We
constantly get recommendations from friends, relatives, and work colleagues
regarding TV shows, movies, plays, and restaurants. Sometimes we keep our ears open to learn of
something a person said they really enjoyed and often I am soliciting
suggestions so I can try something new or learn if I’m really missing out on
something. It would seem the same
happens with books. We look to see what
others are reading and then ask if it’s any good. But how do we know we can trust in the
recommended books of others?
If
you look at consumer-generated reviews for anything, you’ll probably find
everything averages close to 3.7 stars out of five. How is one to differentiate? Whom do you trust or believe in to tell you
what to watch, see, do, eat, or listen to?
You
need to review the reviewers and draw some conclusions about who is making the
recommendation and why. You may love
your aunt but her restaurant recommendations suck. Or you like your friend but she simply has
bad taste when it comes to music. We
aren’t going to like everything about the people we know or even adore. The key is to know when your enjoyment of
one’s friendship also validates them as worthy of recommending things to you.
Even then, determine which things you value their opinion on. It will take time, experimentation and risk.
Think
about the people you know, like, and value.
What will each of them recommend you read? Will you ask 12 people and get a dozen
different books recommended? Will you
have to really break down these recommendations based on certain criteria, such
as:
·
What
has this person recommended before? Did
you like the choice?
·
Why
do they recommend something?
·
Did
you cross reference their suggestion with critical reviews or your own
independent search?
·
What
are you in the mood for?
·
How
smart is this person? Is he or she similar to you in many other ways?
When
you recommend a book it can’t just be that you thought it was very good. You have to ask yourself: Will this person like it as much as you? What makes you think that’s so?
I
have a general rule with my sister-in-law:
if she hated a movie, it must be good, and if she liked something, I try
not to see it. We simply have opposite
impressions of the movies we see. But I
might accept her restaurant recommendation or tips on travel or advice on
something else. I don’t accept what she
says on everything but I don’t dismiss her on everything merely because she’s a
cinematic moron.
Before
you give – or take on – a recommendation for a book, think about whom you are
talking to – and whether you agree on books.\
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