I once read that the only way you can actually damage a book, is by not reading it.

WillAdams 2 hours ago | parent | next [-]

Well, one can damage a hardcover by not opening it properly the first time:

(which was a lesson in 2nd grade, when we got our first-ever hardcover textbooks)

	▲	fortran77 30 minutes ago \| parent [-]
		When I was in grade school in the 60s (I'm old) they showed us this film: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HHe2hx1JL7U For some reason, the lessons learned stuck with me.

Fire is pretty effective too, in my experience.

	▲	bluGill 2 hours ago \| parent [-]
		Floods are pretty bad for them too. I have some books drying now, some paper is really bad about getting wet while others are okay.