MORTIMER ADLER

Full ownership of a book only comes when you have made it a part of yourself, and the best way to make yourself a part of it— which comes to the same thing— is by writing in it.

Marking a book is literally an expression of your differences or your agreements with the author. It is the highe...

Asking a book questions as you read is not enough. You should also attempt to answer the questions with a pencil in hand. When you buy a book, you establish a property right in it. When you write in it, you develop full ownership of it.

Why you should write in your book:

When you are willing to engage with the book by writing in it, you pay the author the highest respect.

• Underline the important points.
• Draw vertical lines at the margin when a passage is too long to underline.
• Emph...