[rating] Inflation

[Omega]

I'm a huge book lover and read at least one book a week. I found when I scanned the reviews for books that I may read that the current score system is inflated and does not convey much information about the quality of the book:

38 of the 71 rated book scored 10/10.

I understand that no one on this forum will post reviews of books that they consider 'meh' or unhelpful for others, but if you, as a reader, use no other criteria to determine if a book is worthwhile to read than the fact that it appeared on a PD-forum with the tags 'transformative, must-read' then you quickly end up with an overwhelmingly long reading list. How can one effectively sort through the endless list of books available and prioritize which ones to read?

The reader can state a purpose or problem whose solution is sought in the book. An author likewise states a purpose for his book and ideally the purposes of the reader and author align. Additionally, the reader can also take into account what others have said about that book, and similar books.

You see that we now have two criteria to rank the quality of books.

1. How effective was the implementation of the book's solution to your problem?
2. How great is the quality of the book's solution compared to solutions presented in similar books?

Rating inflation can be okay, but the average score in any rating system from 1-10 really shouldn't be higher than 5, even in the context of a collection of otherwise 'exceptional' books. I propose that any book reviewer follow something like this form:

• Why did I read the book?
• How did the book match up to my expectations?
• [Optional] Summary

With Leo's rating system for the list of top self-help books and the published book reviews in mind, we could use this scale:

0-2. Excellent and concise. Highly informative. Possibly less practical or relevant.
3-4. Result generating or paradigm shift. Points highly resonate with the reader. Radical and insightful perspective on the subject.
5-6. Transformational or life-changing. Profound understanding or insight is realized.
7-8. Unparalleled.
9-10. Beyond unparalleled.

Notice that every single score is positively defined. 'Awful' books simply wouldn't be mentioned on this forum in the first place, except possibly to signal that a popular book is a waste of time to read. Ratings are greatly biased; The reviewer must come from a place where the book is intelligible to him. Examples:

• [5/10] Shadows Before Dawn
• [8/10] The Book of Not-Knowing
• [5/10] Integral Spirituality
• [4/10] Spiritual Enlightenment, the Damnedest Thing
• [6/10] The Path of Least Resistance
• [3/10] So Good They Can't Ignore You
• [4/10] The Kyballion
• [2/10] The Four Purposes of Life
• [2/10] The 150 Healthiest Foods on Earth
• [3/10] The 4-Hour Workweek
• [7/10] The Power of Now

Edited August 6, 2016 by Blaze35

[ChimpBrain]

I agree with the general sentiment of your post. Far too many 10/10 ratings in here. I disagree with your rating explanation/breakdown though. Why would a book with a rating of 0/10 be considered excellent, concise, highly informative, etc.? Wouldn't a book with a zero rating be more along the lines of "the biggest waste of time I've ever embarked on"? And theres no such thing as "beyond unparalleled". Unparalleled would literally mean it's the best book you've ever read. There can't be anything beyond that in your personal experience. Again I agree with your general premise, I'm just nitpicking. 

 

2 books I read from Leo's list that I felt I got far less than expected from were radical honesty and the six pillars of self esteem. 

Edited August 6, 2016 by ChimpBrain

[Omega]

2 minutes ago, ChimpBrain said:

I agree with the general sentiment of your post. For too many 10/10 ratings in here. I disagree with your rating explanation/breakdown though. Why would a book with a rating of 0/10 be considered excellent, concise, highly informative, etc.? Wouldn't a book with a zero rating be more along the lines of "the biggest waste of time I've ever embarked on"? And theres no such thing as "beyond unparalleled". Unparalleled would literally mean it's the best book you've ever read. There can't be anything beyond that in your personal experience. Again I agree with your general premise, I'm just nitpicking.

Very good point.

The scale that I proposed is radically open which I believe is good because an open scale allows exceptional works to stand out. Every score represents a different tier of value that can gained from the book. I haven't come across a book that I will rate 10/10 and thus can't describe the qualities of such a book.

Should a great book be rated 0/10? Well, not all books are rated, let alone reviewed.

(I can't say that I have ever read a book that has truly 'transformed' my life and may not even legibly rate a book highly according to my own scale. But books have certainly challenged my worldview and beliefs and the writings of Peter Ralston/Eckhart Tolle speak to me on another level.)