On Marking Books

Last updated on: May 12, 2006 at 5:48 am by Scot McKnight

On Marking Books 2006-05-12T05:48:56-05:00 Scot McKnight

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

The blog yesterday about my desk and what I thought was clutter, but which I’ve now learned was quite tidy, generated a question: How to mark the books I read? Well, that’s a good one because I’ve given it more thought than I should. Hope you have fun with this one.

First off, don’t mark library books or the books of others. I once loaned a book to a student who gave it back to me with considerable pride — and all beaten up and marked up. I don’t want others marking my books any more than I want them nibbling on my food in the kitchen of a restaurant.
Second, I learned long ago not to underline everything I was learning, but I learned this the hard way. My copies of George Ladd’s NT Theology and Herman Ridderbos’ Paul: An Outline of His Theology, which oddly enough I read before getting to seminary, are embarrassing now to read. In fact, I avoid looking at them because they are so marked up. Kris once remarked that I ought to underline what is “not important” so I’d use less pen.
Third, I avoid using a ruler — since it requires that I always have one, which I don’t. Learn to underline with a solid straight line without a ruler. This takes some practice, and it is very difficult on airplanes in turbulence or on trains or in cars, but more often than not I’m on stable land and can keep a pretty good straight line.
Fourth, and this is important to me, I always have a piece of paper — a small 4×6 or something about that size — in my book. At the top right I write the author’s name and I use the first line to write down the numbers of pages where I find things I really like and might want to quote. (Note to readers: I quote way too much and my great editor, Ms. Lil [red pen] Copan, has just about cured me of the itch to quote. Kevin Vanhoozer does this, too, but because I like good quotes, I like reading him.)
Fifth, I take notes but I don’t overdo it. Again, this from practice. I used to have a 3×5 card in each book and I summed up each chapter in a sentence or two at the end of each chapter’s reading. I quit doing this when I realized I wasn’t using the cards often enough. Nor do I take detailed notes, as it just clogs up my reading. All I do now is jot down notes on that single piece of paper, which very rarely becomes two pages — perhaps with an important book at the beginning of research for a new writing project.
Sixth, reading just for pleasure, which I don’t do as much as I’d like, leads me to the same practice, but I might jot down more random notes.
Seventh, remember what you’ve read. How’s that for a foolish imperative. No one remembers that much, so just try to remember what you can — of course, that’s just as foolish because no one really tries to forget, except certain political figures at opportune moments.
Eighth, if you don’t like a book don’t read it. Don’t give me this nonsense that your grade school teacher taught you to finish what you began. Not, I say to her or him now from my perch, if you don’t like the book. Nothing worse than having to read something; avoid that. If you find a book boring, find one that isn’t boring. I find those Russian novelists boring, and I’ll never again get numbed on some train across a wind-swept, frozen Siberian landscape so one of those writers can create me a sense of vastness and helplessness. If I want to feel helpless, I read Romans 2–3.
And this will limit the writers you read, which is a good thing. Unfortunately, it will lead you to cut back on some influential biblical scholars who have the capacity to write mind-numbing prose backed up with buckets of references and footnotes that show off everything they’ve read and don’t advance the argument — except to show that they’ve read the stuff. That’s a game we have to play sometime, but I pray for the days when scholars will learn to write engaging prose — and the best NT example of engaging and lovely prose I know of is C.H. Dodd and a close second is Tom Wright. I could mention others, but these are top of the list for me.
Remember this: a well-written book with bad arguments will have more influence than a poorly-written book with endless nuance and lifeless prose. Remember this too: lifeless prose comes from lifeless minds.
My good friend and legendary high school coach, Jim Panther, laughed endlessly about my A Light Among the Gentiles because of the number of footnotes. He used to say, “All you guys do is shuffle footnotes from one book to another.” He had a point. Somewhere someone taught us that lots of footnotes show how credible we should be. Ever read C.F.D. Moule? or G.B. Caird? or Morna Hooker? Delightful. The only way to read Hengel is with a beer in hand to take the edge off.
Now something dear to my heart: I underline with my fountain pens. I don’t know if one is supposed to do this, but I do — and that flexible nib and a few notes in the margins with a nice fountain pen makes reading just a tad more pleasurable. I blogged about fountain pens sometime back, and you can probably find it in the Writing category.

Writing & Blogging

Previous Post

May 12, 2006

McLaren's Secret 5

Next Post

May 12, 2006 DaVinci Code at TLN

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Acts of the Apostles Adam Advent Anabaptism Angels Anglican Apologetics Atonement Baptism BCP Prayers Bible Biblical Studies Birds Blogging Bloglossary Bonhoeffer Books Calvinism Christianity Church Church History Coffee Colossians Commentary Recs Conversion Creation Creeds Culture Death Ecclesiastes Economics Education Embracing Grace Emergent Emerging Movement Eschatology Essays Ethics Eucharist Evangelicalism Family Fasting Fathers Fellowship of Differents Footsteps Tour Fun and Whimsical Gospel Grace Happiness Heaven Hell Holy Spirit Irenaeus James Jesus Jesus Creed Job Justification Kingdom of God Law Lectures Lent Liberalism Love and Marriage Mabanteneni Manhood Mary Miracles Missio Alliance MissioLife Missional Missional Jesus Movies and Film New Perspective Northern Seminary OneLife Origins Project Orthodox Parables Pastor's Spouse Pastoring and Leading Pastoring and Preaching Patristics Paul Paul-John Tour Pharisees Pietism Political Theology Prayer and Formation Preaching Problems for Faith Psalm 119 Psalms Public Issues Purgatory Religions Resurrection Revelation Romans Rule of JCreed Science and Faith Sermon on the Mount Sports Ten Commandments Theology Third Way Top Ten Lists Translations Uncategorized Universalism University Ministry Way Out Weekly Meanderings Wisdom Women and Ministry Work Worship Writing & Blogging Youth Ministry

Select a Month July 2021 January 2020 December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 November 2011 October 2011 September 2011 August 2011 July 2011 June 2011 May 2011 April 2011 March 2011 February 2011 January 2011 December 2010 November 2010 October 2010 September 2010 August 2010 July 2010 June 2010 May 2010 April 2010 March 2010 February 2010 January 2010 December 2009 November 2009 October 2009 September 2009 August 2009 July 2009 June 2009 May 2009 April 2009 March 2009 February 2009 January 2009 December 2008 November 2008 October 2008 September 2008 August 2008 July 2008 June 2008 May 2008 April 2008 March 2008 February 2008 January 2008 December 2007 November 2007 October 2007 September 2007 August 2007 July 2007 June 2007 May 2007 April 2007 March 2007 February 2007 January 2007 December 2006 November 2006 October 2006 September 2006 August 2006 July 2006 June 2006 May 2006 April 2006 March 2006 February 2006 January 2006 December 2005 November 2005 October 2005 September 2005 August 2005 July 2005 June 2005 May 2005 April 2005 0000

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

Who said, "As for me, I know that my redeemer lives"?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Joseph Abraham Job Moses