I'm probably a weirdo, but the "write in books" is a massive no no for me. I can't imagine writing in a book (unless it's a total turd, but I assume we're talking about good, insightful books).
I do take notes, but always on separate sheets that I keep in the book. Just no way I'll write on the book itself.
I'm on similar thinking. Then, I got the idea of sticking tiny sticky notes where I wanted to write, which solved the problem. Write your notes in the stickies, then stick them with just a teeny-tiny piece protruding. Now, you can reference the notes and pick an area you thought was interesting by sticking a note on that page.
I just took a picture highlighting how I do now. Of course, room for improvement.
Interesting, I thought people would get more worked up over the "park illegally and let yourself think of the fine as a parking fee", especially with the "don’t break rules that matter" addition - there is usually a good reason why parking is illegal, and following only "rules that matter" is a slippery slope. So what if you are blocking a lane of traffic, it's just for a few minutes? Or that bike lane, no one ever uses it anyway? Or those disabled parking spaces, they're always empty?
- blocking a sightline that pedestrians need to safely cross the road
- blocking a dropped curb that wheelchair/pram users need in order to mount and dismount the curb
- parking on the pavement so that wheelchair/pram users can't fit between the car and the wall, forcing them to go around on the street and putting them at greater risk
- damaging/cracking the surface because it is designed for foot traffic, not heavy vehicle loads
- intruding into a bus lane or bus stop, thereby causing delay for public transport passengers
If you only ever drive places, you tend not to think about the consequences of bad parking, because you don't suffer them yourself. But I don't drive, so I notice this antisocial ruining of the public commons all the time. Motorists are not good judges of which rules "really matter".
I fully agree with you. "Park illegaly" - that's what selfish people do. Don't do a cost-benefit calculation for everything. Some rules are social contracts as well, and the fees work as a reminder that you broke them.
Yeah, when parking is not allowed somewhere it is always for a reason.
As a European I am using my bicycle to move around the city and the amount of times I got into dangerous situations because people park wherever they like was too high. I started reporting the violations to the police because I am sick of this antisocial behaviour.
You're missing out !
I started doing it when I realized that a book is nothing sacred, just thoughts the author where having. So by taking notes, it's like having a conversation with her.
It has the benefit of also teaching you to be more "skeptical" of what you are reading, always a plus.
>I started doing it when I realized that a book is nothing sacred, just thoughts the author where having.
the sacred part is often tied into the history of the book , the edition, the tradition, the binding options, in some instances the rarity of the documented text, whatever.
I have many books that are heirloom items from generations before me, I would never write in them. They are a testament to their point in history, and altering them would be akin to defacing art in my eyes, depriving future generations from the beauty that I got to behold unsullied.
If we're talking about "Do you write in the margins for "C++ for Dummies 69th Edition", sure.
On the other hand, it takes joy from potential second hand readers who may want the opportunity to draw their own conclusions without having yours "primed" by inadvertently reading your notes.
These aren't recommendations; just things you can do. They serve as reminders for folks who may have habits which no longer serve them. The post-it greeting card and inline book notes aren't contradictory, they're just salient options to different people.
Books aren't for gathering dust, they are for engaging with. Margin notes and underlines is part of that. It's actually pretty great, you often discover different things on rereads.
The notion that books must be kept pristine is from libraries, does not apply to private books.
Greeting cards are looked at once, then usually gathering dust somwhere, and eventually thrown out. Different wheelhouse.
writing in books shows an intimate bond with that body of knowledge, and to me, it's much more interactive than taking notes separately (which i still do sometimes).
i've also started illustrating books by printing pics from wikimedia relevant to the topic im reading. i just glue them in. its more 'destructive' than the pencil underlining but it can be fun to come back to such a book later or after many years.
I haven't encountered it much (through also largely buying new) but a few times I've had that and been confused by the seeming arbitrariness of what's highlighted. As in it didn't seem important, insightful, or the hardest/least intuitive thing on the page, just nothing. Trolled by previous owner perhaps.
I do take notes, but always on separate sheets that I keep in the book. Just no way I'll write on the book itself.