I received a note from Dr. Warson today informing me that the first review of "The Rider's Pain-Free Back" was posted on Amazon.com -- and that it was a good one.
So, I wandered over and read it. The person who wrote it explained why she bought the book and what she liked about it:
Good book!, July 23, 2007
By S. Shore - See all my reviews
I bought this book pre-order and it arrived very quickly. The author knows his stuff. I am an x-ray tech by trade, so nearly everything I read was understandable to me. He wrote the book so everytone could understand it- medical terms were explained, and there was an extensive glossary of terms. I got the book because my husband suffers badly from back pain and is an avid rider. I occasionally suffer from back pain- usually from doing too much sitting trot. The author was very complete in his assessment of the rider and even the type of horse they should be riding. Fortunately my husband and his horse are a great match, me and my horse aren't so good, but with some work I think we will be OK. The author also went through a series of stretches and also treatment options from traditional to alternative. I found it a very interesting book with a lot of information for anyone who is interested in riding. I even loaned it to my chiropractor who said he would probably get a copy because he treats riders as well.
(In case you're wondering, no, I don't know the person who wrote the review!)
Lately, I've been thinking about reviews. I wanted to find out more about a particular movie, so I read some online reviews. Unfortunately, this resulted in me finding out less about the film and more about the people who both loved and hated it.
Reviews are a tricky thing. They can usually be divided into several camps:
* Rabid Fan
* Angry Malcontent
* Fair and Balanced
From a writer's point of view, when reviews start coming, at first you think you want the Rabid Fans to write. But you quickly discover that Rabid Fans are nearly as bad as Angry Malcontents. Their agenda is so transparent, that it casts serious doubts on the validity of the review.
Though I'm happy that the review on Amazon.com casts a very favorable light on Dr. Warson's book, I'm even happier that its in the "Fair and Balanced" camp. They can be difficult to come by, and they're worth their weight in gold.
In Other News
Work on The Major Project continues. I'm clocking over 50 billable hours on this project every week. My dining room table is my "for the project" office and workspace. From it, I can at least see Theo out there in his pasture, even if I don't have the time to ride him!
A development exec has asked to see "Unknown Soldiers," one of my screenplays, and is considering developing it into a graphic novel. That would be fine by me. I just want to see it in my lifetime. If I have to see it on the page before I see it on the screen, you wouldn't hear me complain. Further bulletins as events warrant.
