Well, actually, I leaf through most of these old books on my Kindle. Finding print originals of these texts is difficult, although I do have one from the 1920s on the colloid chemistry of soap that I treasure, despite how dense it is to understand.
I actually will read these books from cover to cover, although I confess to skimming over the really boring parts. But I keep piecing together snippets of information that give me more insight into why and how soap was made in certain ways and how that relates to modern-day soap making. It's fascinating.
Except for not having many of those "yellowed tomes", I am otherwise guilty as charged, Gent. I often have a glass of something close to hand as I read. In cold weather, there is almost always a nice fire in the living room, since we heat with wood. There are usually one or two warm dogs sleeping nearby who will obligingly warm cold toes, if the fire is not enough. My home is unusual in that it is a 1915 timber-framed barn converted into a house, so the ambiance is appropriate to my reading matter.
I actually will read these books from cover to cover, although I confess to skimming over the really boring parts. But I keep piecing together snippets of information that give me more insight into why and how soap was made in certain ways and how that relates to modern-day soap making. It's fascinating.
Except for not having many of those "yellowed tomes", I am otherwise guilty as charged, Gent. I often have a glass of something close to hand as I read. In cold weather, there is almost always a nice fire in the living room, since we heat with wood. There are usually one or two warm dogs sleeping nearby who will obligingly warm cold toes, if the fire is not enough. My home is unusual in that it is a 1915 timber-framed barn converted into a house, so the ambiance is appropriate to my reading matter.
