False Reverence

I started marking up my books a little while back and it feels so liberating - I wish I started it long before

I do not mark in books, but my primary motive isn't some respect for the ink and paper, but because I don't want to do anything that hurts readability, either my own or others. When I read a book that someone else has underlined or highlighted, it totally breaks the flow for me and I have trouble taking the book for what it says rather than what it the mark says about the person who underlined it. If I ever want to lend out a book, I'd hate to have it marked up so that the other person has any hindrance to their ability to read it. I guess if I had two copies of every book, one to mark up and one for casual reading, then I could allow myself to pull out a pen.

That said, my favorite books are very well worn and I am perfectly happy doggy-earing pages and adding small pieces of paper as bookmarks, since those don't affect readability. I'll also correct confusing typos or grammatical errors. If an open quote has no corresponding end and I know where it was supposed to be, I will mark it in the book so as to improve its readability for the next reader. Also when I taught middle-school science, we found a few errors in the book and I had the students correct those with pens for the benefit of future readers.

Adler's primary point, namely that we should read books rather than just possessing them or skimming them, for example, is valid. But on the issue of marking books, I'm more in agreement with Kyle.

I do a lot of work in apologetics (in my free time, not professionally). One of the most significant books to come out in recent years in that field is Richard Bauckham's Jesus And The Eyewitnesses (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Eerdmans, 2006). I've read it, and I've reread some portions of it, and I've thought about the book and cited and quoted it many times. But my copy doesn't look much different than new. Some of my books do get visibly worn from use, and some books I keep in my car deteriorate because of exposure to the weather. But, as Kyle said, it makes sense to think of future readers of your books when using them. Giving people books is an effective method of evangelism and furthering other people's sanctification. They probably don't want your books to be dirty, torn, highlighted, inscribed with notes, etc.

And how are you supposed to use notes written on the pages of a book? If you remember reading about subject X in book Y, what good does it do you to have a vague recollection of having read about subject X somewhere in that book?

What I do, instead, is fold a blank piece of paper in half and use it as a bookmark. (Folding the paper makes it fit in the book better, and it gives you four smaller pages on which to write notes.) I write notes on the folded paper, beginning with the page number, followed by a description of the passage's location on the page, then a description of what I want to note. Here's an example of one of my notes from Bauckham's book:

389, top, scholarly neglect of John 15:27

That's a reference to page 389. The passage is at the top of the page. And it's about the neglect of John 15:27 in modern scholarship. If I remember having read about the subject in Bauckham's book, I can find the passage by taking the folded paper out (I keep the paper[s] in the front of the book, under the cover, after I finish reading the book.) and scanning over the notes. If I think I'm especially likely to want to return to a particular note later, I place a star on the edge of the paper, next to the note. And the notes should be detailed so as to be sufficiently useable later. For example, if my note above had just said "John 15:27", I might not remember what the passage says about John 15:27 if I consult the notes five or fifteen years after completing the book. Notes should be brief, but not too brief.

I'd also recommend keeping notes for some online works that you read. Some of my reading of the church fathers has been done online, for example. And it's worthwhile to take notes when reading the fathers. Since many online works don't include page numbers, you can use section numbers for your notes, such as section 3:39 in Eusebius' Church History. When you're done reading the work in question, write something like "Eusebius' Church History" at the top of the page, and put it in a folder, drawer, etc. with other notes of a similar nature.

This sort of approach makes it easier to remember what you've read, do research, and be more effective in doing work that involves a lot of reading and research (such as apologetics). It also keeps your books more useable for future readers.

I've seen Adler's advice about marking up books, and advice similar to it from other sources, repeated many times. It doesn't make sense to me. Why not do something like write notes on a piece of paper instead (and later type out notes and save them on a computer in cases where that's appropriate, etc.)?

