Tuesday April 18th, 2006
So who is this bad review from? A literary critic, a newspaper money section, a radio book review programme? Nope it’s one book review on the Amazon website. After scores of positive reviews all with either four or five stars, the latest reviewer gave the Money Diet just one star. Now normally this wouldn’t matter, but unfortunately it’s the most recent review, the one that people most read, and even though it was completely counter to every other review, since it appeared the book has dropped from the top 20 down to position 245.
Now to be honest I’m fairly sanguine about criticism. However in this case, I’m not even sure the person has read the book. Let me reprint this one-star’ review here in full. “Although I agree with the central tenure of this book is that it is easier to save money than earn more, this book is full of padding. Review your mortgage regularly and try to pay it off as soon as possible, try an all-in-one account, where your monthly pay cheque is offset against the mortgage, don’t impulse buy, rarely buy new and take a pack-up to work is all it amounts to. Very disappointing. “
I must admit it sounds suspiciously to me like the reviewer has read another book currently on the market, which I’ve seen moots all that. To start with “try an all-in-one account, where your monthly pay cheque is offset against the mortgage” is almost the opposite of what I say in the book - I warn against off-set mortgages, not encourage them. I don’t remember anywhere in the book where I say “Although I agree with the central tenure of this book is that it is easier to save money than earn more,” for me it isn’t an either or - it is simply a different approach. I am rather flummoxed by the whole thing.
What’s frustrating is how this review compares to all the others (check them all out here) and yet it has such a big impact. I do hope Morgan Trading is happy with himself. Fingers crossed there will be more reviews up there soon!
