I disagree. I love buying used books and seeing what other people found interesting, whether it's by way of notes in the margins, highlights, etc. I also love it when people write their name in the front of the book and when they read it. I like the idea of a single copy of a book making its way among many people, all adding their own thoughts.

There is nothing wrong with scribbling in your own books.

There is also nothing wrong with donating such books with clearly written disclaimer on the front page about the condition of the book.

Repackaging as 99% likenew and selling them should be a crime though.

it was funny seeing this right below the comment saying "I _love_ buying a used book and finding a previous reader's notes in the margins. It's the greatest.".

different strokes. if you want to ensure you don't get sick from a line being crossed out, buy new.

I’ll never forget seeing a girl in a cafe highlight, line by line, nearly an entire page of a textbook. Watching the page curl from the wetness, almost as if writhing in pain.

Your argument is that in order for you to have a better experience the previous owner should not “ruin” the book for you. I’ve read better arguments on bathroom stalls.

The owner of a book doesn't owe anything to a random future person who picks it up from their estate sale or whatever. Vanishingly few books are irreplaceable enough to need to be treated as special relics to carefully preserve for posterity, and those that are tend to be already in a museum, library, or the collection of someone fastidious.

> sucks to see someone else's notes

You don't have to buy books with notes in them.

Totally agreed. I find it distracting working through a book that's been marked up by someone else. In fact, I get the same feeling even if I marked it up myself, which is why I stopped writing in books. I would prefer to keep my thoughts and the author's thoughts separate. When I want to know what the author thinks, I'll go to the book; when I want to remember what I thought, I'll go to my notes.

I agree, and the very low price of used books that have writing in them, suggests that this is how people feel in general.

I have begun to write a page (by hand) summarizing my thoughts after reading a book, and put it in the start of it. That was a tip I saw on HN some time ago.

This is like saying that because some (or many) people are bad at taking notes and highlighting, taking notes and highlighting is a bad idea. It's a skill like anything else. You get better at it the more you do it.

I don't know about you, but when I re-read a book 20 years later it's unlikely I'll have that trapper keeper handy. Re-reading something later and seeing my younger thoughts is magical.

Or use sticky notes! My friend annotated her favorite book with notes for me and it was awesome.

Crossing out things you disagree with is the most insane part of this. You should highlight or comment those if you’re going to mark the book up at all.

Nah I got this used text book once and it had all sorts of ridiculous stuff written in the margins. Some of the authors instructions were crossed out and replaced with their own instructions. I was really annoyed at first but then I tried some of the instructions and they were actually better than the author. I'm doing really well in potions class now.

I would never sell my marked up books. They're too precious.

Had to google "trapper-keeper". Never heard that one before, gave me a bit of a chuckle.

Why do you buy used books? You sound like the person who would prefer new books.

Or maybe just use a pencil to make notes. The buyer of the second hand book can still enjoy your opinions while being able to erase them at will.

Obviously (I hope), once you've grafittied your book, you shouldn't sell it as unaltered!

That doesn't mean scribbling in your own book is wrong.

You can totally mark up your books. No issue with that, if you like it. I don't personally, but I don't see why someone shouldn't do it. Now should you sell those books? Probably not.

different people work in different ways. just because you hate it doesn't mean it won't be helpful for others.

also if you're buying used books, expect them to be used!

Suit yourself, my family ended up with two used copies of "The Hobbit" and we kept the one that some kid had marked up.

Then don't buy used books? They are _used_. If you want a new book, buy a new book?

It's 100% okay for people to write in their own books, and it's okay for them to donate or sell them after the fact as long as they don't hide the fact they are written in.

No one is forcing you to buy used books with writing in them.

I used to go to a shop in a student area and pick up old Norton's Anthologies. Many of the notes were unintentionally funny. Some are occasionally insightful.

As I say elsewhere, it depends on the edition or book, and how common they are.

then dont buy used books pay for the new books

No one is forcing you to buy books that have been scribbled in.

If someone buys a book then they own it and can do what they want with it, without concern that maybe some day they will sell it and some narcissistic rando will resent them for what they have done with their own property.

I mean, that sounds like a you problem. Buy a new book or check to make sure the used book is not marked up before buying it.

You may dislike buying used books like that, but the purpose of the previous owner wasn't to satisfy your future desire for a pristine copy. The purpose was his own knowledge. If that's what works for him, so be it. It's his book.

So it's a little self-centered to make this about you. It's not.