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All About Endorsements
- 07/13/09
- 52
I’ve been thinking a fair bit lately about endorsements (or blurbs, if you prefer)—the little lines and paragraphs you see on the back of a book giving you good reasons why you really ought to read it. I have done this as I’ve gone through a process of defining my ministry, what I will give time to and what I will not give time to. Endorsements, when done right, take a lot of time and often for very limited results. So I have wanted to figure out the circumstances in which it makes sense for me to go through the effort of providing them. I thought I’d share just a bit of what I’ve come up with.
Practically, here is how endorsements usually work. Several months before a book actually shows up on store shelves (often as much as six months before) an author or publisher (or sometimes an agent or other representative) will contact people whose name and endorsement have the potential to help readers decide to purchase a book. If these people agree they will receive a copy of the manuscript, either in electronic format or, more commonly, printed on 8.5 x 11. They will have a certain period to read the book and provide their endorsement of it. Sometimes these endorsements must be provided on official forms while other times they can be informally emailed through. Of those asked, only a few will accept the manuscript and of those usually only a few will actually provide an endorsement; so sometimes, when you see a long list of endorsements for a book, it may be that the author was hedging his bets, so to speak, and had the good luck of having everybody actually come through. Endorsements are provided based on a draft copy of the manuscript so it is possible that the text may change between the writing of an endorsement and the publication of the book.
As you would expect, endorsements are volunteer efforts (except, I’m sure, in exceptional and unethical circumstances). However, there can be some “tit-for-tat” in endorsements where one person feels obliged, for one reason or another, to provide an endorsement. Perhaps there is some kind of reciprocation for endorsing a book or speaking at a conference. Also, if you read closely, you will sometimes see that a single endorsement, written in general terms more about the author than his book, may be used on multiple titles. It may even be just a line or two taken from an article that is completely unrelated to this book or any other.
A good bit of thought goes into the arrangement of the endorsements on the back cover and in the first few pages of the book. The biggest names will go first and will appear on the back cover; the lesser-known names or the ones least likely to be meaningful to the target audience will appear at the bottom of the back cover or perhaps only inside the book.
Here are a few things I’ve learned about endorsements:
Endorsements matter. I would gladly forgo endorsements for my books, but I don’t think my publisher would be pleased with me if I did so. Potential readers do look at the back cover of a book to see who has endorsed it, though I am quite convinced that they look more for the name than the actual words. I have a certain number of names I look for and, if one of them happens to have endorsed that book, it immediately interests me in a way it might otherwise not. So endorsements do sell books and, therefore, they do have value. I consider them a necessary evil.
We endorse books and authors. Because endorsements matter, authors have to be very careful with who and what they endorse. Ultimately we endorse authors as much as their books (and perhaps more than their books). In just a few lines it is difficult to draw the kind of distinction that might say, “I disagree with this person’s core beliefs but do think this book is worth reading.” Instead, we see the name of the author, the name of the endorser, and draw a line from one to the other. Hence, if I am going to endorse a book, I have to agree with the vast majority of the book and 100% of the core theology. But I also have to appreciate the author and his ministry. As much as I might like to, I cannot neatly separate the two because those who see the endorsement will not neatly separate the two.
Quality is important. So many Christian books really have very little to say that is not derived from other books and so many others are poorly written. I want to encourage quality by providing endorsements for books that are genuinely well-written and objectively good. There are a couple of books I endorsed early on for which I would no longer provide an endorsement because the quality was just not there. One particular book has done more to shape my philosophy (and theology) of endorsements more than any other. I read the book again, after it had been printed, and was really embarrassed at what I had put my name to. I want my name on a book to have value and will no longer endorse books that do not display good quality.
It is no great honor. Being asked to endorse a book is not necessarily any great honor. The very nature of endorsements tend to mean that the requests are of the “what you can do for me” variety. That sounds terrible, but there is some truth to it. I am not asked to endorse books because people like me; I am asked because my name may help a few people decide to purchase it. I remain grateful for requests to endorse books, humbled even, but I also know that it is no occasion for pride.
