I previously discussed the issue with a lot of non-fiction books. My years of visiting the bookstore/library resulted in a set of techniques to filter the right books to borrow, read or even purchase.
Read One Chapter or Check out A Summary
Open the table of the contents. Pick the section that piques your interest the most. Now skim that chapter. Done? How was it? Your favorite chapter in a book that you’ve picked up will probably determine how much value, benefit and enjoyment you will receive from the book. If that chapter seems to be already vastly interesting, the rest of the book can be like that too. However, if the chapter you’ve selected doesn’t seem peak your interest, maybe the rest of the book will be the same.
Don’t actually have access to the physical copy? There are online video or article summary available. Check out the video/article and see if the summary is interesting to you. I recently used this strategy on deciding whether to read the book : The 15 Invaluable Laws of Growth : Live Them and Reach Your Potential
For this book, although there was a lot of potential benefit for other people, I’ve already learned most of the book’s ideas before and passed it over.
Read The Book Reviews
A book that has been paid attention is much more interesting than a book that is ignored. As someone once said:
There is no such thing as bad publicity.
A poorly-written book is not a book that’s hated, it is one that is ignored. Would you rather read a blank sheet of paper or a sheet of paper with non sense?
First, pay attention to the TOTAL NUMBER of reviews (and not the overall review score). The greater the number of reviews for a book, the more interesting it might be, even if it’s negative. A book where a reader has taken the time and energy to write a review has somehow successfully caught the reader’s attention.
Second, pay attention to each reviews’ LENGTH. If most of the book’s reviews are brief with minimal substantial basis, then those reviews provide limited meaningful value. However, if many of the reviews are long, it meant the book has successfully provoked a reaction in people. This implies the book’s contents contains something that people would or should be aware about.
Third, pay attention to the reviews’ CONTENT. If a review is vague without any specific references to sections of the book, then once again, the review provide limited meaningful value. If a review actually makes specific references, then these are the reviews that would provide you a better idea of the book’s contents.
Find out more about the author’s personal life
The most successful people have the most successful ideas and experiences. Many people talk the talk, but very few can walk the walk. Whenever I pick a book, I actually try to get a better understanding of the writer’s background. To check if whether they are the right mentor in a field or not.
Do they have the right credentials? Have they established themselves in a relevant community of some sort? How “successful” is the author applying their own advice? Some of the best non-fiction books I’ve read were people who were top in their fields. Their success in a field came first and then their books.
If the author lives a life that’s different from what they preach, I will find it hard to maintain interest in the book.
Relevant to Your Life Situation and Personality
Some of books recommended to me by my peers seem to be not really interesting. It’s odd when my peers like a book that I don’t. It’s also odd when my peers don’t like a book that I do. We’re not each other.
When selecting a book, choose a book that relates to you personally. If you are a dog lover, you wouldn’t really enjoy a book on cats as much as you would with a dog. This is not the school system where you are being pressured to learn something against your will. Read something that defines who you are as a person: your preferences, interests and hobbies.
However, you can still choose books are not interesting to you but may still be relevant to you. These can be books that are helping you with entering a certain social group or trying to understand a friend’s situation.
