The tales a book could tell ...

I received 4 'new' books in the post today that I'd ordered in relation to my research.  I never fail to feel excited when I buy or receive a 'new' book.  I can't wait to open the book and start reading it; to consume the knowledge, or stories, written in there.

My four 'new' books

I've highlighted the word 'new' because only one of the books I received was actually a new book.  The other 3 were used books.  Two of them had come from Connecticut Library; you can still see their library tickets on them.  These books were both written in the 1980's, but they're still well respected in the eating disorders literature field.  In the twenty-plus years of their lives, I wonder where they've been and who's read them?

If only those books could speak ... or write their own story ... I suspect they'd have a few interesting tales to tell.  Stories that have absolutely nothing to do with their subject matter but instead, the people who read them.  Or the people who took them out of the library, and never read them.  Whose houses have those books visited?  Whose bags have those books sat in? Whose essays and dissertations have those books played a part in?  Whose ideas, knowledge and thoughts have those books inspired? Whose hands have held those books?  ...

Endless questions.  Questions that I'd love to ask those books; but questions that I'll never receive answers to.  But wouldn't it be fascinating to know?!

Before I began my PhD research I very rarely bought second-hand books.  But due to the sheer volume of books available, the fact that many of them are now out-of-print and the cost of brand new books, I was 'forced' to begin buying pre-read books.  My whole outlook on them has changed since then.  I love second (maybe even, third, fourth, fifth, etc.) - hand books now!  I love thinking about their history and story.

I love receiving books which have annotations written in them.  It's fascinating to read other peoples' thoughts and ideas.  I feel privileged to read them sometimes.  It's like a little glimpse into someone else's thinking.  And it's  a privilege to share that little bit of intimacy ... even though I'll never know the person who thought it, and wrote it.  Even highlights and underlinings in books are fascinating; just to see what the previous reader thought important enough to highlight.

My own underlining & highlighting in a book only I have owned

Prior to my PhD, I never wrote in books.  Now, whenever I'm reading a book (non-fiction and especially related to my research or therapy), I always underline, highlight and annotate!  I can't read now without a pen in my hand!  It feels like a much more engaged way of reading and assimilating the knowledge.  Reading becomes more like a conversation between myself, the book and its author; and sometimes the previous readers.

I've read some really interesting annotations in some of the books I've got; and some of those have helped me develop my own thoughts and ideas.  Without those previous readers' thoughts, my own thinking might have taken a different turn, or I might have missed something.  Writing this, it makes me want to thank all of the previous readers and annotators; they've all, unknowingly, played a role in my thinking, development and research.

I wonder just how many previous readers there are who've owned, or just borrowed the books that now sit on my bookshelves.  The ghosts of hundreds (I suspect, bearing in mind how many books I have!!) of previous readers lingering and contributing to my thinking and writing ...

Sending a big, big thank you to you all; whoever and wherever you may be ...