I have read numerous posts here about books that were received with highlighting in the book and the sender didn't e-mail the requestor to see if they really wanted the book.  In many cases, the book was apparently NOT a textbook.

My question is:  Do you consider the "textbook rules" to apply to all book posted on this site or only textbooks, as the rules state?  If so, why.

Actually, I was the person who initially contacted TPTB with this issue, and they subsequently clarified via the help documents.  Anything may be objectively posted under the "Textbook Exception". See below:

Even before the clarification that any book can be used, the rule always applied to Textbooks and Workbooks. Since any book can be used as a workbook, logic would say that any book could be posted under that rule. But, yes, the Team has clarified that any book can be posted under the exception as long as its rules are followed.

PMing is always your best bet in this case. Even books that you would think would be counted as textbooks, it's better to be on the safe side.

Take this for example:

I was in a Children's Lit class at my college last year. We read several popular titles, like Harry Potter and A Series of Unfortunate Events. If I had made a mark in any of those books and then wanted to post them, I would PM any requestor to say that I used these books in a class and, as so, they are marked with a few notes on the pages.

It might be that the requestor is looking at that book because they need it for class similar to mine and they don't care that it has notes in it (heck, I welcome used books with notes in them because then I can use them in my own class! I once had an old note from a previous student give me a brilliant idea for a topic in our upcoming paper!). Or they might be looking for a nicer copy for their personal library and this kind of book simply won't do.

In the case of textbooks, it is always better to be safe than sorry.

PMing is always your best bet in this case.

It's not just that PMing is your best bet -- it is REQUIRED if your posted book has writing, underlining, or highlighting on text pages.

Regarding postability Kate, what members consider 'textbook' is less relevent than what TPTB have defined as 'textbook'. 

DD has several boxes of books required for her college courses, there's a surprising mix of fiction and non-fiction/traditional texts. I've also received a number of Weekend Biographies containing highlighting and/or underlining (most also have a big 'used' sticker on the back such as a college bookstore might use)....I assume classroom use, or other PBS members just enjoy reading biographies with highlighter in-hand.

And of course, to echo what Deb said, you have to PM, and receive an okay, before sending any book with writing.

I had a college professor once require for a writing class that we use the book "A Week in the Zone" which is a Zone Diet book. Go figure! 

I think with a more traditional textbook, the receiver is more likely to accept with underlining and highlighting, while with a common novel you're more likely to get a rejection. 

If a book was used in a class then its considered a textbook and a person has to PM the requestor about highlighting/underlining etc.

So yes any book used in a class is seen as a text book in my eyes.

I've been surprised by how many people have mentioned in their thanks that they needed the book(s) for class - theirs or their childerren's. None have been books I would have considered a "textbook" per se, but I'm sure that almost any book can in fact be a textbook, especially as their are now continuing education courses and courses simply for pleasure on almost every subject, and there seem to be enough for classes in even the most esoteric subjects. 

Yes, because the site owners have said it can be applied to any book.

It sounds to me like it would be better to scrap the textbook rule altogether and just say that you need to ask before sending anything with highlighting. Some people seem to be taking "the textbook rule" to mean that if it was a textbook, it's okay for it to be highlighted, and that is not the intention.

I agree with you, Willa, it's easier for people to overlook the need to send that PM irregardless of whether it was a textbook or not. Since any book can be considered a textbook and have highlighting, more emphasis should be made on the PM part of the rule, so that people don't miss that instead of focusing on whether or not it can be considered a textbook. I agree too that people can easily misread it and think that because it does quailify as a textbook, they can send the book with the highlighting forgetting that the important part of the rule is that they must send a PM for ANY highlighting and receive an answer agreeing to receive the book with the highlighting. Rephrasing the rule to state simply that "any book with highlighting requires a PM be sent to the requestor notifying them of the highlighting and that you must receive a PM agreeing that the requestor wishes it to be sent even with the highlighting", would be something that would make better sense, IMHO. I suppose if I think it's actually a good idea and something I think they should think about, I should send in feedback instead of just commenting here in the forum, huh? Off to send in a feedback :)