I am looking at this book:

http://www.amazon.com/You-Can-Never-...82617&sr= 8-1

While I have not read it, it does not seem like it could be a
groundbreaking book in any respects, and most likely is complete crap
that is written to sell more services provided by this guy (and this
guess can be completely wrong and maybe this is a new discovery on how
dummies can get wealthy).

My question is, how likely is this book to have such a good review
rating that would be genuine?

--
Due to extreme spam originating from Google Groups, and their inattention
to spammers, I and many others block all articles originating
from Google Groups. If you want your postings to be seen by
more readers you will need to find a different means of
posting on Usenet.
http://improve-usenet.org/

On Mar 18, 6:26*am, Ignoramus11638 ignoramus11...@NOSPAM.
11638.invalid wrote:
I am looking at this book:

http://www.amazon.com/You-Can-Never-...781/ref=pd_bbs....

While I have not read it, it does not seem like it could be a
groundbreaking book in any respects, and most likely is complete crap
that is written to sell more services provided by this guy (and this
guess can be completely wrong and maybe this is a new discovery on how
dummies can get wealthy).

My question is, how likely is this book to have such a good review
rating that would be genuine?

--
* *Due to extreme spam originating from Google Groups, and their inattention
* * * to spammers, I and many others block all articles originating
* * * *from Google Groups. If you want your postings to be seen by
* * * * *more readers you will need to find a different means of
* * * * * * * * * * * *posting on Usenet.
* * * * * * * * * *http://improve-usenet.org/

No, probably not fake. Amazon would feel the heat if these were not
real. However, I suspect they were bought and paid for by the
publisher or the author.

I say that based on an experience a company producing bank software
that I worked for in the 1980's. A well known publisher of reviews of
bank related software raved about various software packages, but never
mentioned our company. The President called to find out if the author
had reviewed our software. The answer was "No, but I will for
$10,000.". We didn't pay, and never got written up in the publication.

So, I suspect a majority of book reviews are purchased in one way or
another.

Paul

"Ignoramus11638" wrote in message
news
I am looking at this book:


http://www.amazon.com/You-Can-Never-...82617&sr= 8-1

While I have not read it, it does not seem like it could be a
groundbreaking book in any respects, and most likely is complete crap
that is written to sell more services provided by this guy (and this
guess can be completely wrong and maybe this is a new discovery on how
dummies can get wealthy).

My question is, how likely is this book to have such a good review
rating that would be genuine?



I can offer several suggestions. First all of the reviews seem to be good,
and if some one relied on the positive reviews and thought the book really
sucked they could write a negative review. This may help in determining the
credibility of the Amazon reviews.

You can check the book out of the library for free, and risk no money.

You can buy a used copy cheap and risk very little if the book sucks.

You can look at the recommended reading list on Bob Brinker's web site:
http://www.bobbrinker.com/books.asp

He does not have it on his list which could mean that he has not read the
book or it could mean that he has not deemed it worthy or that the books he
does recommend cover the concepts better.

(My personal opinion is that Brinker is a sharp cookie and a straight
shooter FWIW)

Good luck

--
Roger Shoaf
If you are not part of the solution, you are not dissolved in the solvent.

Ignoramus11638 wrote:
I am looking at this book:

http://www.amazon.com/You-Can-Never-...82617&sr= 8-1

While I have not read it, it does not seem like it could be a
groundbreaking book in any respects, and most likely is complete crap
that is written to sell more services provided by this guy (and this
guess can be completely wrong and maybe this is a new discovery on how
dummies can get wealthy).

My question is, how likely is this book to have such a good review
rating that would be genuine?

The Atlantic magazine had a small article a couple
of years ago about false positive book reviews.
The essence of the article is that there are a small
number of writers and reviewers and they most definitely
give positive reviews to marginal books and authors.

On Wed, 18 Mar 2009 08:34:45 -0700, wrote:

On Mar 18, 6:26*am, Ignoramus11638 ignoramus11...@NOSPAM.
11638.invalid wrote:
I am looking at this book:

http://www.amazon.com/You-Can-Never-...781/ref=pd_bbs...


This one's cheaper, with the same crap:
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss_b?...w+rich&x=0&y=0
(mind the wrap)

Cheers!
Rich

On 2009-03-18, wrote:
http://www.amazon.com/You-Can-Never-Too-Rich/

No, probably not fake. Amazon would feel the heat if these were not
real. However, I suspect they were bought and paid for by the
publisher or the author.

This is exactly what I suspect.

I say that based on an experience a company producing bank software
that I worked for in the 1980's. A well known publisher of reviews of
bank related software raved about various software packages, but never
mentioned our company. The President called to find out if the author
had reviewed our software. The answer was "No, but I will for
$10,000.". We didn't pay, and never got written up in the publication.

So, I suspect a majority of book reviews are purchased in one way or
another.

