Monday, March 29, 2010

Book Review Column AND request for reviews

A while back I posted a list of books that I needed reviewed for my column in SIGACT NEWS. This was legitimate--- I really did want reviewers--- but it was also an experiment in the power of this blog. Would I get more reviewers? How would the quality of the reviews be?

The results are in: Roughly 40 people asked for books, and 35 are done. Of the 5 left 3 asked for extensions that were legit. Only 2 were really derelict (of those 2, one returned the book). All the reviews I received were of high quality. (If you only asked for an extension in the last month, then you are the derelict one. No more book reviews for you!)

The experiment also indicates that far more people read this blog then read my column, though I already knew that. To extend the reach of my column I will begin posting it on this blog when it comes out, with one change:
  1. Here is Volume 41, No. 1, 2010, SIGACT NEWS book review column. Sort of. I intentionally OMITTED the part where I ask people for books to review. That is because the list that was with that column is already out of date.
  2. I once again INVITE you to email me that you want to review a book. Here is a list of available books.
  3. Here is advice for reviewers. Here is a template for a review.
  4. Procedure: If you want to review a book then email me your postal address to send the book to. The review should be ready about 3 months after you receive the book; however, that can be flexible so long as there is some definite due date, past which I can email you `HEY, WHERE IS THE REVIEW!' If you are in America then I will postal mail the book to you and it should get there fairly fast. If you are not in America then (because of postal rates) I will have the publisher send the book to you. It may be a while before you get it.
  5. The sooner you ask for a book the more likely you are to get it. I will try to update the list; however, you may end up asking for a book that I already assigned if you see it before I update it.

5 comments:

  1. What?! Really, I truly had hard time to understand what you just wrote. I mean, grammatically, the sentences barely make sense. The words seem not to fit their place, and also the logic of your statements is vague.

    Example: "A while back I posted a list of books that I need reviews for my column in SIGACT NEWS."

    What is the meaning of this sentence?

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  2. It means:

    "I'm a tenured prof and I really don't have to make myself understood to anyone because I have tenure and my time is so valuable that why should I edit my sentences even if it makes theoreticians look illiterate at least I have tenure and I don't have to follow conventions and I'm planning to become like Perelman."

    ReplyDelete
  3. Dyslexics have more fnu, as they say :-)

    ReplyDelete
  4. Commenters: Thank you for your corrections.
    I have had the post proofread and edited to make it more clear.

    If any part of it is still unclear then let me know; however, I may not read comments on old posts so you may want to email me instead.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Classy response.

    ReplyDelete