It is okay to say no. I politely refuse the majority of the endorsement requests I receive. I feel no obligation to anyone to endorse his book (and neither do I expect him to feel obliged to endorse anything I write) and this gives me the freedom to say no. Nor do I feel that it’s part of my “core ministry.” Therefore I don’t want it to dominate my time (which it could). I do write a fair number, but this is just a small part of what I could write. I suspect the same is true of most people. When I do write endorsements, I prefer to focus on books that have fewer rather than more endorsements (or potential endorsements). When a person sends me a manuscript, I often ask how many endorsements they already have or expect to get. If that number is more than four or five, I typically explain that I will instead focus on books that have received little attention.
Not all endorsements are equal. As I read more and more books, I quickly learn the people whose endorsements mean more to me than others. For example, when I see Mark Dever’s name on a book, it tells me a lot about that book—it is a valuable endorsement. I know that Mark puts a lot of thought into his endorsements and that he is very careful with what he puts his name to. I have learned to trust him. There are other names I see that tell me little and would do little to convince me to buy that book. There are a few who will convince me not to buy that book. This is true for most serious readers, I am sure, no matter the genre they prefer to read.
And that’s about all I’ve got to say about that.
But let me ask you: how important are endorsements to you when you consider purchasing a book? Are you often persuaded to buy a book based on the blurbs on the back cover? Or do you just ignore them and try to judge the book on its own merits?
I am a follower of Jesus Christ, a husband to Aileen and a father to three young children. I worship and serve as a pastor at 
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Comments (52)
Tim -
I am persuaded by the blurbs and especially who wrote the blurbs. Like yourself I have my trusted set of authors whose endorsements I trust.
Funny reading this article because I think I once asked you to endorse a book on your blog, not necessarily on the book itself.
I appreciate your writing on endorsements. I’m one of those who worked on what I believe is a God inspired book and read by a professional writer and several others all with resounding thumbs up but can’t get published. The reason I hear the most is that I have no name in the business. I am currently landing the book in as many well known hands as possible praying for the YES I need so desparately. Having a well known name attached to my unknown name mean severything. It’s just nice to hear that I am not the only one begging to be read but can’t even manage to be heard to this point. I won’t give up and no one else should either. I pray all of God’s writers are heard if that’s his will. Thanks for giving us a voice, David Brown
It still is somewhat important to me still, but since book writing has become such a big business and their prices are high, I now look to my friends to see what they are reading and what they think. I also rely on a lot on the Amazon readers comments and frankly I have found them to be extremely accurate for the most part when it comes to the pros and cons of a particular book. David, it is a shame that it is almost impossible to get a book printed unless you have some inside help. Most of what I see in the Christian bookstore is “Christian lite” and a waste of time to read. I think for many it is a money making enterprise. I would rather write one or two books in my life that will still be read in a couple hundred years then have 25 that will be on the bargain bin in a year or two after their publishing. I don’t know this for sure but this what I think goes on in many publishing houses. The author gets a good or best seller, the agent tells him he or she has a “window” that they will be popular in and so we need to publish at least a couple books more before you fall out of popularity and the Christian crowd moves on to someone else. Anyway that’s my take on it.
The Good Theology Seal of Approval - JI Packer
I’ve become very cynical about the rave reviews I see on the back of a book. And to go along with it, I wonder about all the five star Amazon reviews that seem to go along with it.
Without mentioning names, we now have some prominent Christan “authors” who are cranking out three or four titles a year. How many of these are actually written by the pastor/author, and how many are actually edited by staff members who are simply editing sermon “dumps?”
I make these observations because I’m reading way too many mediocre books these days that just don’t warrant the glowing reviews, both on the back and on Amazon.
We now have bigh name reformed pastors who rival Max Lucado . One would get the impression that all these men do is write books and read new books by their friends who happen to have deals with the same publishers.
It’s time the publishers and pastors came clean about this.
When looking at a book by an author with whom I am unfamiliar, the blurbs or endorsements are the first things I look at. I tend to make a pretty quick judgment (fair or unfair) on the author just by looking at who is endorsing the book. I think they are valuable especially with the plethora of books that we are inundated with on a regular basis.
