# To burn, or not to burn a book. **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [June 18, 2005, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-burn-or-not-to-burn-a-book/308836 "2005-06-18T20:15:52Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Aangelica](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b2d939/32.png) [@Aangelica](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aangelica)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2005, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-burn-or-not-to-burn-a-book/308836/41 "2005-06-20T18:35:23Z")
I’m with **Hypno-Toad**. Having read the offending book, your decision to flambe it is a particularly flamboyant form of literary criticism. However, I don’t think I could ever bring myself to actually burn a book. But that’s just a personal thing. ---
**Author:** ![Hypno-Toad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b2d939/32.png) [@Hypno-Toad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hypno-Toad)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2005, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-burn-or-not-to-burn-a-book/308836/42 "2005-06-20T18:41:13Z")
The bonfire books may kindle in a field are easier to quench than the spark they ignite in the mind. ---
**Author:** ![Scott\_Plaid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/258eb7/32.png) [@Scott\_Plaid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scott_Plaid)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2005, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-burn-or-not-to-burn-a-book/308836/43 "2005-06-20T18:41:40Z")
One hell of a lot of well stated opinions. Personally, though I would have liked to [del]have a debate with someone like lekatt about why no one should ever, ever burn a book.[/del] hear if there is any better method of getting rid of paper, besides fire. Soaking in water would make it too heavy, and it would take room to store the remains, should I put it into a shredder. Does coca-cola work as handy do it yourself acid, to dissolve the book, like it does with pennies?🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Ponder\_Stibbons](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ponder_stibbons/32/343_2.png) [@Ponder\_Stibbons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ponder_Stibbons)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2005, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-burn-or-not-to-burn-a-book/308836/44 "2005-06-20T18:43:48Z")
Look, **Scott** , you can’t just burn it. There are procedures, you know. First, you have to throw it in the pond. If it floats, it’s a witch, _then_ you can burn it. Or build a boat out of it, I forget which. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Scott\_Plaid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/258eb7/32.png) [@Scott\_Plaid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scott_Plaid)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2005, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-burn-or-not-to-burn-a-book/308836/45 "2005-06-20T18:52:55Z")
Holy crap, you are brave. Here you are, stating the correct way to [del]test if something is wooden,[/del], [del]dispose of a witch,[/del] dispose of a book, and every villager knows, you are a known book reader! ---
**Author:** ![Derleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Derleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Derleth)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2005, 12:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-burn-or-not-to-burn-a-book/308836/46 "2005-06-21T00:14:31Z")
> [@Scott Plaid](#): > > Holy crap, you are brave. Here you are, stating the correct way to [del]test if something is wooden,[/del], [del]dispose of a witch,[/del] dispose of a book, and every villager knows, you are a known book reader! I knew **Tuba** should never have taught you how to do strikethrough. She’s created a monster. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Scott\_Plaid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/258eb7/32.png) [@Scott\_Plaid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scott_Plaid)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2005, 1:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-burn-or-not-to-burn-a-book/308836/47 "2005-06-21T01:24:10Z")
[del]Braaaaaaains, braaaaaaaaains.[/del] Why sir, I do believe I resen that. Besides, she didn’t teach me, I taught her. 😃 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-burn-or-not-to-burn-a-book/308836.md?page=2)