[Hip Priest]

I just had a weird respect (and deep love) for books ever since I was a small child.

One of the most pleasing things in the world is when I buy an old book and inside I find an old, relevant newspaper cutting that a previous owner has left there - it's something I do myself regularly.

A couple more, if I may be so bold:

Full Circle: Shakespeare and Moral Development by Alan Hobson

The Progress of the Soul by Richard E Hughes (a biography of JOhn Donne)

[schizophrenicroom]

I like buying old books that obviously were given to someone as a gift, but they sold them or someone was studying it. At this second-hand bookstore I go to, I bought a copy of The Iliad and inside is all of these notes scrawled about. It's really interesting.

[Glice]

I find nothing more irritating than people who've used a book to study and have underlined sections in pen, as with my recently acquired second-hand copy of Kierkegaards 'concluding unscientific postscript' which is very good. Thanks for your query.

[schizophrenicroom]

It's only really annoying to me if the writing gets in the way of the text. I just liked that this guy's notes simplified it a bit.

[noumenal]

I have a used copy of Thomas Pynchon's V and it is full of somebody's notes, underlined passages, comments, it's interesting.

[Iain]

Yep....peoples notes are pretty interesting for the most part but they can annoy in equal measures as well. I would be interested to read anyones notes on V though.

[schizophrenicroom]

I was going to buy a copy of Ulysses by James Joyce with notes in it, and decided not to. Now I wish I had.

[Hip Priest]

I've got a couple of Shakespeare's plays with old observations in. I find them quite interesting, all in all.

[golden child]

i have the last days of pompei, 1887 edition

[krastian]

Originally Posted by LifeDistortion

Rotton-The John Lydon autobiography was pretty good.

I read/have that....horrible title though.

Oh and read Alive! It's a good book and insane.

[whorefrost]

my friend's dad has a copy of Rules for Radicals and lots of stuff is underlined... he was clearly a budding activist in his day... i study publishing and our tutor has a deep respect for books... he actually finds spine bending in paperbacks contemptible... he once told us that books are sacred items... he's quite a cool guy although i find him slightly intimidating for reasons beyond my ken

[Iain]

Originally Posted by whorefrost

he actually finds spine bending in paperbacks contemptible... he once told us that books are sacred items... he's quite a cool guy although i find him slightly intimidating for reasons beyond my ken

Maybe because he finds spine bending contemptible.....that's scary. He might whack you one if yr textbook is a bit dogeared.

[jon boy]

maybe he is perfectionist. as much as i like to keep, my books and records in as good condition as possible they always end up getting tattered and old before their time looking.

i do bend spines.

[Iain]

Yeah...you can't really help it can you? I won't crack a spine for fun but y'know, somtimes you need to open it up to read the words and stuff.

[khchris]

This book is unfortunately fiction (or is it?)

but it's damn good

 

[RdTv]

Get In The Van by Henry Rollins - journaled his tours with black flag, great reading and some nice poetry as well.

Air Conditoned Nightmare by Henry Miller - Miller returns to USA after being expatriated to france and travels the country dissecting out culture in mid 40's, MUST READ!!!

[SpectralJulianIsNotDead]

I like Boy and Going Solo by Roald Dahl.

And, lets see how many people I can piss off with this one, the Bible is a great nonfiction too.

[SpectralJulianIsNotDead]

Before things get too heavy, this "nonfiction book" is a laugh.

 

I'm a proud owner.

[truncated]

Originally Posted by Glice

I find nothing more irritating than people who've used a book to study and have underlined sections in pen, as with my recently acquired second-hand copy of Kierkegaards 'concluding unscientific postscript' which is very good. Thanks for your query.

To echo the sentiments of several of you, I like when people make notations in texts - it somehow personalizes them.

While I can appreciate the value of a book as a collector's item, to me, books are tools, meant to be handled and used. If I buy a book secondhand, I correlate the owner's love of the book with the severity of the book's wear. As long as it's still legible, I don't care.

Noumenal, just because I'm a geek, doesn't mean I'm a fastidious geek

[Inhuman]

Stargirl's one of my favorites