JThttp:redeemingriches.wordpress.com
It’s handy when I am lazy. It’s a shortcut to whether or not to spend my money.
It’s also useful when buying online as I can’t handle the book and get a good feel for it - can’t dip and dive at will into the text.
When I’m not being lazy and do have a chance to use the book physically, then Adler’s ‘How to Read A Book’ provides invaluable advice on determining if a book is useful for me. Far more so than Piper’s or McArthur’s or whoever’s name on the back. Sure, it was good for them and that trust counts for something - but there does seem to be a lot of gladhanding of endorsements that are cheapening the real sense that this is a book that should be added to the library and studied.
Tim,
The endorsements, it seems to me, only help the reader know that the information in the book is reliable. If someone like D.A. Carson or John Piper for example took the time to read the book and still slapped their seal of approval on it, this is a good sign that the information in the book is accurate according to their standards and even potentially a helpful work.
I agree, however, that it is quite unfortunate that there are some great authors out there who have not had an opportunity to get published because they do not have the right connections and therefore will not likely have the opportunity to accumulate such endorsements.
David: Have you ever read “Thinking Like Your Editor: How to Write Serious Nonfiction—and Get it Published”? I am currently working on doing some writing of my own and am in the same position you are. This book was recommended by Justin Taylor and i’ve found it to be very enlightening thus far.
Ultimately a title, description, table of contents and first chapter really determine more for me than endorsements do.
There is a few names i do look out for when it comes to endorsements because i know they both know their theology well and have integrity. If i have no idea who the endorser is, i know the person doing the endorsing has insufficient background in the subject area or the endorsement is too vague to believe they’ve properly read the book i ignore the endorsements. I’m also not a fan of books having multiple pages of endorsements- it seems too much like showing off.
I find endorsements to be important particularly in matters of faith especially when it concerns a lesser known author (or lesser known to myself).
It also gives me hints into the style of the writer and helps prioritize where the book winds up in my to-read list.
They are just clues to the mystery of the, as yet. unread book. Not unlike an archeological dig. I’m testing the surrounding soil samples and lay of the land before I start digging my hole.
Thanks for the thoughtful article. I do look at the endorsements, and I suppose they may influence me. However, I think they are most influential when the endorsement is from someone I tend to disagree with. For instance - “Oh my, this book looks good, I think I’ll buy it. And look here, Tim Challies has written an endorsement.” As oppossed to “Oh my, this book looks good, I think I’ll buy it. Oh darn, ________(name of someone I think has bad theology) has endorsed it - it can’t possibly be good. Guess I won’t waste my money on this one.”
I think this has been discussed before, but the reformed endorsement “go-to” people become a bit predictable, use words and statements like “helpful,” and “gift to the church,” all unavoidable I guess, but lends to a sort of inbred-ness.
I’d say that endorsements are vital to us as Protestants. Frankly, we’ve set up a few folks to be kind of a Protestant/Reformed Magisterium for us and we go by their recommendations when evaluating books, new speakers, etc. For example, I never would have given Driscoll a second look until I heard that he spoke at a Desiring God conference. I’ve since been greatly blessed by MD’s ministry (I am not trying to hijack this into a MD discussion — please don’t go there as this is just an example).
I just don’t have the time to sift through a bunch of sermons or books to determine if someone is worth reading or listening to. That is why I appreciate folks like Tim who I trust.
I am more apt to buy a book without digging too deep if I am impressed with those endorsing the book and what they have to say about it. It is not the ultimate decision maker. But it sure helps.
I agree with everything you said. Especially in cases where I don’t know a particular author, checking who has endorsed the book tells me quite a bit about what to expect. I also agree that the names of the endorsers are probably just as important as the words they use. I very often check the list of names and skip through reading what they said.
For those of us who find endorsements helpful:
Don’t you wish that Amazon would allow us to search for books based on endorser?
That would be great, wouldn’t it?
For me, it’s all about WHO is endorsing the book. If John MacArthur or John Piper or Tim Challies ;-) or other trusted pastors and scholars endorse the book, that almost sells it. I used to pay attention to books endorsed by J.I. Packer, but it’s getting more and more difficult to do that since he endorses too many books. He also endorsed Peter Kreft’s “The Ecumenical Jihad”.
