I could eat a couple gallons of rice pudding. What kind of analogy was that? ;-)

Well, still, you could use the book as a giveaway during the 'thon. At least it's on topic. Of course, I'm still planning to hold out for the Fire Ant Eggs. ;-)

Yeah, I know...I regretted the analogy as soon as I posted it. But I've found that most people don't like rice pudding (or just the concept of rice pudding, as many have never even tried it).

I guess I should have stuck with something from the green vegetable family, like brussels sprouts.

I'm with you on the rice pudding. Now bread pudding - we'd've had words. But rice pudding? Ick. Though brussel sprouts would work as well.

Sounds like it was a neat idea that failed in execution, which is too bad.

The .ch thing cracked me up though. When we were in Europe and driving about looking at all the little oval stickers on cars we were flummoxed by the CH ones for a while. Finally asked. Now all I can think is that CH Sugar is Swiss. But yeah, seems like just a teeny weeny bit of research could've prevented that. (Or maybe the author got it right and the editor changed it and the author didn't catch it? Or maybe Mao and Bruce Lee were blogging from exile in Switzerland? Or used Swiss addresses to escape Chinese censorship?)

Thanks for the review though :)

Thanks for the review, Eric. I think I must need to stop working so hard and/or get out more, because I'd never even heard of this book.

It's probably significant, in some Freudian context, that as you were leading up to the .ch gaff, I'd already noticed it and thought, Waitaminnit... '.ch' is Switzerland, not China by the time you revealed that this was, in fact, the final destination for your train of thought.

Or used Swiss addresses to escape Chinese censorship?

Heh. If the author's on the ball, that's exactly what he'll use as an excuse!

...I'd already noticed it and thought, Waitaminnit...

Foo, that's what makes this seemingly insignificant error not so insignificant after all. The logical target audience for this book is going to include a lot of folks like you, me and Beth who will notice such details and not look favorably upon their shoddy presentation. If you're preaching to the choir, you better be able to hit the notes. Or something.

You get free books from publishers to review?

Gee.

The Time Warner Book Group (which is now the Hachette Book Group, via corporate merger or something) has an online marketing group that uses a network of bloggers to spread the word about new releases. I wrote about it last June. It's a very informal arrangement, but basically I can ask for any book in their stable and they'll send it to me in exchange for a review. They'll also suggest books to review. While I can say yes or no to such suggestions, I've found that my reading horizons have been expanded by taking those suggestions, as I've found good books that I'd never have otherwise read.

I've reviewed about a dozen books during the past year as a part of this program. I always disclose my relationship with the publisher.