Mihaela (Mig) Lica at eWritings – Online Public Relations tagged me for the “Don’t Buy That Book Meme.” After being disappointed by a highly-hyped book, Mig asked the questions:
Have You Ever Regretted Buying a Book? Why?
The purpose of the meme is to help fellow bloggers avoid book buying mistakes, a laudable goal. One caveat, though: just because I didn’t like a book doesn’t mean you won’t love it. We all have different tastes and different levels of knowledge. Mig found Small Is the New Big by Seth Godin a waste of time and money. She writes:
Nothing Seth writes about is new under the sun. Literally nothing.
However, she also says:
If you are an experienced marketer, the book will be a bore, and a huge disappointment.
I haven’t read the book and Mig doesn’t make completely clear, but perhaps someone new to marketing would find the book helpful. So when reading my (or anyone else’s) opinion, remember that your experience, knowledge, and interests are different than mine. Weigh those factors when deciding if you would have the same reaction to the book.
I must confess that the books that have disappointed me the most have been the classics. I always think I should love the books that have stood the test of time, but often I don’t.
The lastest disappointment was The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde. This is a novel I thought I should have read years ago but never did. When I finally tried, I disliked the story so much I quit reading after a couple of chapters. I guess I have no patience with hedonism. The characters had no redeeming value as far as I could tell, and reading the story was a bore and a waste of time.
Have you read The Picture of Dorian Gray? What was your reaction?
You could win a $50 Amazon.com gift certificate from Mig if yours is the most interesting entry before the end of January 2009. Read the the rules of the meme at Don’t Buy That Book Meme and write about the book you regret buying.