4 ms·

I came to a similar realization recently. I used to care so much about how pristine my books looked and then I realized that some of my favorite books I have fo

by prydt 27d ago

I came to a similar realization recently. I used to care so much about how pristine my books looked and then I realized that some of my favorite books I have found in used bookstores are ones which are written all over and have a well-worn feel to them. I now annotate all my books with pencil and also write my name in them. I love seeing a history of who's owned a given book when I open the front cover and see a name and phone number.

jimnotgym 27d ago
I once read that the only way you can actually damage a book, is by not reading it.
- rogerrogerr 27d ago
  Fire is pretty effective too, in my experience.
  - bluGill 27d ago
    Floods are pretty bad for them too. I have some books drying now, some paper is really bad about getting wet while others are okay.
    - zem 26d ago
      they're not exactly thrilled by termites either. lost a lot of my grandparents' books to that.
  - jimnotgym 25d ago
    I think someone following the mantra I repeated, would say that you are thinking too much about the physical copy of the book and less about the book as a collection of words. Buy another
- WillAdams 27d ago
  Well, one can damage a hardcover by not opening it properly the first time: https://www.reddit.com/r/lifehacks/comments/7sry7v/open_a_hard_cover_book_without_breaking_the_spine/ https://www.reddit.com/r/lifehacks/comments/7sry7v/open_a_ha... (which was a lesson in 2nd grade, when we got our first-ever hardcover textbooks)
  - fortran77 27d ago
    When I was in grade school in the 60s (I'm old) they showed us this film: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HHe2hx1JL7U https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HHe2hx1JL7U For some reason, the lessons learned stuck with me.
    - djhn 25d ago
      Ah, watching that was like soap for a brain sullen with today’s video content.
  - yoz-y 26d ago
    Wow. I’m almost 40 and never knew this!
    - WillAdams 26d ago
      Yeah, really, Barnes & Noble marketing is missing a beat by not printing that as a bookmark to include with new book sales after asking the question at the register, "Has the person you are buying this hardcover for ever opened a new book correctly?" Oblig. XKCD: https://xkcd.com/1053/ https://xkcd.com/1053/ (which I kind of wish was comic #1,000 so it was easy to remember/link)
      - account42 26d ago
        A better solution would be for them to just pre-open the books so you don't need complex rituals to read them.
        26d ago
protocolture 27d ago
I bought a copy of Warhammer Quest, a board game, from Lifeline for 5 bucks. It came with annotations, some kids custom rules, their character sheets and the outline of a custom campaign they were writing. Its got so much texture.
eszed 26d ago
The few times I've had a chance to have something signed by an author I like, I've deliberately taken along with me an old and well-loved copy of one of their books. I've bought the new one, sure, but it's the old one I'll ask them to sign. I don't even know if I'll like the new one yet! No one has said anything about it, yet, but I kind of hope they notice and appreciate it.
- dust-jacket 26d ago
  my guess is that they'd actually just assume you haven't bought the new one!

by prydt 27d ago

jimnotgym 27d ago

I once read that the only way you can actually damage a book, is by not reading it.

rogerrogerr 27d ago
Fire is pretty effective too, in my experience.
- bluGill 27d ago
  Floods are pretty bad for them too. I have some books drying now, some paper is really bad about getting wet while others are okay.
  - zem 26d ago
    they're not exactly thrilled by termites either. lost a lot of my grandparents' books to that.
- jimnotgym 25d ago
  I think someone following the mantra I repeated, would say that you are thinking too much about the physical copy of the book and less about the book as a collection of words. Buy another
WillAdams 27d ago
Well, one can damage a hardcover by not opening it properly the first time: https://www.reddit.com/r/lifehacks/comments/7sry7v/open_a_hard_cover_book_without_breaking_the_spine/ https://www.reddit.com/r/lifehacks/comments/7sry7v/open_a_ha... (which was a lesson in 2nd grade, when we got our first-ever hardcover textbooks)
- fortran77 27d ago
  When I was in grade school in the 60s (I'm old) they showed us this film: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HHe2hx1JL7U https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HHe2hx1JL7U For some reason, the lessons learned stuck with me.
  - djhn 25d ago
    Ah, watching that was like soap for a brain sullen with today’s video content.
- yoz-y 26d ago
  Wow. I’m almost 40 and never knew this!
  - WillAdams 26d ago
    Yeah, really, Barnes & Noble marketing is missing a beat by not printing that as a bookmark to include with new book sales after asking the question at the register, "Has the person you are buying this hardcover for ever opened a new book correctly?" Oblig. XKCD: https://xkcd.com/1053/ https://xkcd.com/1053/ (which I kind of wish was comic #1,000 so it was easy to remember/link)
    - account42 26d ago
      A better solution would be for them to just pre-open the books so you don't need complex rituals to read them.
      - 26d ago

protocolture 27d ago

I bought a copy of Warhammer Quest, a board game, from Lifeline for 5 bucks. It came with annotations, some kids custom rules, their character sheets and the outline of a custom campaign they were writing. Its got so much texture.

eszed 26d ago

The few times I've had a chance to have something signed by an author I like, I've deliberately taken along with me an old and well-loved copy of one of their books. I've bought the new one, sure, but it's the old one I'll ask them to sign. I don't even know if I'll like the new one yet! No one has said anything about it, yet, but I kind of hope they notice and appreciate it.

dust-jacket 26d ago
my guess is that they'd actually just assume you haven't bought the new one!