I’ve actually never been sure that most endorsers have read the entire book. I figured there was a lot of “Good Old Boy” network among book endorsements. I’m persuaded more by reviews on Amazon or recommendations of other people. Sometimes I’ll just bypass both of those and read a book anyway because the title sounds interesting, but I’m starting to reach the point of not having time to waste on the chaff.
Endorsements are important, but I do not buy a book based on endorsements alone. As mentioned previously, topic, chapters, summary and other (non-professional) readers comments add to the purchase decision or time investment of a particular book.
When I read an endorsement or comment, I am looking for key words as well. Complementary fluff is not appreciated. Clarity, impact, change - these are things that add merit.
With respect to TC, I read the blog before I read the book. I liked the blog and knew I would like the book. Endorsements really didn’t matter in that case, although it was encouraging to see them. With respect to future books from TC, I will not need endorsements - the book will be judged based on other criterion.
Endorsements are helpful, but I tend to rely more on footnotes and bibliography. That along with recommendations from friends or writeups on blogs or in magazines.
I think there is a dangerous precedent here. We trust and buy books, and I have done this, based on who endorses them or where they are sold (i.e. books at T4G have been properly vetted). We may skip over books if we don’t recognize the authors and in doing so miss a lot of important works. These endorsements can become a Protestant “Imprimatur”, works approved by the Reformed magisterium and that perpetuates the syndrome of the Reformed talking to one another about Reformed theology.
Over 10 years ago when I was still a young convert, I wanted to read books but couldn’t discern my way out of a Lifeway bookstore. :)
The only name I knew & trusted at the time was John MacArthur.So - if his name was on a book, I bought it. Simple enough and probably best for me at that time early in my Christian life.
There were two books in particular that I purchased using this simple method. You might’ve heard of one of them: Desiring God by a guy named Piper. The other was bought in a closeout deal for $1.99 - a book called “A Passion for God” by Ray Ortlund, Jr. To this day, this book remains my favorite and most influential. Because Ortlund quoted dozens of puritans, reformers & other dead folk in his book, I was introduced to a whole ‘nother circle of theological influence.
Because of the necessary evil of endorsements, John MacArthur introduced me to John Piper and Ray Ortlund, Jr. Ortlund then introduced me to Bunyan and Owen and Calvin and McCheyenne and Luther and hymn writers and many, many others.
Needless to say, I endorse endorsements. :)
Instead, we see the name of the author, the name of the endorser, and draw a line from one to the other.
This is a sad reality. It’s “(Not) Guilty by Association” taken to an extreme. I’m not decrying your actions/ideas that spring from this, Tim. One has to play within the boundaries that one is given.
As for me, endorsements usually serve as the tipping point for a book that I am waffling on buying. But, seeing as how I spend little time in brick-n-mortar stores anymore, even that is getting less and less.
I appreciate an overview of the book and some insight into the person who wrote it. So, I find blurbs to be useful, insofar as they provide a summary of the the contents or a short bio of the author. But I am neither helped nor impressed by more than one substantive blurb.
If I am unfamiliar with the author, and uncertain as to whether to take the plungs and buy, lan endorsement from someone I have found to be of sound judgement/theology in the past is very valuable indeed (likewse, and endorsement from certain other people can be a ‘kiss of death’ to me).
I always look at endorsements, as they are one of the first litmus tests I look for to see if the book is backed by theologically sound people. They can give instant credibility to an otherwise unknown author.
Interestingly, when I first discovered your blog and noticed that you had a book, I looked at who endorsed it. I was telling my husband about some of the things you had written. He thought it was great stuff, but he wanted to know who you were. When I shared with him a couple of guys that had endorsed your book, you immediately became that much more legit in his eyes. Of course, we don’t put all our stock in endorsements, but they do play a helpful role in the research process of buying a book or investigating the author. -Lia
Rarely can an endorsement get me to buy a book, but they can help when I am wavering over whether to make the purchase or not. There are a few authors (less than 5) I have learned through experience only give endorsements to books they approve of and I almost always agree with them. An endorsement from one of these can get me to purchase the book with little else to add to the decision. One other use for endorsements is when I go to a bookstore without anything in mind to buy, I’ll sometimes pick up books I’ve previously enjoyed and then seek out the authors who endorsed it.
