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How to Mark a Book

As outlined in Adler, MJ (1940) How to Mark a Book.

  1. Underline key points or forceful arguments
  2. Vertical line in the margins to emphasise a point that has already been underlined
  3. An asterisk in the margin to mark the ten or twenty most important statements in the book.
  4. Numbers in the margin to indicate the sequence of points the author makes in the development of an argument.
  5. Numbers of other pages to indicate where else in the book the author makes points relevant to this stement or argument.
  6. Circle key words or phrases
  7. Writing in the margin to record questions you had about the passage or reducing complex points to a simple statement.
  8. Use the end pages to create an index of the authors key points in order of appearance.
  9. Use the front pages to write an outline or summary of the book from your own understanding.

Planted: Monday 30 June 2025
Last tended: Monday 30 June 2025