ProZ.com Translation Forums

Book burning... | Keep Up The Good Work

Daryo — Thu, 18 Feb 2021 21:03:00 +0000

Forum: Off topic
Topic: Book burning...
Poster: Daryo
Post title: Keep Up The Good Work

[quote]Tom in London wrote:

[quote]Lincoln Hui wrote:

Recycling as paper is better than burning. [/quote]

Lincoln- please stop resuscitating ancient threads. Haven't you got any work to do? [/quote]

These threads are not "dead" so they can't be "resuscitated"

They are just "in hibernation" - what's wrong with waking them up?

I find it disturbing that anyone would want to harm hibernating threads ...

Book burning... | What's the problem?

Lincoln Hui — Thu, 18 Feb 2021 13:22:00 +0000

Forum: Off topic
Topic: Book burning...
Poster: Lincoln Hui
Post title: What's the problem?

[quote]Tom in London wrote:

[quote]Lincoln Hui wrote:

Recycling as paper is better than burning. [/quote]

Lincoln- please stop resuscitating ancient threads. Haven't you got any work to do? [/quote]
What difference does it make how long ago it was posted?

If you're not interested in them yourself, just leave them. They're not bothering you.

[Edited at 2021-02-18 13:23 GMT]

Book burning... | STOP THIS PLEASE

Tom in London — Thu, 18 Feb 2021 11:46:00 +0000

Forum: Off topic
Topic: Book burning...
Poster: Tom in London
Post title: STOP THIS PLEASE

[quote]Lincoln Hui wrote:

Recycling as paper is better than burning. [/quote]

Lincoln- please stop resuscitating ancient threads. Haven't you got any work to do?

Book burning... | Recycle

Lincoln Hui — Thu, 18 Feb 2021 11:11:00 +0000

Forum: Off topic
Topic: Book burning...
Poster: Lincoln Hui
Post title: Recycle

Recycling as paper is better than burning.

Book burning... | The worst thing...

Marc P (X) — Wed, 13 Sep 2006 18:53:00 +0000

Forum: Off topic
Topic: Book burning...
Poster: Marc P (X)
Post title: The worst thing...

... is all those manuals for computer software. Software I paid hundreds of Deutschmarks for, ten or fifteen years ago. The diskettes and manuals are worthless now: far better programs can be downloaded for free (open-source) off the Internet.

But it's hard to throw them away, somehow.

Marc

Book burning... | Don't burn

RobinB — Wed, 13 Sep 2006 14:10:00 +0000

Forum: Off topic
Topic: Book burning...
Poster: RobinB
Post title: Don't burn

Trevor,

It's a problem most of us face - frequently - to be sure. But you weren't seriously considering burning them, were you? I don't have to tell you that only Nazis and other subhumans actually *burn* books...

You've had plenty of good uggestions of what to do with redundant books, and I have to admit that there comes a time when you look at your bookshelves and say to yourself "time to make some space". And of course, there are things you simply grow out of. I suppose the last resort if you can't give them away (hospitals? hospices?) is to dump them in the recycling bin, but I don't know how far advanced paper recycling is in Poland.

I tend to keep copies of older dictionary editions (if they're any good) and other reference works because they contain terms that don't appear in newer editions and you never know when you'll get a text containing references to what is now modern history.

Some people seem to get all worked up about even recycling books for paper, although at least it's environmentally responsible. But burning books has connotations that make me, at least, shudder.

Robin

Book burning... | bookcrossing

Angela Dickson (X) — Wed, 13 Sep 2006 09:55:00 +0000

Forum: Off topic
Topic: Book burning...
Poster: Angela Dickson (X)
Post title: bookcrossing

There's an active bookcrossing community ( [url removed] ) in my local area, and we have got round Rafa's fear of the books being thrown away by setting up 'bookcrossing zones' in local public places. A local wine bar has a constantly-changing shelf of free books, and a couple more locations around the city take books as well.

Book burning... | Book crossing

Trevor Butcher — Wed, 13 Sep 2006 07:27:00 +0000

Forum: Off topic
Topic: Book burning...
Poster: Trevor Butcher
Post title: Book crossing

I like the idea of sending off my unwanted books on travels, forming a kind of fluid cyber-library. It can also pay sometimes - my friend accidently left a 200 zloty note in one book he donated to a library.

But keeping them... All the time that you hang onto books it is stopping other people from reading them, but I supppose that it also keeps printing houses going too since those other people have to buy new copies of books that we are just sitting on. At least by letting them go I worry less about losing them through storm or theft.