I am always attracted to a book by its topic first - once that’s established, I always look for endorsements. Depending on how much the topic interests me - and if the first few pages appear to have good writing - I’ll forego endorsements and buy the book anyway.
Endorsements are really important when I don’t know the author. I may not care as much in concern of a more “practical” book since most endorsements are all pretty generic on those. In terms of Scholarly or Theological resources, it is important for me to know if the person has an orthodox view of Scripture.
I spend very little money on books, and can only afford to spend very little. Therefore, I buy most books used, and then usually only if they come well recommended, which often means referring to the endorsements on the back.
I also have very little free time, and can only afford to spend a little time reading books. Therefore I won’t read a book that may prove to be a waste of time - namely one that is poorly written or has a plot or a theology that is not clearly thought out. In the case of theological books, I do not need agree with the theology for it to be worth my time, but I do need to be able to learn usable information for it to be so. I do not have time for the ridiculous, the half-baked, the poorly thought out, or the trite. To avoid wasting my time, I also rely to some extent on recommendations - often in the form of endorsements.
I honestly care very little about who endorses a book. I read the description and make my decision from there.
I really don’t care about endorsements; there are a few people whom if they endorsed a book, I would not read it because of my strong disapproval for their theology and ministries (mainly those in the WOF and ultraconservative fundamental/Reformed camps), but most of the time, I read a book on its own merits.
I echo the thoughts of those who said that bibliographies and footnotes are my primary source. The first theological book I ever read was The Pleasures of God while in college. Piper’s footnotes sent me headlong into researching people like Jonathan Edwards as well as researching such topics as Open Theism: I began reading up on Pinnock and Boyd, which likewise helped me to think through tough issues in a Biblical way. Thus, reference notes in books have informed my reading more than endorsements- though I like endorsements to a certain extent.
Tim,I am not Reformed, but stumbled onto your blog a few months ago. Yours, is only one of a select few Christian sites I subscribe to and that is because through your site I have found a treasure trove of authors (like the Puritanical and Reformed) and books that I would have never been exposed to and now I thoroughly enjoy reading their books and using their insights into the Scriptures to shape my daily walk with God. I am also doing what other folks above mentioned- that is- discovering more authors by reading endorsements on backs of books I have already read and looking them up on google and book seller sites. Your reviews are very insightful and excellently written. Please keep them coming, including your short thumbs up or thumbs down reviews on books thatyou may not have the time to read.Lastly, on some book sites, such as Barnes and Nobles at bn.com you can actually sample the Table of Content page and electronically leaf through several pages of the book. That helps if the book is not available at the bookstores.
Really enlightening post. I run my church’s book store and this post was helpful for me in that it allowed me to gain insight in to the ins and outs of endorsements. thanks.
From a publisher’s perspective… I wonder if the need for endorsements has grown as our distrust of publishers has increased? Once, we knew pretty much that anything that came out of ‘X Publishing House’ was true and helpful. They actually employed theologically astute editors, and had boards that held them accountable not for their financial returns but for the quality of their content.Wouldn’t it be nice if we could trust publishers to not just pump out books to keep the turnover up, but to only publish books when they were making an important contribution to the Kingdom? Unfortunately, the bigger the publishing infrastructure that needs to be supported, the greater the temptation is to just keep getting new books out there (especially by big name authors) and to twist arms to get endorsements so as to improve sales to pay the bills.The books we publish at Matthias Media rarely, if ever, have endorsements. Partly that’s because, based in Australia, we don’t move in the right circles and it’s quite hard for an outsider to break into that scene. But it’s also partly because we find that our customers have built up a high level of trust in us as a publisher so that we don’t need endorsements. Perhaps endorsements might be useful in helping us find new customers, but I think the currency of endorsements has been so devalued that the benefit of this marketing strategy can be overstated. So, as a publisher, I urge all you discerning readers to start noticing the publisher more, and building up an impression of which publishers are doing good work.
