From: Elsa Marston <elsa.marston_at_gmail.com>
Date: Wed, 18 Nov 2009 16:33:27 -0500

First, thank you for responding to my question (I'll get my kids to show me how to cut and paste) and explaining why it looked to me as though everyone was getting registered with my name.

Second, if I may squeeze a few more words into this fruitful discussion on reviewing: as an author I know well how the one poor, dyspeptic, or luke-warm review can overshadow all the good ones in the sensibilities of the writer. It's the human condition, I'm afraid. I review only for *Multicultural Review*, focusing on books about the Middle East, Arab world, Islamic world, Arab- and Muslim-Americans, and ancient Near East; and happily, most of the books that come my way are good. It's not hard to recommend them for libraries. What I can't accept is glaring inaccuracy that reveals either ignorance and/or woefully sloppy research and writing, or desire to sensationalize at the expense of truth. A cover that, even for a good, thoughtful book, promotes stereotypes for no defensible reason (e.g., a photo of men in beards shouting angrily, for a book of general information about Islam) also gets me riled. I try to make my criticisms fairly gentle and constructive, wherever possible.

Elsa www.elsamarston.com
Received on Wed 18 Nov 2009 04:33:27 PM CST