Perhaps you have heard the old adage that you should never judge a book by its cover. Nonsense! … At least when we’re speaking literally, anyway.
The apologists here at Catholic Answers often get calls from inquirers asking whether we have read such-and-so book and, if so, what do we think about it. Unless the book happens to generate a lot of inquiries — on the order of, say, The DaVinci Code — the answers are often “No” and “We don’t have an opinion on it.”
Don’t despair. There are ways to glean a lot of information about a book without having to read the thing. Here are some tips:
Title: What does the title say about the author’s approach to the subject? If you were wandering through the parenting section of your local bookstore, a quick scan of the titles can give you insight into the approaches taken to parenting. The Strong-Willed Child may suggest a more combative approach to childrearing than Raising Your Spirited Child. If you have a gentler parenting philosophy, you’re more likely to be drawn to Unconditional Parenting than to Laying Down the Law.
Author: What else has this person written? What are his credentials in the field? These answers to these questions and many more can be found by plugging the author’s name into Google. These days, when many authors maintain personal web sites as marketing tools, you’re likely to find out a great deal about an author from the Internet.
Cover blurbs: Who is endorsing this book? Have you heard of them before? Do you know their reputation? If we move back to the parenting section example, if names like James Dobson or Dr. William Sears appear on the dustjacket, you’ve found an important clue about the author’s parenting philosophy. In the Catholicism section of the store, an endorsement of a book by Fr. Richard McBrien will suggest one thing, while an endorsement by George Weigel will suggest something else.
Publisher: What other titles has this company published? What is the company’s target audience? What does its web site reveal about the company? If the book is on Catholicism, is the publisher a Catholic company? If so, is the Catholic publisher orthodox, heterodox, or is it a mixed bag? Is the company secular? If so, what other religious titles has the company produced?
Copyright: If the copyright date is old, will there be current information missing? A book on nutrition from decades ago might still talk about the four food groups rather than the newer food pyramid. A Catholic book written before 1983 might reflect the 1917 Code of Canon Law and thus be out of date in some matters of ecclesiastical law.
Notes: If the book is non-fiction, does the author cite sources? Does he cite sources in a uniform manner, or is his citation haphazard? Are the bulk of the sources primary (e.g., studies, academic papers) or does he rely on general information books in his field in which the authors agree with his thesis? (You’d be surprised at how sloppy some researchers can be.)
Bibliography: What titles did the author use for research? Does the author recommend certain titles? If so, do you know anything about these titles or authors?
Acknowledgements: Who does the author thank? Thanks to experts in the field is helpful and the names can be plugged into Internet search engines for information about credentials and philosophy.
Foreword and Afterword: Who wrote introductory and/or summary matter? What is that person’s experience in the field? A book on the liturgy with an introduction by the former Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger would suggest that the book would be orthodox, while an introduction by Sr. Joan Chittister, OSB, would suggest something quite different.
After your gleaning, take stock. Are there red flags flying? If so, the book may not be worth your time. If you do have time to spare and your curiosity continues to be piqued, you may still want to read the book but you’ll know to rev up your Purity Filter before reading. In any case, you’ll have a pretty good gauge of the book before diving in. So, yes, you can judge a book by its cover!
Thanks. Often I get the retort that I need to read a book before rejecting it. This is like saying I have to eat used kitty litter before I can say that such a thing is not a good idea. The fact is, there is simply too much stuff out there competing for our limited attention. It is perfectly reasonable to use some kind of filter.
Waitamminit.
One needs to have read a LOT before they can acquire a feel for publisher names, blurb recommenders, foreword writers, and bibliographies.
Isn’t it easier to look up Amazon reviews? 😉
“One needs to have read a LOT before they can acquire a feel for publisher names, blurb recommenders, foreword writers, and bibliographies.”
Not necessarily. As I mentioned, if you plug such names into Google, you can find out quite a bit about the credentials and philosophy of authors and publishers. Once you have this information, of course, you own it and can tell at a glance in the bookstore whether the author or publisher is trustworthy.
“Isn’t it easier to look up Amazon reviews?” 😉
Sure, and such reviews can be helpful sometimes. But, on the flip side, you are more likely to know nothing about the reviewer and his or her own ability to fairly review the book. Amazon.com customer reviews are particularly problematic in that regard.
Speaking of looking at book titles:
“Winning Through Intimidation”
The author chose that title not because he’s speaking of being agressive or intimidating, he just wanted to grab the reader’s attention and make a point.
So you may need to consider if the author is playing a trick, or somehow has his philosophy wrapped up in the title (misleadingly or not.)
“One needs to have read a LOT before they can acquire a feel for publisher names, blurb recommenders, foreword writers, and bibliographies.”
I kind of agree with this, since to even get an initial feel for who or what is orthodox, you may have to eat a lot of paste before you get to the pasta.
For someone who is truly, truly starting out, before they are able to use such a helpful list, the first thing they may have to do is take personal recommendations from those they really, really trust as orthodox and who is able to distinguish between what may be helpful for a particular person (reading level, emphasis of interest, and what not).
I’ve found on several occasions that I can find books that are (or are not problematic) by reading through the one-star reviews on Amazon. Like-minded people who’ve found serious issues with the book will often write them up…
As far as writers go, look for humility in their lives…look at how they live their lives…if their lives are not in conformity with the truth of the human person, then stay away from the books.
Rather a late addition to the postings, but thought I would add that the Nihil Obstat and Imprimatur on the publisher details page are official declarations that a book is free of doctrinal or moral error (though does not imply that those who have granted the Nihil Obstat and Imprimatur necessarily agree with the contents and opinions expressed in the book)