Tim,
I am not an expert in the world of media. Nonetheless, I am a successful veteran of the business world, and one’s reputation is a priceless thing.
Part of your reputation is built by those who refer you, in the business world, or in your case, endorse you.
When you are endorsed (referred) then you are borrowing a piece of the reputation that the person endorsing you holds in the mind of the onlooker.
The Bible gives us many examples of such endorsements: John the Baptist’s endorsement of Christ, God’s endorsement of Christ, speaking from the clouds, even demons spouting their evil little endorsements of Christ.
Unfortunately, the carnal mind takes such a wonderful thing, and uses it for advertising “advantages”, and thus I suspect is the root of your disdain.
If I were writing a book, I would look for the endorsement of my highest regarded mentors/friends, and leave all the rest aside.
Why would I send my book (I don’t have one) to a person that I don’t even know? That doesn’t ring with integrity, but merely playing the game, and hoping to dupe the reader of a relationship that doesn’t exist.
I respect your questions of this practice, but this is no reason to abandon the practice. Simply hold the high ground for the true referral (endorsement) of a friend, and/or mentor.
Yes, indorsements are important, but I think we need to be careful. Just seeing a popular reformed author endorse something doesn’t mean anything. Like most people, even the best authors have strengths and weaknesses.
For example, if a book were on the interpretation of Genesis 1-3, I would be more inclined to buy it if it had the endorsements of men like Bruce K. Waltke, Tremper Longman, Gordon Wenham, C. John Collins, Kenneth Matthews, and Michael O’Connor, than if it had the endorsements of John Piper, R.C. Sproul, Albert Mohler, Mark Driscoll, Mark Dever, and J.I. Packer. The situation would be reversed, however, if it was a book on the Theology of God or Calvinism.
The reason is because even well known authors have areas of weakness. Part of evaluating endorsements means evaluating the endorsements in the light of both the subject matter, and the strengths of those who have given an endorsement. In fact, this is an act of discernment that must go on even while reading books. The reason is, while a book may be on a particular topic, the author himself may have weaknesses in certain areas [yes, even well known authors]. For example, if an author is weak exegetically, you cannot be to dogmatic about his interpretations when he states something that is unusual.
As always, even with the best authors, we must “test all things, and hold fast to that which is good [1 Thessalonians 5:21].
God Bless,Adam
Ian, Thanks for sharing that info about putting trust in a publisher. I was wondering how you decide who gets published and also what about the novice writer. Does he have a chance with your outfit?
If it matters at all to readers, think how much more it matters to those of us in Christian retail. First, we’re ‘gambling’ that the endorsement is going to be seen, i.e. that people are going to pick up the book and read the inside flap or the back cover. Second, we’re making a decision not about the purchase a single copy, but multiple copies of the same title. Third, we may not know much more about a new author than our customers do; at times we may know even less; but we will be intimately familiar with the one doing the endorsement.
I definitely pay attention to endorsements, in fact, one of the reasons I initially tried the ESV bible (now my main translation) was the prolific endorsements by many names that I trust and respect.
I do look at and trust endorsements. I trust that those authors who have influcened my theology and helped mold my thinking would endorse books that would continue in that teaching. It may be flawed thinking; ultimately I have to test what I am reading.
Tim, you mentioned that writers often “hedge their bets” by sending lots of calls for endorements. Does that mean that it is rude not to publish an endorement solicited and returned?
I have to say the other thing I like about endorsements is it often introduces me to pastors and writers I have not heard of. Then, I look them up and consider reading what they are writing.
It works both ways for me.I will give a book credibility base on it’s endorsements and on the flip side, I will read the endorsements on a book by someone not worth reading to see who I should trust perhaps a little less.If you endorsed a Brian McLaren book, for instance, my opinion of him would be unchanged, my opinion of you, on the other hand, would drop considerably.
I read fairly few books, so endorsements help me figure out what camp the author comes from, or so I have thought.
Endorsers should bear in mind that their endorsement might backfire. A musician of considerable talent and fame endorsed a book I read last year. The book was so bad I simply cannot listen to his music anymore.
