Re: Second Hand Books.

I'm more worried about bedbugs in second hand books. Because people quite often read in bed and there's a bedbug epidemic in a lot of hotels.

Re: Second Hand Books.

Yep, bloody disgusting isn't it! I often see videos of Facebook of dog-owners letting their mutts slobber all over the mouths, and I always think, "Don't you know that dog licks its own butt?! Ever heard of E.Coli?" Doesn't seem to bother some people, though.

I spray used books with Febreeze. You just never know what grubs have handled them. Lots of disease around these days. Some bugs can live in organic matter, like paper pages, for a long time.

Re: Second Hand Books.

Again, we are digressing, Jimmy
but what pisses me off about the doggy-licking thing is that people let (or even encourage) the disease-carriers to slobber on their children -
whose immune systems are even more fragile.

Back to the books ................ far less hazardous.

Re: Second Hand Books.

Yep, I've seen that. You can't tell some people.

True.

I bought a fascinating little book at my local exchange shop the other day; it was a reproduction of a small book that was issued to American personnel stationed in Australia during the war. Called, "Instructions For American Servicemen In Australia". Only 54 pages long. Printed in 1942.

One section talks about our political parties, quote: "Today Australia has three major political parties - the Labor Party, oldest in Australian politics, the United Australia Party and the Country Party.

Elsewhere: "It's the same language too. We all speak the same language - the British the Australians, and us - our versions of it. Probably the only difficulty you'll run into here is the habit Australians have of pronouncing "a" as "i" - for instance, "The trine is lite todi".

There's also advice about how to deal with Australian girls. Very interesting find.

It was a replica, printed in 2006, but the previous owner must have been very careful with it, because it was spotless.

Re: Second Hand Books.

I buy quite a few books, sometimes boxes full in a lot at an auction or sometimes individually at book sales, garage sales, flea markets. I sort them out, sell a few on ebay or at a flea market. Some I keep to read, usually a classic or something related to my interests. If I read one I own, I mark them up some (sorry Mups) but never bend a page corner. I notate, things that correlate to other books maybe, clever quotes I like, and I put notes on any of the blank page in the back such as p (for page) 106 "When Faust will consider the devil to have upheld his end of the deal" except with much abbreviation.

I particularly dislike highlighting, especially different colors, I am guessing for different levels of significance. Sometimes they have the name of previous owners on the inside cover or page facing it, but that's life. But I do not spray them except mayby a slightly damp cloth or paper towel to wipe dust or such off a cover. Some are worthless and falling apart and I sometimes burn them in my woodstove in the Winter.

Re: Second Hand Books.

Germs on books doesn't bother me, and I never even think about it. Blimey, do those of you who spray them consider the gazillions of germs on every single object around you that you touch all the time?

As for turned back pages, I always use a large paper clip to mark my pages, it does no damage at all and is far more stable than a paper bookmark.

Re: Second Hand Books.

We don't have any more room for books in our house. Every shelf is full so it's just as well that we have moved on to e-books. I have hundreds of books on my Kindle and, on average read 3 or 4 each week. I love audiobooks as well, but I only listen to them in the car. If I try to listen to them in bed, I am asleep within seconds.

On the general germ issue (and dog kissing issue) my old grannie had a saying that she repeated often, "You've got to eat a peck of dirt before you die!" This was her way of saying that unless you were exposed to germs, you'd never develop an immunity to them.

Re: Second Hand Books.

Thing with books, though, is that they go from hand to hand, and place to place, and they're left lying god-knows-where for long periods of time. Like supermarket fruit, they're touched and handled and sneezed and coughed on by dozens of people before you get them home. Only sensible to be aware of the possibility of accumulated bacteria on them.

There are bacteria that can remain dormant outside the human body for many months...

I only spray the covers, not each page, of course. But I never wet my finger to turn a page on a second-hand book...

Re: Second Hand Books.

True. But some germs don't give you a second chance, Mick.

Once, when I was dealing with some bad stuff, my old man said, "Oh well, you'll have to face worse things than this in life". I thought, "that's not really very comforting"...

Re: Second Hand Books.

Turned pages doesn't bother me too much but what I do sometimes find baffling are the highlights on a Kindle book. Sometimes there might be 57 highlights for instance. I read the sentence over and over and think 'Why?'.