Trevor

Book burning... | Donate them to our high-school library

Sophia Hundt (X) — Wed, 13 Sep 2006 04:30:00 +0000

Forum: Off topic
Topic: Book burning...
Poster: Sophia Hundt (X)
Post title: Donate them to our high-school library

That's what I do with the books I absolutely don't need. Otherwise, can always sell them on half.com and make a few bucks this way, too, but may not be worth your time. Then there's also used books bookstores.

Book burning... | I nearly stopped buying books

Irene N — Wed, 13 Sep 2006 00:18:00 +0000

Forum: Off topic
Topic: Book burning...
Poster: Irene N
Post title: I nearly stopped buying books

I got fed up with the dilemma. Now what I have in my place, brought from across the ocean with me, is the library collected by my father, mostly collected editions of Russian, French, British, American and Spanish classics. Aside of Plutarch, Shakespeare and a few others:-) most belong to 19th and the 1st quarter of the 20th century. About 1000 volumes. I re-read them routinely, at least a few pages here and there, and could not live without them. I was sick in my stomach when hurricane Rita was supposed to hit my balcony door, my area was under mandatory evacuation and I was in Russia at the time! Thinking about losing those books along with some other family memorabilia was almost unbearable. I keep counting my blessings! Sure I still buy certain books, but not nearly as active as I used to. Only those, which will stay with me forever.

I'm a bibliophile but not a bibliomaniac.

For everything else there are libraries and Internet. I would not suffer too much over destroying a home-printed copy. Especially after learning that the book turned out to be a day-fly.

Book burning... | I can't throw or give a book away

Ivana de Sousa Santos — Tue, 12 Sep 2006 23:58:00 +0000

Forum: Off topic
Topic: Book burning...
Poster: Ivana de Sousa Santos
Post title: I can't throw or give a book away

So my library keeps on increasing.

Sometimes I like to read books I already read in the past and enjoyed a lot.

Book burning... | Sort into categories

Tina Vonhof (X) — Tue, 12 Sep 2006 22:00:00 +0000

Forum: Off topic
Topic: Book burning...
Poster: Tina Vonhof (X)
Post title: Sort into categories

I recently bought a new bookcase (that covers almost an entire wall in my living room) and I have vowed not to own any more books than will comfortably fit and to keep two squares open for other displays. Many of my books are as close to my heart as old friends. Some day I might want to read them again and I could never get rid of them. Others that I didn't like or will never read again I sorted into 4 categories:

1. books to sell (and get credit to buy more books!);
2. books that might interest my friends;
3. books to give to charity;
4. books that are in bad shape and can only be re-cycled.

This past summer I have started some of that re-reading and have found that with books too, love is better the second time around.

Book burning... | Never throw a book away!

Natasha Dupuy — Tue, 12 Sep 2006 20:36:00 +0000

Forum: Off topic
Topic: Book burning...
Poster: Natasha Dupuy
Post title: Never throw a book away!

I just couldn't. We use Bookcrossing - Susana mentioned it above and I love the whole idea of it. We also started a little book exchange community, though that hasn't really taken off yet it has generated some interest.
If I have a few to get rid of in one go I try to sell them to a second-hand book store.
There are so many different ways to dispose of them so that they can still make a difference in someone's life: leaving them behind at hotels or hostels, donating to literacy programs, schools, ...
A friend of mine once gave me a book to read and all he asked of me in return was that I write my name and the year on the inside cover and pass it on, asking people to do the same all the way down the line.

Book burning... | Burn a book???!!!

PAS — Tue, 12 Sep 2006 19:15:00 +0000

Forum: Off topic
Topic: Book burning...
Poster: PAS
Post title: Burn a book???!!!

I have never burned a book - not even a phone book. ;-)

I am known for taking books [i]out of[/i] garbage bins (or at least those lying in a bag by a garbage bin).

Recently, my father was cleaning out my grandfather's (his father's) old physics books. I was torn like never before, because I knew the books were worthless, and we simply had to throw them away. They were mostly Russian translations of American university level physics books published in the late 1940's - early 1950's. No one could make use of them today - science has simply moved forward.

The least I would do is take the books to a paper recycling bin (which is what we did with my grandfather's books).
Library, bookcrossing, newspaper ad... Once or twice I took some books to a used book store and left them with the proprietor.

Throwing away a book is like throwing away knowledge...
I don't know. It sounds pompous, but I love the things too much to simply junk them after I am through.

N.B. I am referring strictly to books, not other printed matter I use for translations.

