Books : 'no books are lost through lending, except those you particularly

'no books are lost through lending, except those you particularly

Wanted to keep' (the official rules, delacorte Press)

How much can one insist in asking them back ?


Manelle
"to tax and to please, no more to love and to be wise, is not given to men"

Re: 'no books are lost through lending, except those you particularly

I don't lend my books, I tell people to go to the library. I used to lend my books but never got them back and my books are the hardback copies. The few times I borrowed a book, I always returned it.

Re: 'no books are lost through lending, except those you particularly

I don't lend out anything that I know I'll want back.


If I think someone really needs to read a book I'll buy them a copy on Amazon and give it to them.

Re: 'no books are lost through lending, except those you particularly

Agreed that one must have in mind that lending anything amounts to potentially let it go (especially as it comes to money). But technically, it is supposed to be handed back.
So how much one can ask ?

Manelle
"to tax and to please, no more to love and to be wise, is not given to men"

Re: 'no books are lost through lending, except those you particularly

I have one friend that is a nice guy, but from experience I know that if I lend him anything I will have to ask and ask to get it back.

I like having him as a friend, so I keep in mind when I 'lend' him something it's actually a gift.

Re: gift

I do not get this. Or is it possible that 'asking' your own property back is kind of gross ?
And not property so easy to replace, when the book is sold out, there is no way to get it in the bookstore.
(When you want to discuss a book with someone and you cannot, for the cause above, or any other, get an extra copy, lendind is the only option.)

Manelle
"to tax and to please, no more to love and to be wise, is not given to men"

Re: gift

I lended a book to a neighbor once, and I also lended some books to my brother's fiancée. Luckily, I would get them all back.

Intelligence and purity.

Re: gift

I don't think I should have to ask for it back.

When someone lends me a movie or a book I promptly read it or watch it then return it.

I know with this guy I have to nag and nag him to return something, so I don't ever lend him something I ever want back.

It only took a couple of times to learn that lesson, now I 'lend' him books and movies (gave him 'The Wire') that I want to get rid of.

Re: lessons

I just have finished a funny book about science. There is one text,no, two texts about Darwin. It does not seems that human skunks are the result of evolution, on the contrary.
'you should not have to ask ' ?
What is it, a matter of honor or what ? What you post reads like it gross from them to ... have you ask them ?
Why, people are supposed to be carrying the thing along with them and hand it when their own path crosses yours ?
That is not very practical.
Or should they phone you when they are done with the book, saying the maginc thank you formula. And then, would you drop everything you do and go collect back the accursed pack of paper ? Same feeling...


Manelle
"to tax and to please, no more to love and to be wise, is not given to men"

Re: 'no books are lost through lending, except those you particularly

I lend my books, but it's not like it's to random people. If all else fails I'll just grab the book when I'm at their place.

Re: 'grabing it back

Looks like a good option... But I do not understand why popping out the question does not look like a valid option...
Skunks might be swarming on two legs, that does not make one's less fond of one's property... And articulate about it, does it ?


Manelle
"to tax and to please, no more to love and to be wise, is not given to men"

Ps : provided there is not a pitbull on the premises. N/m


Manelle
"to tax and to please, no more to love and to be wise, is not given to men"

Re: 'no books are lost through lending, except those you particularly

I used to freely lend books, and never got them back. Learned my lesson.

Only one person I can think of gave me back books I had loaned her, and I did the same in return, but she's passed away now. Was one of my few actually reliable friends. The rest have been a bunch of flakes!




Re: 'no books are lost through lending, except those you particularly

I don't loan them anymore except to my daughter, but I never had a problem in asking for them back. The peculiar thing was that if they enjoyed the book they usually gave it back, no problem. If they didn't like it or were never interested in reading it in the first place then they "forgot."

Lending to co-workers or fellow students was usually the kiss of death for the book.

Re: 'no books are lost through lending, except those you particularly

Your final sentence is the one that resonates for me, as that was the mistake I used to make -- lending to more casual acquaintances, some of whom would suddenly be out of my life before I even got the chance to ask for my book back.




Re: 'no books are lost through lending, except those you particularly

The only person I lend my books to is my sister. I know she keeps them well and safe (my main concern with lending a book is not only the person losing it and never returning but also returning it in bad condition, something which deeply scares my bibliophilic heart), as I have lent her in different ocasions my Crime and Punishment, my On the Origin of Species, my Theogony and my The Hobbit (she is still in possession and still reading it), all which she kept in good condition.

While she may be a little too slow to finish the books I lend her (it's been already more than a year she has my Hobbit, I don't think she is reading it regularly) I completely trust my sister to take care of my books. She is also one of the only people I know personally that loves books as much as me and that reads books regularly, and I am always trying to introduce my favorite books to her (although I fail all the time), so for me it's a pleasure, a honor that my sister wants to read some of my books.

For other people? Well, no one ever asks my books borrowed, as they have no interests in my books or in any books in general, so I don't have much problem with people wanting to borrow my books. But no, I don't think I would feel comfortable to lend my books to other people besides my sister, as I know the risk of someone not returning or returning in terrible condition is too high and I don't want to take this risk. Deep inside I would wish that everyone would want to read my books, love them along with me and even discuss them with me, specially my favorite science fiction and fantasy novels, but it isn't going to happen, I don't trust them and I know they will never have the same interests in reading as me.

"I know one thing: that I know nothing" - Socrates
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