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I Didn’t Read It, But I Didn’t Like It

I Didn’t Read It, But I Didn’t Like It

When you author books, you develop a thick skin for the occasional nasty commentary, especially in a day when everyone’s a critic with access to social media platforms, reviews on Amazon that provide anonymity, and so forth. I often get alerts when one of my books is reviewed.

Today, though was a unique experience. Some guy gave Million Dollar Coaching a mediocre review (3 stars) on the basis of his browsing through it in an airport bookstore!!

This is where we’ve arrived: People determining whether a book can be helpful based on a quick, free browse between planes, and then letting others know their expert opinion! Makes judging a book by its cover seem downright scientific!

Written by

Alan Weiss is a consultant, speaker, and author of over 60 books. His consulting firm, Summit Consulting Group, Inc., has attracted clients from over 500 leading organizations around the world.

Comments: 15

  • Dave Gardner

    January 22, 2011

    Alan…only an idiot could conclude that “there’s no value in your book for me.” As you know, I’ve been reading your books and incorporating your intellectual property into my business and personal life since the mid-90’s. I’m always a bit amazed at the perspective you bring in each new book. In the past month, I’ve purchased “Million Dollar Speaking” and “Million Dollar Coaching.” I am very impressed with the value you bring to the table with these new books. If you want to add speaking as a value proposition or simply expand your perspective about what speaking can mean to your consulting practice, buy “Million Dollar Speaking.” If you want to add coaching as a value proposition or simply expand your perspective about what it means to add value as a coach, buy “Million Dollar Coaching.” Few coaches and speakers make 6 figures a year much less 7. Readers who do more than peruse your books can dramatically increase their earning potential if they think about and apply the concepts. Please keep writing. I’ll keep buying and benefiting. Thanks, Alan!

  • Alan Weiss

    January 22, 2011

    Thanks, very kind, Dave. Apparently I don’t write well for people who thumb through the book for free!

    • Chris Blackman

      August 28, 2016

      Perhaps he was really looking for “Million Dollar Shoplifting”? Seems incredible he didn’t buy the book, but could be bothered to post a mediocre review. Obviously has too much time on his hands.

  • Michael Harrison

    January 23, 2011

    Alan, sadly there probably wasn’t any value for him. Some people are happy with mediocrity. I’ve read most of them and incorporated many ideas. They work for me – and anyone else who wants to improve.

  • Daniel Rose

    January 23, 2011

    That’s very interesting. I found Million Dollar Consulting very useful. It was a great introduction to your concepts, and was the first of your books I purchased. I’ve found that later books (such as your work on value based fees and the book you did with Omar Khan) even more useful, perhaps because they go more in depth on an individual topic.
    Like you say, everybodies a critic. It makes you take Amazon (and other) reviews with a grain of salt…

  • Linda Henman

    January 23, 2011

    Alan,
    Your books and you scare people. You scared me right into quadrupaling my income and the Hall of Fame. You made me realize I could never have the life I wanted if I continued to do as I had always done.
    Someone who wants to continue with hourly billing, training with someone else’s intellectual property, and coaching with prescribed techniques must find you and your bold ideas downright frightening.
    Thanks for continuing to scare the hell out of me,
    Linda

  • Alan Weiss

    January 23, 2011

    I don’t expect everyone to like my work, especially since I take unpopular views (e.g., mocking coaching “credentials”). But it’s conspiratorial when people with a private agenda try to rally others to disparage what could be helpful to a lot of unsuspecting people.

  • Alan Weiss

    January 23, 2011

    Provided by Guido Quelle, here’s the critical acuity of one of the “reviewers”:

    “The page dimensions were kind of small, the pages themselves seemed to have
    lots of white on them, the print was kind of large, and the space between
    each line of text was kind of big.”

  • Alan Weiss

    January 24, 2011

    Not everyone’s opinion is equal. When you consider a book that can improve your business income and effectiveness, and you’re concerned about the publisher’s choice of white space on a page, then you’re not fit to really review anything. Unfortunately, social media provide that opportunity, and that’s why we’re sliding toward the lowest common denominator. Some people’s reality is divorced from the more general reality.

  • Daniel Rose

    January 24, 2011

    I guess the guy with the “whitespace” problem has a valid opinion (however oddball). The challenge is to take onboard all feedback and weight it accord to legitimacy and impact. It might just be one guy talking about a percieved problem, but as you’ve noted several times, perception is reality! 🙂

  • Jeffrey Summers

    January 24, 2011

    Which is why I love this blog so much. It’s a marketplace of ideas, not a marketplace of opinions.

  • MCG

    January 25, 2011

    Amazon will remove that review if you ask them to. But why ask, when we’re having so much fun reviewing the reviewer?

  • Alan Weiss

    January 25, 2011

    Clean up in aisle seven!!

  • Alan Weiss

    January 25, 2011

    Amazon only removes reviews that are slanderous, not those that are merely stupid. I have had them remove reviews that claimed I was running a pyramid scheme, hadn’t written my own books, etc. A lot of nuts out there with Internet access.

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