Discussing Liberally Salt Lake City

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Traditionally, each month’s “Reference Materials” section includes, inter alia, book reviews from –

The New York Times
The Wall Street Journal
The Washington Post

All three appear to have shirked their duty!!!

And to quote Shakespeare’s “Hamlet” – “Something is rotten in the state of Denmark”!!!

(1) Ordinarily, copies of a new book are given by publishers to news organizations SEVERAL WEEKS BEFORE PUBLICATION in the hopes they will review the new book in order to spur initial sales.

(2) “Blood Money” by Peter Schweizer was released by Harper Collins on 2/27/2024 and, within 3 weeks, had shot to No. 1 on the NY Times’ Non-Fiction Bestseller List.

(3) Not only the NY Times, WSJ and WaPo appearing to shirk their duty to provide reviews with searches on their own websites for “Schweizer” producing nothing recent --

(4) But even a Google search for “book review” as an exact term and the inclusion of “Schweizer” and “blood” and “money” (since it is only possible to specify one exact term) – producing no results from any other recognizable publication!!!

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My guess???

Harper Collins decided that Peter Schweizer and his books on the Peoples’ Republic of China are so well known (many of which shot to the top of the charts) – that no reviews are needed to spur initial sales.

So Harper Collins must have decided NOT to provide advance copies to any news organizations in order NOT to clutter the scene.

And have the consumer actually read the book rather than become distracted by the opinions of others.

Though, of course, reading when ordering the book, its description on Amazon.com which almost-invariably quotes the book’s dust jacket.

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This “Reference Materials” Section

Nonetheless, this section is still provided because, in the past, many “reference materials” in addition to book reviews have been posted in “Reference Materials” sections for prior meetings as our members distinguish between facts as Ref Mats, and their own opinions which are posted in each month’s “Participant Comments” section.

Respectfully submitted,

John Karls – 3/24/2024