'How To Mark A Book' By Mortimer J. Adler

Mortimer J. Adler, doctor of the year 1941, details in his article "How to Mark a Book" the reasons for and the techniques used in annotating a book. He starts off with describing two ways to know that the book you hold in your hands can be called your book. The first way to know this is by money. In other words, you own a book if you paid for the book. Secondly, you own a book if you write in the book. Only then can you truly say "This book is mine". From here Adler explains the three types of book owners. Every person has books, but not every person knows how to own one. The first type of book owner may have hundreds of books yet he has never even read one of them. They are only a decoration for his bookshelf. The second type of owner is one who like the first has many books but, unlike the first owner, he has

The problem is they still look as if he had just bought them. The last type of owner has few books but cherishes them to the point that they are so used it is almost falling apart. This is the owner who love his books. After explaining the book owners and how to own a book, Adler teaches the reader why a book should be marked and how it benefits the reader. He says that a marking a book is imperative because it helps you to be an active reader that reads while he is awake and remembers what he has read. Not only does he say it is imperative but it is required in order to be active and have a good memory of the book. Thankfully, the author doesn't stop there. He goes on to explain how a reader should annotate. He offers seven tools in annotating: underline main points, draw a vertical line next to the underlined statement, star the most important sentences, number the arguments or another page where an argument is at, circle important words, and write