The deflowering of a book.

 Have you ever become one with a book? Have you ever fully digested a book? 

In English class my professor assigned reading a novel per week. One day, as he moved down the row of students, he stopped, picked up student’s book and said

“… this book is more virginal than the virgin Mary. You haven’t touched the book since it left the bookstore.”

 

The professor made an interesting point. In order to read a book, you have to mess it up. Reading a book means many things which include 

·      flattening the binding to keep the book open.

·      Giving the pages “dog ears,” i.e. folding the corners of a page to mark it as important

·      Highlighting the important elements of the text

o   Underlining

o   Yellow highlighter

·      Adding notes 

o   Connections with other bits of knowledge that you’ve acquired

 

The professor was saying become one with the book; become one with the info or story that is unfolding in the pages.

 

He left out one important ingredient – Re-Read the book.

 

I am rereading two books :

 

“Outwitting the devil: the secrets to Freedom and Success,” by Napoleon Hill 1938

Which is so provocative it wasn’t published until

And 

“Infinite Intelligence,” by Dr. Valerie Hunt

 

Although I marked up both books on my first read, I am finding more valuable nuggets on my rereading of the books. 

Yes, I am highlighting more info, adding notes. I am gaining new insights into the books.

 

A well written book is a story. It goes beyond a collection of words. The well written book uses images to reveal a meaning, a depth beyond a string of words.

 

Although taking notes with an audio book or an ebook can be done as well, I find paper books much more interesting. They are more tactile. I can find a passage that I am looking for more easily in a paper book.

 

However you read, I encourage you to Reread, mark up your books – Have an intimate encounter of the 2^nd or 3^rd kind with the material in the book.

Do you have a method of deflowering an audio book?