Have you ever burned books?

MysFan · Post by **MysFan** » 19 Dec 2013, 19:04

Sometimes I get paperbacks at what is called here a "paperbook exchange." You bring in books you have read and exchange them for ones that are on sale. If the value of the books you bring in (in the store's estimation) is higher than the ones you are buying, you get a credit and so on. Some of them were in pretty ratty shape. So I used to burn them before recycling. They really could not have been turned in at a library; way past that.

Now I recycle. But although I did donate my old textbooks to our library, it was tempting to burn some of them.

eddas · Post by **eddas** » 19 Dec 2013, 19:24

No.
Generally, if I have a book I don't want anymore, I have no lack of friends that would be happy to give it a new home. In the odd case that I can't find someone that wants it, there is a free book exchange shelf outside my colleges library.

The only time I've ever even thrown books away is because they were damaged, ie my cat used them as a claw sharpener, or they got moldy in storage.

booklover24 · Post by **booklover24** » 19 Dec 2013, 21:25

No when I am done reading my books I pass them on to other people to read.

krisihome · Post by **krisihome** » 19 Dec 2013, 23:46

I would never think of burning a book, no matter what the content!! I have hundreds of books everywhere in my house, mostly because I'm obsessed with books; just knowing they are there is very comforting! As I always choose my own books and rarely get given books by others, unless it's family and they know what I like to read, I have never had a reason to get rid of a book in any way at all. That is a good question klickaal - what is an evil book haha!?

Lyr1ca · Post by **Lyr1ca** » 20 Dec 2013, 01:17

Books are my world. To destroy my books is the same as destroy my world. I would be very devastated if it happens. Heck I feel angry for people who don't care their books. Its better for the books to be given to other people who need and care the books.

terrametoo · Post by **terrametoo** » 20 Dec 2013, 01:57

I ended up burning the Bridget Jones Diary in the fireplace after dropping it in the bathtub

Damaged paper back books make good kindling, especially on cold Chicago nights... I consider it as just another way to recycle. But burning a book because you know that no-one would ever want to read it is different from burning one because you don't want anyone to read it.

ddane24 · Post by **ddane24** » 20 Dec 2013, 02:50

No i havent burned a book before. Burning books should be a federal crime lol

missydawnx · Post by **missydawnx** » 20 Dec 2013, 07:27

I've never burned a book. Not really sure why anyone would.

krisihome · Post by **krisihome** » 20 Dec 2013, 08:08

The only time book burning might be required is if you ran out of wood for your fire!! Even then I would rather burn newspapers, which is not a bad idea seeing as they're usually full of BS anyway!!!

Elisa · Post by **Elisa** » 20 Dec 2013, 08:25

[quote="obiebookworm"]Yes I have! Of course, this was many years before recycling. Though I believe in freedom to read, there's a different in my mind between what happens in a library and my personal collection. In the book burning case, I remember having a few books that I felt were not worth passing on to someone else because they had the high potential of hurting someone else, like it did me.

Bottom line, if there is a book in my possession (most likely one given to me) that has the potential of creating harm to another, it gets trashed.

[/quote
How can you burn a book! You can recycle it in other ways because once burned, it doesn't leave much to recycle.
Elisa

Valerie0 · Post by **Valerie0** » 20 Dec 2013, 09:07

I have never thought of burning a book. Can't imagine. I would love to learn how a book would cause harm or evil. I guess there may be books out there in the world somewhere that give instructions on how to go about committing a heinous crime or something, and I guess those could be a danger to the already unbalanced. Very interesting.