Thoughts About Book Praising
I recently bought a book titled The Last Man on the Moon. It’s about America’s Space Race or something. I don’t know. I haven’t read it yet. I buy books based on its cover. And title.
Anyway, on the back is advanced praise by several people:
• Neil Armstrong: Neil Armstrong was the first man on the moon, so his praise for a book about the last man on the moon is credible.
• Senator John Glenn: Senator Glenn was the first American to fly in orbit. I’ll trust what he has to say about a book about space.
• Donald D. Engen: Never heard of him, but apparently, he’s the director of the National Air and Space Museum at the Smithsonian Institution, so he has to know what he’s talking about.
• Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison: OK…Senator Hutchinson’s from Texas, home of Johnson Space Center. I guess that works…
• Tom Hanks: You’re starting to lose me here, book. I know he was in Apollo 13 and everything, but I gave you a pass with Senator Hutchinson already. This is getting kind of ridiculous.
• Ron Howard: Seriously? Ron Howard? Did Buzz Aldrin not want to read this book? How about Tim Allen, voice of Buzz Lightyear? I’m sure he had some praise to share.
So yeah. Maybe I read books based on its cover, but at least I don’t read them based on a celebrity’s praise.
Honestly, I don’t like having praise on the book at all, but if you have to have it, it should be like David Cross’ I Drink For A Reason:
• Paul Rudd: “One of the funniest books I’ve ever skimmed!”
• Mitchell Hurwitz, producer, Golden Girls: “This book is a literary ‘Development’ from David that I found truly ‘Arresting’. I ‘dev’oured every word and had to take ‘a rest’ after reading as I realized this book was ‘ment’ [sic] to be a comedy classic. This ‘Arresting’ comedian has ‘Developed’ into an amazing and insightful writer.”
• Mitchell “Arrested Development” Hurwitz, co-creator, The Ellen Show: “…me again. I’m sorry, but there’s something about David’s wit and hilarious self-revelation that makes me want to jacket-blurb all over this thing. David’s writing in this ‘audio-book for the eyes’ is every bit as funny, honest, and observant as the man himself-and, oddly, twice as smart. It’s surprising and funny dot dot dot a triumph! Oh, and David that ‘dot dot dot’ shouldn’t be spelled out as words. It’s just meant to imply I said a lot of other stuff too. Oh and obviously what I’m saying right now also isn’t part of the blurb.”
More of David Cross’ book jacket praise can be found here.