Pawel Skalinski

Book burning... | I can't let go of all of them

Rafa Lombardino — Tue, 12 Sep 2006 18:36:00 +0000

Forum: Off topic
Topic: Book burning...
Poster: Rafa Lombardino
Post title: I can't let go of all of them

It took me long enough to realize that some books are keepers and some are great as one-time reads, especially a couple of novels that I've read recently and that, despite of their great stories, would only take too much space on my bookshelf.

I've thought about BookCrossing, but I'm afraid the book will end up on a trash can :(

I've also thought about donating some to the local library, which still is a good option.

But then I heard about BookMooch and I really think it's an excellent idea. I read a lot on my free time and I believe this is a great option for someone like me to rotate the old ones and get my hands on new titles.

Well, this is an idea... ;)

Book burning... | Giving to the poor

Kirill Semenov — Tue, 12 Sep 2006 17:24:00 +0000

Forum: Off topic
Topic: Book burning...
Poster: Kirill Semenov
Post title: Giving to the poor

Here, we have a secondary market for old books - people who sell books on streets (in walk-through tunnels mostly).

I used to give the old or useless (for me) books to the people, in this way they were able to earn something and some people were able to buy a book they needed.

I myself have bought a lot of books in places like this, and this were great and precious books for me (and cheap prices, too ;-)).

Book burning... | circulate them

Susana Galilea — Tue, 12 Sep 2006 17:23:00 +0000

Forum: Off topic
Topic: Book burning...
Poster: Susana Galilea
Post title: circulate them

There's always this: [url removed]

:)

Susana

Book burning... | Some to keep, some to go...

Seadeta Osmani — Tue, 12 Sep 2006 17:17:00 +0000

Forum: Off topic
Topic: Book burning...
Poster: Seadeta Osmani
Post title: Some to keep, some to go...

As I still have no children, I tend to keep old books for future... Silly, but... I'd like my children to maybe get to know me through my choice of reading.

Those I don't wish to keep, I just donate to the library.

Book burning... | Attachment to books

Niraja Nanjundan (X) — Tue, 12 Sep 2006 15:48:00 +0000

Forum: Off topic
Topic: Book burning...
Poster: Niraja Nanjundan (X)
Post title: Attachment to books

I get quite attached to any really good books I read, and find it hard to give them away. I still have some of my old poetry and literature books from school.

I do give away books I didn't enjoy that much or that aren't of any use to me any more, mostly to friends, relatives or charities.

Book burning... | Selling, giving and throwing away

Claudia Krysztofiak — Tue, 12 Sep 2006 15:36:00 +0000

Forum: Off topic
Topic: Book burning...
Poster: Claudia Krysztofiak
Post title: Selling, giving and throwing away

I know the problem! :-)

I started selling books on the Internet at Booklookers. There I can lower the price at regular intervals and if they were not sold until the price drops below a certain level I throw them away.

Books I really like become presents for my friends or I give them away to local charitable organisations (if they take any more books ...).

Book burning... | Give them away

Rosa Maria Duenas Rios (X) — Tue, 12 Sep 2006 15:29:00 +0000

Forum: Off topic
Topic: Book burning...
Poster: Rosa Maria Duenas Rios (X)
Post title: Give them away

I would feel guilty if I just threw them away or, as the title of your post mentions, burn them!
I have the hope that the books I discard because they are not useful to me will be useful to someone else.
Or that someone else will have the courage to "eliminate" them without feeling guilty... my two pesos...

Book burning...

Trevor Butcher — Tue, 12 Sep 2006 13:10:00 +0000

Forum: Off topic
Topic: Book burning...
Poster: Trevor Butcher

What do you do with your old books? Do you keep them, give them to family or friends, sell them, give them to charity, lend them all out and never ask for them back, leave them on the sidewalk, or, well, chuck them down the waste disposal or burn them?

I am interested because I continually seem to accumulkate books from a number of sources and they seriously get in the way. Lots of them are only really copies of data that I could get from the internet if I wanted to know, while others never get dipped into.

As a consequence I have thrown away hundreds of books, and given or sold even more. Rarely do I regret the loss, but I know some of the people I work with are deeply shocked. So, should books be treasured or treated like any other object?

The way I look at it is that since I do not own all the books that could be potentially useful to my life, only some of them, why should I keep any of them - unless I really do use them. If I keep them then I spend more of my life on dusting them, humping them around and generally living in a space that is smaller and harder to maintain than if I don't have them.

On the flip side, I donate a number of them to a library I established at work - where anyone can come and borrow them. With any luck they will never return them and that will give me more opportunity to donate some more.

The strangest thing of all is that the people who make the most noise about me throwing away books are the ones who never borrow any of the books - they say they are too busy.

So what do you do with yours?

Trevor