Writing Reviews of books in Logos

How would other Logos users feel about writing reviews about books that they have read that are contained in Logos?

When I go to purchase a book from Christian Book Distributors they have reviews available that were written by people that have read the book.

I would love to be able to read peer reviews about a book before I purchase it. Any thoughts??

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Comments

Abi Gail

I totally understand what you are attempting to achieve. The question is... Who will review the reviewers. We would have to know their perspective/theology before we could trust their analysis .

Kevin Becker

I believe I've seen a comment that this is on Logos' to-do list for the website (See http://community.logos.com/forums/p/25541/189010.aspx#189010 for an example). I think it would be very helpful, especially in the case of public domain works; I find it's very hard to evaluate whether they are worth investing in.

Friedrich

Jesse, this is a great idea. And several months ago, when Logos asked for suggestions on their new website (which you are using now), reviews was a popular suggestion. We just don't know if or when it will be implemented. Logos said they were incorporating many/most of our ideas, and we think they are not completely done---but we don't know.

Timothy Ha

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/203608#Comment_203608

I totally understand what you are attempting to achieve. The question is... Who will review the reviewers. We would have to know their perspective/theology before we could trust their analysis .

The same department that selects the books for Logos can review the reviewers well, I think.

James Matichuk

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/203698#Comment_203698

I totally understand what you are attempting to achieve. The question is... Who will review the reviewers. We would have to know their perspective/theology before we could trust their analysis .

The same department that selects the books for Logos can review the reviewers well, I think.

Or you could just read their reviews and see what it tells you about the reviewer. It's what I do on other sites with reviews. If I am unsure, I scroll through and see what else they reviewed.

MJ. Smith

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/203608#Comment_203608

The question is... Who will review the reviewers. We would have to know their perspective/theology before we could trust their analysis .

I think one would have to apply the same cautions that one does with Amazon, etc. I would be slow to accept any assessment of perspective/theology - I'd have to see who's reviews provided useful input on resources I did know and trust them on resources I didn't. My concern would be that such reviews would be unlikely to call trash, trash because that would run counter to building Logos community.

Abi Gail

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/203708#Comment_203708

Thanks for the input. It would seem that even with the reviews, we would be in a Caveat Emptor situation. ... We must Beware of the books as well as the critics who critique them. [:)]

James Matichuk

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/203710#Comment_203710

This is true but if you find a reviewer you trust, her opinion of a book may help guide you in your purchases. So I like reading reviews.

Short of thumbing through a book in a bookstore, I find google books the most useful tool in seeing if a book is worth it.

Josh Bond

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/203716#Comment_203716

A reviewer's theological leanings should be disclosed, or easily visible, to give the review context.

Juanita

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/203716#Comment_203716

This is true but if you find a reviewer you trust, her opinion of a book may help guide you in your purchases. So I like reading reviews.

Short of thumbing through a book in a bookstore, I find google books the most useful tool in seeing if a book is worth it.

Google books when they have a preview and also Amazon, when they have the option of searching or looking inside, really work best for me and then I don't have to set aside the possible pre-disposition of a reviewer. Also, archive.org has many of the public domain books which you can download as Kindle files, pdf or read online, in addition to ccel.org.

James Matichuk

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/203768#Comment_203768

A reviewer's theological leanings should be disclosed, or easily visible, to give the review context.

Which views would be relevant? I can tell you I grew up an ecclesial mutt in the Evangelical and Mainline Millieu. I now camp with the Baptist by the accident of my personal biography and the Providence of God, though I find much of the classical Baptist theology on sacraments to be appallingly reductionist. I do not consider myself a Calvinist, but John Calvin is one of my all time favorite theologians and there are sections of the Institutes which I think are poetic and profound. Like many Evangelicals, I bemoan the lack of ecclesiology in our churches so find myself looking to Rome and further East. I consider myself a disgruntled Charismatic in that I struggle to be open to the wind of the Spirit but am frustrated by the psychological manipulation, fantastical claims and bad theology in charismatic churches (some of which I sojourned with for a while). I am a pan-millennialist (it all pans out in the end) and put my hope in Christ's return and the kingdom's coming in it's fullest. I read voraciously and broadly across theological and historical literature and sit loosely to theological tribalism. This isn't to say that I don't have convictions, but I don't think I could classify them neatly for you at the beginning of a review. I doubt you could do the same unless your theology is: "I believe everything John MacCarthur says. (or whoever).