Maybe not the majority, but it does seem fishy in this case. I mean,
come on, the book is obviously garbage.

--
Due to extreme spam originating from Google Groups, and their inattention
to spammers, I and many others block all articles originating
from Google Groups. If you want your postings to be seen by
more readers you will need to find a different means of
posting on Usenet.
http://improve-usenet.org/

"Ignoramus11638" wrote in message
...
On 2009-03-18, wrote:
http://www.amazon.com/You-Can-Never-Too-Rich/

No, probably not fake. Amazon would feel the heat if these were not
real. However, I suspect they were bought and paid for by the
publisher or the author.

This is exactly what I suspect.

Many Amazon "customer" reviews are written by the author(s) under an assumed
name.

Notice that the first three reviews were posted within one day of each
other; they're written with multiple screamers (three or four exclamation
points in a row); and there are no other reviews on Amazon by those
individuals. Those are giveaways.

As for the editorial "review," that's book-jacket flak, written on contract
for the publisher. I wrote one of those myself, for a book jacket. (However,
in that case, there were enough independent, legitimate reviews that Amazon
didn't have to revert to the PR or jacket copy.)

--
Ed Huntress

"Ed Huntress" wrote:

Many Amazon "customer" reviews are written by the author(s) under an assumed
name.

Notice that the first three reviews were posted within one day of each
other; they're written with multiple screamers (three or four exclamation
points in a row); and there are no other reviews on Amazon by those
individuals. Those are giveaways.


I clicked on more than half of the "See all my reviews" to see the reviewers other
reviews. Author seems to have a lot of people that have reviewed only one book.

I don't know where the author lives but it seem that we can smell it in New Jersey and in
Michigan.

Why am I not shocked that a get rich book is a scam?

Wes

"Wes" wrote in message
...
"Ed Huntress" wrote:

Many Amazon "customer" reviews are written by the author(s) under an
assumed
name.

Notice that the first three reviews were posted within one day of each
other; they're written with multiple screamers (three or four exclamation
points in a row); and there are no other reviews on Amazon by those
individuals. Those are giveaways.


I clicked on more than half of the "See all my reviews" to see the
reviewers other
reviews. Author seems to have a lot of people that have reviewed only one
book.

I don't know where the author lives but it seem that we can smell it in
New Jersey and in
Michigan.

Friends and family account for the different styles. This is a common and
well-known thing in the publishing business.

That's not to say that they're all fakes, but get-rich books are similar to
self-help books in that they tend toward gushing enthusiasm on the part of
readers, and their authors seem to need an extra edge to promote them.


Why am I not shocked that a get rich book is a scam?

Sheer penetrating insight and acumen on your part, Wes. g

--
Ed Huntress

On 2009-03-18, Wes wrote:
"Ed Huntress" wrote:

Many Amazon "customer" reviews are written by the author(s) under an assumed
name.

Notice that the first three reviews were posted within one day of each
other; they're written with multiple screamers (three or four exclamation
points in a row); and there are no other reviews on Amazon by those
individuals. Those are giveaways.


I clicked on more than half of the "See all my reviews" to see the reviewers other
reviews. Author seems to have a lot of people that have reviewed only one book.

I don't know where the author lives but it seem that we can smell it in New Jersey and in
Michigan.

Why am I not shocked that a get rich book is a scam?

My guess is that the author gives a free seminar or something like
that, for a positive review. In other words, the reviews are not
genuinely written as a unsolicited expression of opinion, but they are
written by real people (who are rather stupid to begin with), and not
by one person with many accounts registered.

--
Due to extreme spam originating from Google Groups, and their inattention
to spammers, I and many others block all articles originating
from Google Groups. If you want your postings to be seen by
more readers you will need to find a different means of
posting on Usenet.
http://improve-usenet.org/

"Ed Huntress" wrote:

Why am I not shocked that a get rich book is a scam?

Sheer penetrating insight and acumen on your part, Wes. g


Darn, I thought it was because I'm a bit of a cynic.

Can a cynic be a pragmatist?

Wes

On Wed, 18 Mar 2009 16:59:50 -0400, Wes wrote:

snip
Why am I not shocked that a get rich book is a scam?
snip
-------------
What all of these books are selling is the idea of "hope" and the
dream of a better life, more of the instant gratification of a
lottery ticket [even a losing one until the drawing] than slow
and steady work/accumulation over a lifetime.

Its a scam only if you buy it expecting to actually get rich.
The same thing applies to books that will help you get thin, to
have the perfect golf swing, or to become a master chef.

In many cases people that buy these books have bookcases filled
with them, but never pay any attention to what they actually say,
particularly when this involves long term commitment,
practice-practice-practice, delayed gratification, and results
[far] in the indefinite future.


Unka' George [George McDuffee]
-------------------------------------------
He that will not apply new remedies,
must expect new evils:
for Time is the greatest innovator: and
if Time, of course, alter things to the worse,
and wisdom and counsel shall not alter them to the better,
what shall be the end?

