defacing books, was Re: Old UNIX Systems

I have always HATED highlighting. It's never been a useful method of learning for me, and I had enough teachers throughout middle and high school attempt to force it on me that it's left quite a bitter taste in my mouth. Taking notes on index cards has a similar reaction for the same reason. And there's nothing I despise more than having to wade through someone ELSE'S highlighting/notes, because even when they're not the product of a diseased or deficient mind, it's still someone else's thought process, which is necessarily alien. On the other hand, I've found taking notes in a notebook to be very useful. I never, ever refer back to the notes unless it's months later, but the act of writing it out helps me remember because I remember when I DO things better than when I HEAR things. It also doesn't mar an otherwise perfectly fine book.