Off to a great start.
My mission in 2013 is to read and review as many e-books as possible. My aim is
to target self-published work from generally unknown authors. For absolute
preference I hunt for the newest published work that had no previous online
reviews, essentially to try and prospect for literary gold in the masses of
e-dirt. There are a lot of e-books to choose from and I have decided not to be
fussy about genre. If it is newly published and free to download then it is on
my radar. One of the first to catch my eye was Jeffrey von Stetter’s “I’m Just
Saying…Think it Through”. This was essentially a vehicle to spout the author’s
polemic about perceived value and the likely lack of quality in the 99 cent e-book
market. Firstly, I get it! It makes perfect sense that we should not anticipate
gold when we are digging in the e-dirt cheap pile. The author makes this point
enduringly throughout this work and continuously points out that these 99 cent
books will take an hour out of your life. Agreeing with von Stetten's main
arguments as I did, it was no doubt the intended irony that this piece could be
downloaded for free and took less than an hour of my life to go through. The
main theme of "Just Saying", that readers ought not to labor under
the misconception or consideration that anything costing less than a dollar
should be expected to have value, is repeated seemingly endlessly. Missing was
the counterpoint that in a free market economy the market will decide. Author's
will decide if it is worth their time preparing these pieces and purchasers
will decide if it is worth their time and just less than a dollar. If there is
a market then there will be 'entrepreneurs' and these will have a range of
talents and enjoy various degrees of success. The introduction to “Just Saying”
spoke of laughs, but those that were there were the cruel laughs of the bully.
It is, however, a decent and sober reflection on the current trend and cautions
would be self-publishers to take the time to consider to whom they wish to
sell. There is a certain magic to perceived value, one is reminded of
moisturizers and perfumes. Let us see what the invisible hand of the market
will do about the 99 cent book. Having been frustrated with arrogance I was
exceedingly happy with Jim Cuthbert’s: “Buckets of Steam. A Year in the life of
a research technician.” This is a splendid work from one end to the other and
if I had any way of doing so I would recommend it to the broadest possible
audience. Of course I am biased by my time spent in University chemistry
laboratories as undergraduate, postgraduate and beyond. Reading “Buckets of
Steam” I was immediately returned to those days in the lab and my days in the
Universities of my education. This is a fast moving read that is punctuated
with interesting personalities and clever tales. It does, though, highlight the
cruelties and stupidities of University life and the sheltered inhabitants resident
therein and Jim Cuthbert does not hold back. It would be no fun to be in the
spotlight of one of the author's character assassinations but sadly human
nature dictates that the outcome had me rolling around with laughter, and yes
also when I was on the train, much to the dismay of my fellow commuters. This
is a book to be read by anyone who has spent any time in a University lab.
Certainly to be recommended broadly. Jim’s writing style was very easy to
follow and the story moved at a good pace. I will look out for future
Cuthberts, I hope that this does not prove to be a one off. The last ebook that
I will review in this short essay is “My Manic Mind” by J.M. Price. This is a courageous work by an author who has
something useful to share. J.M. Price suffers from bipolar and talks us through
the history of his own struggle and the challenges that he continues to face.
Importantly, he describes how he came through to a point of control. This is an
educational insight into a seemingly much misunderstood subject. Before I read
this piece I had no direct knowledge of bipolar and now the struggles and
trials of this affliction are brought to life. The author's own struggle to
gain control through self-awareness, lifestyle and a heck of an effort is
splendidly communicated. There are no soft edges to the hard truths. I am
reminded of William Earnest Henry's "Invictus" and the closing
sentiment "I am the master of my fate: I am the captain of my soul."
The author's diatribe against the pharmaceutical industry and the medical
profession was too harsh but understandable. Read this book and take time to
learn about the significant challenge that bipolar is for the person, not only
in terms of the disease itself but also the manufactured stigma that there is,
as is so often the case, to a misunderstood subject.
Even with these three
pieces it is very clear to me that self-published works have every right to be
as good or as bad as anything from a major publisher. It is true that most self-publishers
will not have access to the editorial, graphic design or marketing facilities that
might make them fully polished and highly successful. True again that there are
typographical errors and grammatical slips here and there. What is important,
to me at least, is that there is a passion and a message in the work. I have
read many paperbacks that contain glaring errors of spelling or continuity so I
would not begrudge the odd slip here and there in a work that has been a labor
of love. It would be delightful to see a
Cuthbert or a Price rise from obscurity to fame, if only to prove that Stetter’s
own work was self-indulgent nonsense. In January I have spent no money on
downloading ebooks, yet I have read many and found that there are indeed
authors who are unknown who have something funny or insightful to share. Whilst
two out of the three works I have reviewed will leave a lasting positive
impression, it is important to know that all of the works have, in their own
right, been worthwhile. Not all e-dirt is gold, but from the dirt grows the
most wonderful flora if given the right conditions!