If I’ve not heard of the book before, or if I’m debating whether or not I should buy it, the endorsements can be important in helping me make a decision. Very rarely do I buy a book solely based on the endorsement. However, like you and others have written, certain names do carry more influence with me than others. So, if I’m undecided, an endorsement from the right person can convince me to buy the book.
Wonderful post. Tim, I would love to see more behind the scenes information about the publishing industry. It helps to understand what I am consuming. The ghost-writer/editor issue raised above would be particularly important.
When selecting a book, my factors are typically:1) Writer and topic in tandem2) Reviews from respected blogs, pastors, and friends.3) Recommendations of workers at my favorite Christian bookstore (Logos in Nashville).4) Publishing house - pro or con5) Endorsements - pro or conI have suspected a quid pro quo relationship on swapping endorsements. Also given the volume of his endorsements, I don’t put much value of a JI Packer endorsement - even though I have never regretted a Packer-endorsed book purchase.
I appreciate your integrity and openness in addressing the topic of endorsements. I often use the endorsements as a starting point in deciding whether or not to buy or read a book. Like others I also look at Amazon reviews and Discerning Reader reviews. It amazes me how reading the various pros and cons can give a fairly accurate picture of the theology of the author. I also value my pastors recommendations regarding books.
With that said, I think it is still crucial to read every book with a discerning eye, regardless of who endorses it. I usually read a book with my Bible nearby and often check references as I go along. This summer I’ve been reading books trying to choose one for my fall ladies Bible study. I admit I’m having a very difficult time finding one that I feel comfortable sharing with the ladies.
Bottom line, I use the endorsements as a tool but realize I am still responsible to be a discerning reader.
Glad you posted this. I rely heavily on endorsements. If I see R.C. Sproul or John Piper, I know it’s a book worth reading. I may or may not read it, but it won’t go in the “do not read this” pile for sure. On the other hand, if I don’t see a name I recognize, I will investigate the author and even some endorsement authors before I read. I don’t want to waste my time or give room for confusion in theology! I did that way too much as a false convert… just picking up any old thing and calling it truth. I have gone through your reviews (many times!) to read your thoughts on books too. If it’s good with Tim, it’s good with me :)
I also go to Amazon and read people’s reviews. I have no idea who they are, but many times they will give a good description of a book and explain why they did or did not find the book helpful. In all the time I’ve been relying on endorsements and reviews, I have to say in the past two years, I only bought one book that was a flop. Never read it, but when I got it, I read more about someone who endorsed it (church growth kinda guy) and now it’s on the bottom of my bookshelf with my cult reference books screaming, “don’t burn me!” But I may have to anyhow!
Tim,thanks for the thoughts and insight on the endorsements. When I look at a book for purchasing (when in a store) I look at the Title, the author, the table of contents, and the endorsements. The endorsements are helpful in determining whether or not I purchase a book. I am trusting those whose endorsements are on the book have given as much consideration to their name being on a book as I do in the time and money I am spending in buying and reading the book. My goal is to be more discerning in the books I choose and in the books I may recommend to people in our congregation so the endorsements play a significant role beyond my purchase of a given book.
Glad you posted this. I rely heavily on endorsements. If I see R.C. Sproul or John Piper, I know it’s a book worth reading. I may or may not read it, but it won’t go in the “do not read this” pile for sure. On the other hand, if I don’t see a name I recognize, I will investigate the author and even some endorsement authors before I read. I don’t want to waste my time or give room for confusion in theology! I did that way too much as a false convert… just picking up any old thing and calling it truth. I have gone through your reviews (many times!) to read your thoughts on books too. If it’s good with Tim, it’s good with me :)
I also go to Amazon and read people’s reviews. I have no idea who they are, but many times they will give a good description of a book and explain why they did or did not find the book helpful. In all the time I’ve been relying on endorsements and reviews, I have to say in the past two years, I only bought one book that was a flop. Never read it, but when I got it, I read more about someone who endorsed it (church growth kinda guy) and now it’s on the bottom of my bookshelf with my cult reference books screaming, “don’t burn me!” But I may have to anyhow!