# I just burned a book **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [January 10, 2016, 10:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-burned-a-book/742748 "2016-01-10T22:31:25Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![boffking](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/858c86/32.png) [@boffking](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/boffking)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2016, 10:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-burned-a-book/742748/1 "2016-01-10T22:31:25Z")
It was The Ghost Stories of Maine . I actually have a second copy, and like the book. I burned the copy that my little sister trashed long ago. It was scribbled over in pen, And had ripped pages. I was cleaning my shelf and found this wreck. It had to go! So I threw it in the fireplace. ---
**Author:** ![thelurkinghorror](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7c8e57/32.png) [@thelurkinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelurkinghorror)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2016, 11:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-burned-a-book/742748/2 "2016-01-10T23:06:41Z")
You know who else burned books and styled himself as a king? [That’s right, George IV](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burning_of_Washington#U.S._Capitol)! ---
**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2016, 12:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-burned-a-book/742748/3 "2016-01-11T00:26:45Z")
What is it with Kings, Maine and books? [Did little spectres come wafting](https://youtu.be/nF9W3H-jdSc?t=51) out as the book burned? ---
**Author:** ![Urbanredneck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ea5d25/32.png) [@Urbanredneck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Urbanredneck)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2016, 6:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-burned-a-book/742748/4 "2016-01-11T06:38:10Z")
Nothing to be embarrased about. I like books but they are also heavy and difficult to store. Its good to go thru your collection from time to time and get rid of the extras. Or just wait until you have to move them and you will find it VERY easy to start tossing. ---
**Author:** ![BrassyPhrase](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ea666f/32.png) [@BrassyPhrase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrassyPhrase)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2016, 9:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-burned-a-book/742748/5 "2016-01-11T09:16:00Z")
I’ve done it. Not from any political reasons, but to start a fire. It was a soft cover book that I’d managed to spill soda all over and it had dried. (As I’ve said in book threads, I mostly get books from second hand/thrift shops etc.) No one would take it, and I was broke and wanted a fire so I wouldn’t have to turn the heat on as much. (I used it as a firestarter type thing for the wood.) ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2016, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-burned-a-book/742748/6 "2016-01-11T17:29:27Z")
I burned a mess of Reader’s Digest condensed books years ago. Found no takers for 'em, recyclers didn’t want the glue and cloth binding, so off to the burnpile. No great loss. ---
**Author:** ![Doctor\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doctor_jackson/32/32_2.png) [@Doctor\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doctor_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2016, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-burned-a-book/742748/7 "2016-01-11T21:04:43Z")
> [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](#): > > I burned a mess of Reader’s Digest condensed books years ago. Found no takers for 'em, recyclers didn’t want the glue and cloth binding, so off to the burnpile. > > No great loss. I gotta admit, I’m shedding a little tear here. My parents had a large set of RD condensed books when I was a child. I read almost every one. Those books are probably what kindled (get it?) my love for reading. ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2016, 10:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-burned-a-book/742748/8 "2016-01-11T22:30:07Z")
> [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](#): > > What is it with Kings, Maine and books? > > [Did little spectres come wafting](https://youtu.be/nF9W3H-jdSc?t=51) out as the book burned? And did they impregnate nice white girls on their way out? ---
**Author:** ![AuntPam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9fc348/32.png) [@AuntPam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AuntPam)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2016, 10:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-burned-a-book/742748/9 "2016-01-11T22:37:55Z")
Never burned a book. But I did throw _The Elective Affinities_ by Goethe at the wall as hard as possible while screaming bad words. Forced to read this appalling novel for a comparative literature class. Horrible writing. Horrible characters and characterization. Much longer than necessary to make its philosophical point. Not sure I would have burned it, though. Somebody liked it enough to preserve for many years. Tastes vary. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2016, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-burned-a-book/742748/10 "2016-01-12T16:38:45Z")
I put a Bill O’Reilly “history” book (given to me by someone who _really_ doesn’t know my politics) in a local paper recycling bin not long ago, but felt a little guilty about it. I’m against censorship and would never, ever burn a book as a political statement. But I knew I’d never read it, didn’t want it in the house, would not inflict it on anyone else, and didn’t want to just throw it away. So off it went to be pulped - best I could do. ---
**Author:** ![jtur88](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e9c0ed/32.png) [@jtur88](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jtur88)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2016, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-burned-a-book/742748/11 "2016-01-12T19:18:00Z")
I believe that 99% of all the books currently in existence in the USA will never, ever be opened again. So why not burn the surplus, sitting in boxes, on shelves, or in warehouses. How many people could be kept warm this winter by burning books? They’re all in the Library of Congress, and can be reprinted if necessary. Why aren’t newspapers and magazines just as sacred, yet we pulverize them to insulate houses, and nobody gets indignant about that. The only time “book-burning” is bad is when all copies of a specific book (and the ideas within it) are burned for ideological reasons. That’s not the same thing. ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2016, 7:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-burned-a-book/742748/12 "2016-01-12T19:22:54Z")
> [@jtur88](#): > > The only time “book-burning” is bad is when all copies of a specific book are burned for ideological reasons. I concur. Unless you’re using books to burn a witch. That’s bad too. ---
**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2016, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-burned-a-book/742748/13 "2016-01-12T19:52:00Z")
> [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](#): > > I put a Bill O’Reilly “history” book (given to me by someone who _really_ doesn’t know my politics) in a local paper recycling bin not long ago, but felt a little guilty about it. I’m against censorship and would never, ever burn a book as a political statement. But I knew I’d never read it, didn’t want it in the house, would not inflict it on anyone else, and didn’t want to just throw it away. So off it went to be pulped - best I could do. TP? :eek: ---
**Author:** ![ekedolphin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ekedolphin/32/10003_2.png) [@ekedolphin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ekedolphin)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2016, 1:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-burned-a-book/742748/14 "2016-01-13T01:43:51Z")
> [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](#): > > I concur. > > Unless you’re using books to burn a witch. That’s bad too. “How do you _know_ she is a witch?” “She _looks_ like one!” ---
**Author:** ![Chimera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Chimera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chimera)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2016, 3:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-burned-a-book/742748/15 "2016-01-13T03:00:01Z")
Back in the very early 90’s I was big on history of different cultures. I bought this book on the Incas without reading the blurb too clearly. When it arrived, it was some garbage attempting to cast early Inca society as a Soviet style communist utopia or some shit. I tossed it in the fireplace.