Have you noticed this unfortunate new trend in the publishing world?
Trying to order a copy of Marie Kondo's book for a friend I noticed A Guide to The Life Changing Magic of Tidying. The words Guide to being written in small type above the title of the original book which in large type dominates the front cover. You could easily think you were buying the original book. But why would anyone want a guide to it anyway? It is a model of clarity and simplicity!
I was also looking for a copy of Thomas Picketty's Capital in the Twenty First Century and lo and behold the same author and publisher had a Critique of ... A bit unlikely I thought! Same format with the typeface. Also a best seller. And as it happens this book is also a model of clarity, which is why I want it. (Well I really only want pages 1 to 37 and page 157 on, where the author so succinctly puts his reasons for writing the book and his conclusions).
So I checked the publisher out on Amazon and found that Brief Concise and to the Point Publishing have brought out guides or critiques or summaries of at least 13 best selling books from every genre. Avoid? I think so.
I also took issue with author Adam Nicolson. His book titled The Smell of Summer Grass is really a reprint of Perch Hill (yes, he is married to Sarah Raven). I admire his nature writing and enjoyed reading Perch Hill the first time round, but was dismayed to find so little new writing in this new title. In the Acknowledgements it states that two thirds of it - I thought even more - was published under the title Perch Hill, but do you read the Acknowledgements before you buy a book?
OK.
Rant over.
Time to contemplate a tulip....
Trying to order a copy of Marie Kondo's book for a friend I noticed A Guide to The Life Changing Magic of Tidying. The words Guide to being written in small type above the title of the original book which in large type dominates the front cover. You could easily think you were buying the original book. But why would anyone want a guide to it anyway? It is a model of clarity and simplicity!
I was also looking for a copy of Thomas Picketty's Capital in the Twenty First Century and lo and behold the same author and publisher had a Critique of ... A bit unlikely I thought! Same format with the typeface. Also a best seller. And as it happens this book is also a model of clarity, which is why I want it. (Well I really only want pages 1 to 37 and page 157 on, where the author so succinctly puts his reasons for writing the book and his conclusions).
So I checked the publisher out on Amazon and found that Brief Concise and to the Point Publishing have brought out guides or critiques or summaries of at least 13 best selling books from every genre. Avoid? I think so.
I also took issue with author Adam Nicolson. His book titled The Smell of Summer Grass is really a reprint of Perch Hill (yes, he is married to Sarah Raven). I admire his nature writing and enjoyed reading Perch Hill the first time round, but was dismayed to find so little new writing in this new title. In the Acknowledgements it states that two thirds of it - I thought even more - was published under the title Perch Hill, but do you read the Acknowledgements before you buy a book?
OK.
Rant over.
Time to contemplate a tulip....
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