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This article was co-authored by Gerald Posner. Gerald Posner is an Author & Journalist based in Miami, Florida. With over 35 years of experience, he specializes in investigative journalism, nonfiction books, and editorials. He holds a law degree from UC College of the Law, San Francisco, and a BA in Political Science from the University of California-Berkeley. He’s the author of thirteen books, including several New York Times bestsellers, the winner of the Florida Book Award for General Nonfiction, and has been a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in History. He was also shortlisted for the Best Business Book of 2020 by the Society for Advancing Business Editing and Writing.
This article has been viewed 75,433 times.
Ever wondered what's the best way to turn a page? Think you're not doing it right? Read on with How to Turn a Page!
Steps
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Acquire something which has pages. It doesn't matter what type; if it has pages, you can turn them! Not just books have pages: magazines, leaflets, calendars, they all have pages to turn. Once you have a book, you're ready to begin.
Examine the layout of the pages. With most books, the pages turn over to the left side. However, some books and indeed calendars have pages the turn upwards and some foreign texts write right to left, so the pages may turn to the right, opposite to those of the western world. Making sure you have the book the right way up is also a good idea.Advertisement
Open the book. To do this, put your hands on either side of the book, place your thumbs roughly in the middle of the side that's facing towards you and separate them, gripping the book as you go; this will cause the book to part and the book to be now open. Normally you would want to start from the beginning of the book, where the story often begins, but to learn how to turn a page, you can start anywhere in the book.
Place the book on its spine, either in your hand, on a flat surface or other area so that the cover is facing downwards and the open pages upwards. This makes it much easier to turn pages because of gravity and hold your position in the book.
Grip the edge of the right page (or left if you're reading some foreign texts) with your thumb slipped under the page and index finger on top if you're using your left hand, or your thumb on top and your index finger slipped underneath if you're using your right, grasping it from either side. You now have the page in your control and can move it with ease. This is the precursor to turning the page.
Push off the side of the book with your thumb so that the page you are grasping is slightly raised from the other pages.
Move your hand, with the page still firmly between your thumb and finger, towards the left side. Do this far enough so the you can see the reverse side and can no longer see the front.
Drop the page by releasing the grip your thumb and index finger have on the page. If you have moved the page over far enough, gravity should take hold and drop the page down on the left side of the book.
Repeat the process if you wish; this is usually done when you are actually reading the book in order to continue the story on multiple pages. This can only be done so many times before the book ends with the back cover; you can turn this as well which will mean that you have closed the book.
Congratulations! You've successfully turned a page; if you want to close the book you can either follow step 3 in reverse by gripping the edges of the book covers and moving your hands together so that the two sides meet. When there is no space in the middle, the book has been closed. Similarly, you can continue to turn pages until the back cover has been turned to the left, therefore closing the book.
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- QuestionHow do I turn pages in an online book?
Owleet170Community AnswerStart in a corner and move your finger to the opposite corner, then let go! - QuestionWhy was this article created?
Community AnswerBecause this site is dedicated to how to do anything. Turning a page constitutes something. - QuestionIf I'm lying on a dialysis cot for several hours with my arm attached to a machine, how can I turn the pages in a paperback book?
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Tips
- If you want, you may lick your thumb or index finger to provide extra grip on the page surface. This is excellent for modern pages with gloss finishes, but it shouldn't be practised on older books where ink may run or the moisture may damage the paper. Also, if you are turning another person's pages, they might object to you placing your saliva on their book, so make sure you have mastered the other ways of turning pages if you are placed in this predicament.Thanks
- Turn the pages slowly and carefully - you don't want to turn them too fast as you may damage the book. Remember, take care of your books.Thanks
- An alternative to gripping the to-be-turned page with the thumb and index finger is by using only the thumb or index finger instead of both. This works by running the finger or thumb against the pages on the right side of the book until it catches a page on its edge, preferably the next page which is intended to be turned. This alternative does not give as much control as the gripping technique as you may not successfully catch the edge of a page or the one you want and it is possible to lose the page in mid-turn and it may fall back down onto the right side again. Beginners should use the gripping technique. For advanced turners, there is always a third technique of tilting the back cover slightly up and controlling the fall of pages to gravity with your thumb. This version of page turning is difficult and makes pages fall to the left rapidly and you may lose your place quickly - insert a bookmark into your current position before attempting.Thanks
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Warnings
- Don't run your index finger or thumb along the side of a single page - this may cause a paper cut which in some cases can hurt or become infected. Run against the grain, not with it so as to avoid this.Thanks
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Things You'll Need
- A book with pages for turning.
- A working hand with at least two digits; in some cases one digit will suffice.
About This Article
Author & Journalist
This article was co-authored by Gerald Posner. Gerald Posner is an Author & Journalist based in Miami, Florida. With over 35 years of experience, he specializes in investigative journalism, nonfiction books, and editorials. He holds a law degree from UC College of the Law, San Francisco, and a BA in Political Science from the University of California-Berkeley. He’s the author of thirteen books, including several New York Times bestsellers, the winner of the Florida Book Award for General Nonfiction, and has been a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in History. He was also shortlisted for the Best Business Book of 2020 by the Society for Advancing Business Editing and Writing. This article has been viewed 75,433 times.
Co-authors: 24
Updated: March 4, 2019
Views: 75,433
Categories: Reading
Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 75,433 times.
Reader Success Stories
"The helpful diagrams and the thorough step-by-step instructions have changed how I read books. I find they last a lot longer now that I've learned how to properly handle them! Step 8 was especially helpful in my case."..." more
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