If I was forced to write up my theological leanings, I would be tempted to either cite the Apostle's Creed or simply say, "I believe in the Trinity."

fgh

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/203768#Comment_203768

A reviewer's theological leanings should be disclosed, or easily visible, to give the review context.

That kind of depends on the book, doesn't it? Yes, if you were reviewing a commentary on Revelation and calling it awful, then I would like some leads as to whether you had objective reasons to think this, or whether you simply disagreed with the author's theological views. But if you were reviewing a book on the archaeology of Israel, your main point being that it was useful for studies on the history of archaeology, but too old to be useful for studies in archaeology itself, then I wouldn't have any such need. And if you were reviewing a book on Hebrew grammar, then what interests me is simply your qualifications in Hebrew.

James

Like your post.

(EDIT: grammar)

Silent Sam

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/203829#Comment_203829

A reviewer's theological leanings should be disclosed, or easily visible, to give the review context.

I can tell you I grew up an ecclesial mutt in the Evangelical and Mainline Millieu.

[^o)] hhhmmmMMM~~~ [^o)]

James Matichuk

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/203894#Comment_203894

hhhmmmMMM~~~

This is by far the greatest trademark response in the forums. You use it well, even if I have no idea what you are talking about most of the time.

Dan Pritchett

"Ratings" and "Reviews" will hopefully be attached to every product page on the web sometime in the first half of next year. If you want to get a head-start on the reviews, that would be a great way for us to kick-off the new feature with a ton of great reviews!

Start writing reviews now for all the titles you want, and save them in a document on your computer. When we launch the "Ratings" and "Reviews" you will be able to instantly post as many reviews as you have worked on while we were developing the feature. That way, when people check out the new feature, there will already be great content posted under reviews, and it won't look like an unfinished feature.

While we are on the subject... another great way to help people see that a new feature is in place and working is to go to your favorite titles right now and click the "Like" button for Facebook so the counter will go up.

As you can see, the feature is still new and not too many people have jumped on it yet. For example, I can't believe we only have 4 customers that "Like" John Piper's works. [:O]

Friedrich

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/203912#Comment_203912

Dan, flat out COOL! thanks. Looking forward to that rollin'.

Todd Phillips

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/203912#Comment_203912

While we are on the subject... another great way to help people see that
a new feature is in place and working is to go to your favorite titles
right now and click the "Like" button for Facebook so the counter will
go up.
As you can see, the feature is still new and not too many people have jumped on it yet. For example, I can't believe we only have 4 customers that "Like" John Piper's works.

Clicking "Like" posts a message on your Facebook page and makes it a part of your profile, and, plus, it does it somewhat surreptitiously-- it doesn't ask you before it does it or give any indication that it did. I'm selective about what goes on my Facebook profile (as I suspect many people are), and I don't like bombarding others' FB newsfeeds with a million "Likes" from my profile.

I have "Liked" one or two Logos products, but I'd much rather have the choice to keep my ratings and reviews only on the Logos website and not splatter it all over the social networking world willy-nilly. I'm sure Logos feels differently from a marketing viewpoint, since Facebook seems to be a big part of their marketing push. But it's not in my interest to clog my Facebook history with my Logos browsing history.

Kevin Becker

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/203912#Comment_203912

As you can see, the feature is still new and not too many people have jumped on it yet. For example, I can't believe we only have 4 customers that "Like" John Piper's works.

I, for one, won't be using the like feature on products. I don't trust Facebook with any more than the bare bones of personal information. I also don't like having sites interact with my Facebook account. That is why I use a separate browser to for Facebook and another for my general browsing.

Scott S

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/204045#Comment_204045

I also don't like having sites interact with my Facebook account. That is why I use a separate browser to for Facebook and another for my general browsing.

Kevin,

Thanks for posting this. Does Facebook harvest browser history and/or cookies to enhance its user profiles and sell the information?

Thanks in advance,

Scott

Kevin Becker

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/204067#Comment_204067

Does Facebook harvest browser history and/or cookies to enhance its user profiles and sell the information?