Francis Bacon (1561-1626), English philosopher, essayist, statesman.
Essays, "Of Innovations" (1597-1625).

A lot of the reviews on Amazon are obviously written by the
seller/store. You can always tell by the way they start out, then start
listing the merits/virtues/individual functions, etc. of the item,
something an actual buyer would not take the time, or have the interest
in doing. I noticed this a LONG time ago....
JR
Dweller in the cellar

Ignoramus11638 wrote:
I am looking at this book:

http://www.amazon.com/You-Can-Never-...82617&sr= 8-1

While I have not read it, it does not seem like it could be a
groundbreaking book in any respects, and most likely is complete crap
that is written to sell more services provided by this guy (and this
guess can be completely wrong and maybe this is a new discovery on how
dummies can get wealthy).

My question is, how likely is this book to have such a good review
rating that would be genuine?


--
--------------------------------------------------------------
Home Page: http://www.seanet.com/~jasonrnorth
If you're not the lead dog, the view never changes
Doubt yourself, and the real world will eat you alive
The world doesn't revolve around you, it revolves around me
No skeletons in the closet; just decomposing corpses
--------------------------------------------------------------
Dependence is Vulnerability:
--------------------------------------------------------------
"Open the Pod Bay Doors please, Hal"
"I'm sorry, Dave, I'm afraid I can't do that.."

A lot of the reviews on Amazon are obviously written by the
seller/store. You can always tell by the way they start out, then start
listing the merits/virtues/individual functions, etc. of the item,
something an actual buyer would not take the time, or have the interest
in doing. I noticed this a LONG time ago....
JR
Dweller in the cellar

Ignoramus11638 wrote:
I am looking at this book:

http://www.amazon.com/You-Can-Never-...82617&sr= 8-1

While I have not read it, it does not seem like it could be a
groundbreaking book in any respects, and most likely is complete crap
that is written to sell more services provided by this guy (and this
guess can be completely wrong and maybe this is a new discovery on how
dummies can get wealthy).

My question is, how likely is this book to have such a good review
rating that would be genuine?


--
--------------------------------------------------------------
Home Page: http://www.seanet.com/~jasonrnorth
If you're not the lead dog, the view never changes
Doubt yourself, and the real world will eat you alive
The world doesn't revolve around you, it revolves around me
No skeletons in the closet; just decomposing corpses
--------------------------------------------------------------
Dependence is Vulnerability:
--------------------------------------------------------------
"Open the Pod Bay Doors please, Hal"
"I'm sorry, Dave, I'm afraid I can't do that.."

"Wes" wrote in message
...
"Ed Huntress" wrote:

Why am I not shocked that a get rich book is a scam?

Sheer penetrating insight and acumen on your part, Wes. g


Darn, I thought it was because I'm a bit of a cynic.

Can a cynic be a pragmatist?

Wes

Of course. But you'll have to turn in your Cato and Heritage Foundation
membership cards.

--
Ed Huntress

On Wed, 18 Mar 2009 08:26:11 -0500, Ignoramus11638
wrote:

I am looking at this book:

http://www.amazon.com/You-Can-Never-...82617&sr= 8-1

While I have not read it, it does not seem like it could be a
groundbreaking book in any respects, and most likely is complete crap
that is written to sell more services provided by this guy (and this
guess can be completely wrong and maybe this is a new discovery on how
dummies can get wealthy).

My question is, how likely is this book to have such a good review
rating that would be genuine?


I suggest that the "reviews" may have accomplished exactly what it was
intended to do - it got 15 individuals to look at the page and comment
on it in this group alone.

Cheers,

Bruce
(bruceinbangkokatgmaildotcom)

"Ed Huntress" wrote:

Of course. But you'll have to turn in your Cato and Heritage Foundation
membership cards.

Funny you mentioned them, two org's I tend to like. You must know me

WEs
--
"Additionally as a security officer, I carry a gun to protect
government officials but my life isn't worth protecting at home
in their eyes." Dick Anthony Heller

"Wes" wrote in message
...
"Ed Huntress" wrote:

Of course. But you'll have to turn in your Cato and Heritage Foundation
membership cards.

Funny you mentioned them, two org's I tend to like. You must know me

WEs

Gosh, I never would have guessed...heh, heh...

My son tried to get an internship with Cato Institute for the spring, but
his college has odd-length terms and it didn't work. So he's working for a
health care lobbying firm for the term. d8-)

And he's trying hard to get into Treasury for the summer. The kid is a
glutton for punishment, but he likes to be where the action is, I guess.

--
Ed Huntress

Bruce In Bangkok wrote:

I suggest that the "reviews" may have accomplished exactly what it was
intended to do - it got 15 individuals to look at the page and comment
on it in this group alone.

Did I miss a positive one?