderful notes/highlights later, then it will be a bonus for them.

Now the older books we have - great classics and out-of-print compliations and such, I can't bring myself to write in. (I think if I did my dh would :eek:!

[OnTheBrink]

I won't write in books I plan to resell, but I'll mark up ones I plan to devour.

[Daisy]

That's why I don't resell my books. I can't stand the thought of not being able to really dive into my books and make them mine. Not worth it to me.

[LauraGB]

Write in a book?? Dogear a page?? Oh dear, no, no, no!! That is nearly a cardinal sin! I've never been able to deface a book.

 

But if my kids doodle an angry face with horns and smoke coming out of her ears in thier math books, I cannot be held accountable. That is not my doing.

[meet me in paris]

Write in a book?? Dogear a page?? Oh dear, no, no, no!! That is nearly a cardinal sin! I've never been able to deface a book.

 

 

:iagree: Can't do it. I couldn't sleep at night.

[OhM]

Ooh - I can easily see this becoming one of "those" threads. :lol:

 

I love reading others' books that have been written in, used, and dogeared, and I like to do the same to my own. I like coming back to it and seeing evidence of my previous experience with it. It's a record of my growth. (How the dog-earing fits into that, I have no idea. I just get a warm fuzzy feeling when I turn to a page that has been dog-eared. It's a reminder of a shared experience - in the case of library books, with a complete stranger.)

 

That said, I *do* refrain from writing in library books.

 

I even get a kick out of used curriculum that has been "edited" - that is, potentially "offensive" items blacked out. It's another sort of footprint in the dirt - someone has been there before, considering, thinking, learning.

 

Clean books seem almost soul-less to me!

Edited October 6, 2009 by OhM

[gingersmom]

I am firmly in the write in the book, bend the pages, love it to death camp.

[Cammie]

I don't think I can read without a highlighter in my hand! I learned in law school (where I did the most reading of my life!) that I read fast but don't retain much. Using a highlighter or underlining slows me down enough to think about what I am reading. I recommend it to my kids too - for the same reason!

[TravelingChris]

I hate to write in books and I don't do it because of resell value or anything like that. I just don't want to write in my books. I don't like highlighting, underlining, notations or anything. It is distracting to me and not helpful to me for anything. I tried to do it in high school and college but found that it really bugged me. NOw I do take notes and sometimes use sticky notes.

[Kathleen in VA]

Ooh - I can easily see this becoming one of "those" threads. :lol:

 

I love reading others' books that have been written in, used, and dogeared, and I like to do the same to my own. I like coming back to it and seeing evidence of my previous experience with it. It's a record of my growth. (How the dog-earing fits into that, I have no idea. I just get a warm fuzzy feeling when I turn to a page that has been dog-eared. It's a reminder of a shared experience - in the case of library books, with a complete stranger.)

 

That said, I *do* refrain from writing in library books.

 

I even get a kick out of used curriculum that has been "edited" - that is, potentially "offensive" items blacked out. It's another sort of footprint in the dirt - someone has been there before, considering, thinking, learning.

 

Clean books seem almost soul-less to me!

 

You know, I actually do get a kick out of reading other people's notations in books. I have an old English Lit book from the 40s that was scribbled in by several folks and it does make interesting reading if you can decipher the handwriting, lol. In college I often annotated my texts with relevant scripture references.:D

 

I'm glad to see others who don't mind marking up their books and making them "their own." I'm going to have to loosen up a bit and get back into giving my books souls.:)

[KidsHappen]

No, books are sacred and must never be written in.

[mammaruss]

Write in a book?? Dogear a page?? Oh dear, no, no, no!! That is nearly a cardinal sin! I've never been able to deface a book.

 

 

:iagree:

 

All my books from a child are still in mint condition--and I read them over and over and over again but you can't tell by looking at them!:tongue_smilie: