[brothers4thID]

No, that’s blasphemy.

If you haven’t already read it, I highly recommend “Last Stand of the Tin Can Sailors” by James Hornfischer.

[SunkenCiv]

I’ll open books to either table of contents or the index, find something that may be of interest, and start reading there, in order to figure out if I will want to read the whole thing (we’re talking non-fiction, I don’t read fiction too often). This takes place at the bookstore. :’)

[Slyfox]

I always read the intro first, then the table of contents, then the index in the back. Then I begin with chapter one and proceed throughout the book.

[Jonty30]

I might read a nonfiction book elsewhere if I were curious about something specific. Then, I’d start at the beginning.

[shibumi]

I read the last chapter first.

Then if I’m interested I go back to see how they got there.

It’s a habit I got in to right after seeing the movie “Sunset Boulevard” with William Holden and Gloria Swanson.

[VanDeKoik]

I have to jump around.

I simply cannot read non-fiction like it is a novel.

[matt1234]

Only Playboy.

[Vermont Lt]

No. Why would you do that?

[Bullish]

I start with the first word and always end with the last one.

[KSCITYBOY]

yes.

[Moltke]

I always read the last chapter first to see if it really was the butler, with the candlestick, in the library.

Then I throw the book away because I lost interest.

[Gen.Blather]

I’ve published seven fiction novels on Amazon. Authors knock themselves out to capture you in the first paragraph. The rule is start in “medias res;” in the action.

You can try a few first paragraphs here:

http://www.amazon.com/s?ie=UTF8&page=1&rh=n%3A133140011%2Cp_27%3ABern%20Pearson

[Psalm 73]

"...Do you start reading books in the middle?"

No, but I read all of the odd pages first, then go back and read all of the even ones....

(Not really, but I do have an odd habit of needing to verify each page number before and after I turn to it - OCD can be a real pain)

[Political Junkie Too]

Only th tonry.

-PJ

[rlmorel]

I only start reading a book in the middle in three circumstances:

I have read the book before.

I can’t get through the first chapter.

I am in a bookstore looking at it.

[MV=PY]

"For Freepers -- Do you start reading books in the middle?"

No, but I often stop in the middle.

[teeman8r]

i wait for the movie... but i always seem to miss the middle of the previews.

if the movie moves me to read the book, then i might start it in the middle.

t

[larryjohnson]

I just ordered a hardback from Amazon.

[BlueDragon]

Of course, always start in the middle.

Read one page (with my right eye) left to right.

Then shut that eye, and with the left eye, read the preceding page backwards right to left.

It helps to be dyslexic in one eye. Luckily enough for me it's the left.

Holding up the middling pages as those gather after being read is a pain though.

[Billthedrill]

I skip to the dirty parts. It saves time.