Spiral Binding — A Gimp Girl’s Best Friend

(Part of the “stuff that makes my life easier” series.) Having weak hands makes it hard for me to hold a paperback book open. Workbooks and other types of paperback books are usually meant to be written in as you read them. Trying to hold it open and write in it at the same time is impossible. Several years ago I came upon a perfect solution. I took the workbook to my local copy center and had them put a spiral binding on it using a plastic coil. It’s very simple for them to do this because they have the right kind of machines. They cut off a small portion of the book and then punch it to create numerous holes for the plastic coil. And presto — you have a book that’s much easier to write in because it will stay open to any page while lying on a flat surface. It can also be done to a hardback book, but you will lose the hardcover in the process.