Do you ever read a book, then look back at the Amazon reviews and find them totally incongruent with your opinion? That's what happened to me with a business book I read this week. It's called Little Bets, and I have to admit the title drew me in.
But I found the book much less compelling than I anticipated - more of a synthesis of existing, better-known works. Definitely nothing groundbreaking. Yet there was not one review under four stars to be found. I have a sneaking suspicion the author tapped his extensive network to prompt some good reviews. Well, that had to change.
I toned down my criticism at the last minute; after all, the writer did put himself out there. Here's the result:
3.0 out of 5 stars Interesting Anecdotes but Nothing Groundbreaking, June 17, 2011
By Blake Henderson - See all my reviews
This review is from: Little Bets: How Breakthrough Ideas Emerge from Small Discoveries (Hardcover)
This book has some interesting anecdotal stuff. I especially liked the stories on Pixar, and the creative process as it relates to learning in young children.
That said, most of the time when I flipped the page and saw the referenced person - Muhammad Yunnus, General McMaster, or Malcolm Gladwell - as I reader of Tom Ricks' Fiasco, Banker to the Poor, The Tipping Point, and books on Lean Start-Up and Customer Development, I already knew where the author was headed and was left underwhelmed.
I'm not usually moved to review books on Amazon, however, I honestly believe the book is overrated as it stands with a lot of four and five star reviews. The book has a great title that certainly drew me in, yet I didn't find anything groundbreaking inside.
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It's oddly gratifying to write a review and immediately see your comments listed as the only three-star review. Still, I stick by the rating.
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