Facebook doesn't (as far as I know) harvest browser history. However, if a website has a like button (or other features enabled by Facebook connect) Facebook will have a record of your visit to that site (because the social plugin saw your Facebook cookie and authenticated with it.). this becomes another bit of info they can add to their data-set to sell advertisers on targeting ads to me. Facebook, while its privacy does seem to be improving, has a very poor track record.

Scott S

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/204074#Comment_204074

Kevin, thanks for the explanation and tip on how to keep one's guard up.

Dave Hooton

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/204067#Comment_204067

Thanks for posting this. Does Facebook harvest browser history and/or cookies to enhance its user profiles and sell the information?

I have an Outlook rule to send Facebook messages to Junk Email, but these seem to be phishing attacks as an attempt to unsubscribe revealed very quickly! But I was getting too many "invites" from Facebook and had unsubscribed from the real Facebook, so unintentionally or otherwise Facebook is a great source for harvestors!

Jack Caviness

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/203912#Comment_203912

another great way to help people see that a new feature is in place and working is to go to your favorite titles right now and click the "Like" button for Facebook so the counter will go up.

Sorry, but I won't be doing this. I closed my FB account months ago because I got very tired of reading the intimate details of what should have been the private lives of my FB "Friends".

Josh Bond

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/203882#Comment_203882

...if you were reviewing a commentary on Revelation and calling it awful, then I would like some leads as to whether you had objective reasons to think this, or whether you simply disagreed with the author's theological views.

This is the primary problem I foresee with reviews. Giving bad reviews to resources with which someone disagrees defeats the purpose of the whole review system. Instead of reviews, you have popularity contests over certain theology.

I hope reviews to focus on the accuracy, quality, completeness, and depth of the work, regardless of whether you agree with it's conclusion (where applicable). You can respect and appreciate the scholarly work of certain positions without necessarily agreeing with them. A very simple example might be a book about the post tribulation rapture. Even if you don't agree with an author about the timing of the rapture, you might still give the resource a positive review noting that the work states that position very well. Such a review would be of value to a person who is interested in that theological perspective. Someone else really isn't interested in whether you agree with the author--they're most interested in the quality of the resource.

Friedrich

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/204511#Comment_204511

I would just like reviews, and will weed through them like I do on Amazon. A well written review will tell me about the book's structure and content, perhaps with some examples and critical analysis. If a reviewer writes "this commentary on Revelations (sic) blows", I ignore it. If he writes ". . . because it has "this" view of the tribulation and rapture", I likewise ignore it. I click on reviews that run the spectrum of positive and negative to gauge the worth of a resource.

Scott S

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/204148#Comment_204148

I have an Outlook rule to send Facebook messages to Junk Email, but these seem to be phishing attacks as an attempt to unsubscribe revealed very quickly! But I was getting too many "invites" from Facebook and had unsubscribed from the real Facebook, so unintentionally or otherwise Facebook is a great source for harvestors!

So far I have resisted signing up for Facebook, however, you make a good point and I see that I need to be more proactive with the Junk email filter, as I was bit by a phishing attack once and don't want a repeat of that!

fgh

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/204766#Comment_204766

If he writes

And if it's a she...? [:P]

(Sorry, couldn't resist...)

Scott S

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/204766#Comment_204766

A well written review will tell me about the book's structure and content, perhaps with some examples and critical analysis.

Good points Dan. I think if a few review guidelines like this popped up when a window opened to enter a review, it would encourage more constructive reviews.

Friedrich

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/204773#Comment_204773

If he writes

And if it's a she...?

(Sorry, couldn't resist...)

dangit! That slipped thru, lol. (really! I had intentionally changed "he" to "a reviewer" to begin with. Misogynist I must be! as well as a Yoda impersonator.) But then again, "he" obviously wrote a terrible review, which reflects poorly on his kind. [;)] or maybe accurately.

Friedrich

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/204778#Comment_204778

I think if a few review guidelines like this popped up when a window opened to enter a review,

if executed well, this is an excellent suggestion. Perhaps with some examples. Of course different people will structure their review differently either by how they process, or because they don't want to merely go over the same ground that another has already done.

fgh

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/204781#Comment_204781

Dan

I seldom care much about pronouns, I just couldn't resist teasing you a bit after yesterday. [;)]

Scott S

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/204784#Comment_204784

if executed well,

On second thought, since pops-ups have a negative/nagging association, it might be better to place guidelines in the editing window.

