I tend to be pretty anal about the condition of the books that I own and/or read. Having vowed to just say no to dog-earring, creased spines, torn covers/pages, lost book jackets, mysterious stains, and the likee, I often stay away from used books.
But (bet you saw that coming a mile away), there is something special about reading a book previously owned by a fellow book lover. There's joy in deciphering the notes in the margins to reveal the previous owner's thoughts and feelings as they read the same book. By adding my own notes, I enter a conversation with Mr. or Ms. Previous Owner, who soon feels like a close friend. This is even more profound when you know owners by their names or even know them personally.
During my junior year, I had a blast reading Jean Anyon's "Social Class and the Hidden Curriculum of Work" because the previous owner, Mary (so inscribed on the inside cover), had highlighting important notes and written her insights in the margins. I amused myself by thinking/writing things like: "Wow, Mary. I hadn't thought of that," "Ditto, Mary," and "Mary, you know you my girl, but I gots to disagree here." Yes, I know, I'm far too easily amused.
Now, I'm currently reading Managing the Interactive Classroom by Kay Burke, which is a part of the education book haul I received from my splendid mentor teacher. I feel so close to her whenever I encounter her notes, laughing quietly whenever I can't read them because her handwriting had been a running joke between us. Even more fascinating is realizing how aligned her comments/highlights are with her eventually teaching style and methods as I witnessed them. She used what she learned.
Is it yay or nay to used books? I say, both. There's something for leaving your own mark on a brand spanking new book. However, the connection between book owners is worth experiencing as well.
But (bet you saw that coming a mile away), there is something special about reading a book previously owned by a fellow book lover. There's joy in deciphering the notes in the margins to reveal the previous owner's thoughts and feelings as they read the same book. By adding my own notes, I enter a conversation with Mr. or Ms. Previous Owner, who soon feels like a close friend. This is even more profound when you know owners by their names or even know them personally.
During my junior year, I had a blast reading Jean Anyon's "Social Class and the Hidden Curriculum of Work" because the previous owner, Mary (so inscribed on the inside cover), had highlighting important notes and written her insights in the margins. I amused myself by thinking/writing things like: "Wow, Mary. I hadn't thought of that," "Ditto, Mary," and "Mary, you know you my girl, but I gots to disagree here." Yes, I know, I'm far too easily amused.
Now, I'm currently reading Managing the Interactive Classroom by Kay Burke, which is a part of the education book haul I received from my splendid mentor teacher. I feel so close to her whenever I encounter her notes, laughing quietly whenever I can't read them because her handwriting had been a running joke between us. Even more fascinating is realizing how aligned her comments/highlights are with her eventually teaching style and methods as I witnessed them. She used what she learned.
Is it yay or nay to used books? I say, both. There's something for leaving your own mark on a brand spanking new book. However, the connection between book owners is worth experiencing as well.
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