I write in any book I find useful. It is almost compulsive. It is how I learn and interact with the text. My husband almost never writes in his books. He has tried, because he thinks it's a good idea. He's got nothing against the practice. But he tells me he gives up after a few chapters. It's just not his "thing".

The other day I read an amazing quote to my husband from a Jonathan Edwards book. Later that day I found he'd used that quote in his blog. My first question was, "How did you find it?" He laughed, "Well, you wrote the topic of it right in the margin. I found it right away." I laughed too. I've always been rather embarrassed for people to see the condition of my books. If I love them, I love them to pieces, literally. My copy of the Rare Jewel of Christian Contentment has broken free from its binding into several loose sections.

I think the scrap of paper idea of Jason's is a fine one, if you can stand having scraps of paper all through your books and having to move them aside as you read, or fall out if you drop the book. That would drive me bats.

As far as future readers go, I don't expect there to be any, except perhaps some family member, who after my demise may actually enjoy reading my remaining scrawls. If I loan a book, they'll have to live with my marks. If I want someone to have a copy of a book I will buy them one, new, or find an unmarked used copy for them. BTW, I sell used books for a living (well - a fraction of a living). It's really easy to get hold of unmarked copies of books. I'll sometimes even buy one already marked. Unless the prev. owner was some kind of kook (which happens) I usually find the notations interesting and thought provoking.

Well, that's my $.02 on a topic near and dear to my heart.

Laurie M. wrote:

"I think the scrap of paper idea of Jason’s is a fine one, if you can stand having scraps of paper all through your books and having to move them aside as you read, or fall out if you drop the book. That would drive me bats."

I'm referring to one piece of paper that's folded in half. That would give you four pages to write on. Some books may need more than one piece of paper for notes, but I'm not referring to "having scraps of paper all through your books and having to move them aside as you read, or fall out if you drop the book".

I agree that there are some advantages to writing in books. Sometimes it is beneficial to read other people's notes, for example. But I think the other approach is better overall.

The only books I own which look worn are those that I've lent out to others. I'll admit, I DO have a reverence or respect or even love of quality paper and a fine binding and many of my books reflect that. That makes up half of the reason I don't like to write in my books, the other half is similar to Kyle: The insights I glean from a book the first time through are not always the same as I'll find on subsequent readings. If I have markings in the book, I'll get caught up in what I was taking from it previously and not learn anything new (the whole reason for reading again if not for fun).

So instead, my system is similar to Jason's, I use a notecard as a bookmark and write page numbers and portions of the text of interest on it as I read and keep that with the book. More detailed notes are kept in a Google Notebook so that I can access it anywhere I'm online.

oh my!!!! I loved this post... I was raised to never "dog-ear" books, "never write" in them as these were signs of disrespect....at least to a maternal uncle, who meddled too much in his sister's business. My mom's rule was to never open a box of cereal unless the on sitting on the fridge was completely done!!!

Silly rules we grow up and and although it has taken years to unwind the effects of my uncle and my mom... I now write, comment and highlight my books... all my books including my Bibles!!!And yes, I open and enjoy a variety of cereal in the morn.....

thanks Tim....

Great quote. I live in my books. Might be because I am a slow and deliberate reader.

I agree with Kyle. I never write in books. I also am greatly distracted by others' notations and highlighting. I do, however, find it fascinating to discover bookplates or other proofs of previous ownership written or placed within the first page or two, and I do mark my own there.Perhaps it is my occupation as a librarian that makes me respect the physical attributes of a book and want to keep it in as near original condition as possible. (But, I, too, am not opposed to dog-earing, or carefully correcting typos!:>)I am also a book collector by hobby. I am very fussy about the literary quality of the books I collect, but also look for a copy in good condition that I can help to preserve for posterity. If everyone does as Adler suggests, there would be no 'decent' copies of, for example, my 1911 edition of "The Poetical Words of George MacDonald" for future generations to read and enjoy. And, Tiffany, I like your sensible remark. We are so apt to take everything to the extreme, aren't we? :)