Jack Caviness

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/204511#Comment_204511

I hope reviews to focus on the accuracy, quality, completeness, and depth of the work, regardless of whether you agree with it's conclusion (where applicable). You can respect and appreciate the scholarly work of certain positions without necessarily agreeing with them. A very simple example might be a book about the post tribulation rapture. Even if you don't agree with an author about the timing of the rapture, you might still give the resource a positive review noting that the work states that position very well. Such a review would be of value to a person who is interested in that theological perspective. Someone else really isn't interested in whether you agree with the author--they're most interested in the quality of the resource.

Josh this is a very good suggestion for a quality review. However, I cannot resist…

I hope reviews to focus on the accuracy, quality, completeness, and depth of the work, regardless of whether you agree with it's conclusion

[8-|][:D]If a reviewer disagrees with my position, how can he be accurate? He is obviously mistaken. [:D][8-|]

Mark North

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/204960#Comment_204960

bump

I hope reviews to focus on the accuracy,
quality, completeness, and depth of the work, regardless of whether you agree
with it's conclusion (where applicable). You can respect and appreciate
the scholarly work of certain positions without necessarily agreeing
with them. A very simple example might be a book about the
post tribulation rapture. Even if you don't agree with an author about
the timing of the rapture, you might still give the resource a positive
review noting that the work states that position very well. Such a
review would be of value to a person who is interested in
that theological perspective. Someone else really isn't interested in
whether you agree with the author--they're most interested in the
quality of the resource.

Gentlemen,

I am no scholar nor a pastor. I am just a laymen. But even laymen can see the logical errors of scholars. I just got the new 3 volume pre-pub set on spiritual warfare. I pulled up the book called Demons first. I feel the author makes an extremely weak case that demons are equated to fallen angels in the opening of the book, and then uses the the two terms interchangeably from then on. It's infuriating! Infuriating to the point where I want to publish my own commentary on this book!

So I do a little searching on book reviews here in the forums and find this thoughtful thread. I do understand that there may be some bones in the book that I don't agree with, and there will be a lot of good meat there, but it makes it hard to finish reading the book, when in my eyes, there appears to be a glaring fallacy used as a foundation that will be interwoven throughout the whole book. (I wish I had known this ahead of time-which is why I thought a review might be helpful to others) But that is the chance we take with pre-pub materials that we have not had exposure to.

I am on a search for truth. I think we all are. But some of these scholarly tomes I read make me think of the verse "they are willingly ignorant".

Jack Caviness

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/461149#Comment_461149

I hope reviews to focus on the accuracy,
quality, completeness, and depth of the work, regardless of whether you agree
with it's conclusion (where applicable). You can respect and appreciate
the scholarly work of certain positions without necessarily agreeing
with them. A very simple example might be a book about the
post tribulation rapture. Even if you don't agree with an author about
the timing of the rapture, you might still give the resource a positive
review noting that the work states that position very well. Such a
review would be of value to a person who is interested in
that theological perspective. Someone else really isn't interested in
whether you agree with the author--they're most interested in the
quality of the resource.

You have misquoted me. If you look back at the post to which you responded, you will note that the quoted words actually come from Josh Bond, not me.

fgh

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/461149#Comment_461149

It's infuriating! Infuriating to the point where I want to publish my own commentary on this book!

So I do a little searching on book reviews here in the forums and find this thoughtful thread.

The thread is from 2010. Since then Logos has made several updates to their website. You can now add a review directly on a book/collection's product page. So if you want to let others know your opinion about the books you bought, that's the place to post it.

(I wish I had known this ahead of time-which is why I thought a review might be helpful to others) But that is the chance we take with pre-pub materials that we have not had exposure to.

I presume you know you have a 30-days money back guarantee?

Mark North

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/461351#Comment_461351

Forgive me. I did not mean to misquote.

Mark North

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/461422#Comment_461422

I presume you know you have a 30-days money back guarantee?

There doesn't seem to be a lot to choose from under the heading of Spiritual Warfare. I'll probably keep it.

I am still reading the book. I am making copious notes. I will probably try my rookie hand at some form of review in the near future.

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