A Question on Marking Up Books

This is easier to show than to explain, but the essence of my system is as follows. With this method, I am immediately reminded of the key elements in a book, years after I have read it.

I have four main types of markings based on the level of the content’s importance:

Additionally:

• I reserve underlining for key phrases and structural components (e.g., first, second, etc.).
• Denote objections to the content with a small circle (￮) in the margin.
• Note illustrations with an i on the page and at the beginning of the book (e.g., i, 22, 76). I bracket the illustrations in the text and copy the pages to create 3″ x 5″ card illustrations (or, if lengthy, 8.5″ x 11″ illustrations).
• Note books with a b on the page and at the beginning of the book (e.g., b, 230).
• Note words to look up with a d on the page and at the beginning of the book (e.g., d, 30, 77).