Are you a dog earer? Er, what's that you say? OK, let me come again - are you someone who dog ears your books? You know, you fold the corner of the page down to indicate that's the point at which you've stopped.
If you are, DON'T do that to my books if I should lend you any, 'cos I hate my books being dog earred. I just can't stand unnecessary creases on pages and whenever I see a page being dog earred, I have this compulsion, need, to undo the fold. It's like some obsessive compulsive disorder. I just can't stand it. I think the folds spoil the look of the book.
Being a book lover, I have a certain respect and reverence for books. I believe they, like humans, should be treated well. It annoys me when I see library books, which are public property, being abused and mishandled. People who treat books like that are inconsiderate as they are destroying information and knowledge that can be passed on to someone else.
Anyway, this rant came about because the book I borrowed from the library, Anthony Bourdain's The Nasty Bits, had many pages that were dog-earred and it just irked me!!! The book, by the way, is great! I love Bourdain's brashness in his collection of essays. Am half-way through and can't wait to get till the end of it.
Posted by DSD at May 13, 2008 3:16 PMHe's got three new books coming! http://www.mediabistro.com/galleycat/deals/ecco_has_no_reservations_about_bourdain_83950.asp?c=rss
From a non-dog earer
Posted by: olduvai at May 13, 2008 5:14 PMor when they break the spine by squishing the book down while it's open!
Posted by: milli at May 13, 2008 7:19 PMWell you can count on me not to dog-ear books too. I hate that!
Because of this, I will use almost anything as a bookmark. Receipt. Scraps of paper. Foreign currency. I found a 10 euro note in a book that I haven't opened up in a few years.
Although my favorite "bookmark" is a tag from a bottle of sake called "taking a nap".
Posted by: abraxis at May 14, 2008 3:21 AMDuring my primary school days, I had a teacher from Nepal and he used to share about how the Nepalese revere their books like God. One example is how they will never sit on their books.
Posted by: D W at May 14, 2008 11:41 AMMy librarian usually packs two copies of my favorite author each time a new title comes out, a hardcover to keep and a reading copy, which I use those free Zo Cards to bookmark.
I'm very picky.
:)
Posted by: ivan at May 16, 2008 5:44 PMi dog-ear books that are 'mine'... and don't see what's wrong with that. it's worse when ppl scribble notes messily in books.
i don't think one is being disrespectful in dog-earing books if they do so with care... on the contrary to being disrespectful, i think the book's content on that particular page had been worth marking for posterity!
Posted by: tiggie at May 19, 2008 7:58 AMI know exactly what you mean about having people dog-ear your books. I'm like that too.
I don't lend my books to people unless I don't count on getting them back. I get antsy when people dog-ear my books and keep fantasizing about ironing the crease out. My lil quirk even extends to preferring to buy a new book than to get a 2nd hand book because when I start on a book, it has to be in a near-pristine condition. I don't use bookmarks unless I have a spare receipt etc handy. I simply flip the pages to approximately where I last stopped.
Posted by: superfinefeline at May 30, 2008 1:17 AM