PLEASE READ THESE RULES
We're trying something a little different for this next non-fiction book selection. Please read this post and follow these simple instructions before you suggest non-fiction books.1. You must have 25 or more QUALITY posts on our forums to be allowed to suggest books for this and all official group discussions.
Posts such as "Nice post!" aren't quality posts. This rule is there to protect the active members from having people that are not serious from effecting the outcome of our polls. If you have fewer than 25 posts and you make book suggestions it will mean you completely ignored (and probably didn't read) the rules. From experience these sort of people are probably not going to participate no matter which book wins. If they cannot take the time to read the rules they aren't going to read the book and read peoples posts and interact in a meaningful way. (I am just explaining why some of these rules exist)
2. Book suggestions must include the book title, author name, book description or review and a link to Amazon.com where we can learn more about the book.
Please do not forget to include a link. Again, this rule exists because we're trying to make the book selection process easy for everyone. If you simply post a book title everyone has to try to research your book on their own. This rule exists to weed out the book suggestions made by people that aren't very serious about participating. Books suggested by hit-n-run members that will never actually participate really mess up the book selection process.
3. For Sept. & Oct. we will be only considering books that focus on history or historical events that took place a minimum of 100 years ago.
When you make your suggestions please tell us the time period of your book. Please do not forget this.
4. Please only make 1 or 2 suggestions per person. Ideally 1 book suggestion per person, but a max of 2.
We're looking for quality and not quantity. When people make 5 - 10 book suggestions this is like assigning homework to the other participants. Nobody wants to research dozens of books. And as a result people do NOT research them. The book selection process becomes too time consuming and painful. Make a list of book suggestions, research them, and then suggest 1 or 2 that you think would make for great discussions.
5. Please leave feedback on the other suggestions made by other people.
This is the MOST IMPORTANT SUGGESTION. All book suggestions that receive no positive feedback will be automatically disqualified from the eventual poll. If people abide by rule #4 and only suggest 1 or 2 books it should not be difficult for each and every participant to leave feedback about all of the books suggested.
6. Make a statement about your commitment and plans to participate in this next book discussion.
Will you be participating no matter what books wins? Will you only participate if the book you want to win actually wins? Do you own the book already? We're trying to figure out what the probability is of you actually participating. So a comment such as "I don't own any of the books but will participate no matter what book wins. I'll order my book as soon as the poll ends and we have a winner." is exactly what we're looking for. Say something other than making a book suggestion so we take you seriously. Our biggest problem with our book discussions is finding a way to eliminate the suggestions and votes of people that really won't participate in the actual discussions. This is not simply a survey asking what book you like the best out of the bunch. This is a process to fnd a book that a large group of people will discuss together.
Please be ready for follow-up questions in this thread. If you make a book suggestion and you don't give us enough information to weigh your level of commitment to the upcoming non-fiction book discussion you will see a follow-up question here. If you don't answer it in a reasonable amount of time that means you're not serious and we'll eliminate your suggestion. So please don't make a book suggestion and disappear. Even without follow-up questions we want you to make a suggestion and then stick with this suggestion thread, reply to other people, leave feedback, and genuinely participate in the book selection process. People that make a suggestion and then never a second or third post in the suggestion thread will not be taken seriously. We have to do this. Close to a decade of running BookTalk.org has shown us who is serious and who is not.
All books suggested will not automatically end up on the poll. We'll go through the list and eliminate suggestions made by people not yet qualified to suggest books or vote, UNLESS their suggestions seemed to get significant positive feedback from qualified members.
Suggestions that aren't covering a time period at least 100 years ago will be eliminated. Suggestions made by members that have proved themselves to the community will be given more weight than suggestions by new members that don't yet have a history of participating in our book discussions. If you're a new member and this sounds unwelcoming please understand that we have close to a decade of experience with book discussions. We know there are people that are far less likely to participate in the book discussions and we're going to stop giving these people equal weight. If you're new it doesn't take long to earn your position in this group of active and valuable BookTalk.org members.
So what would you like to read in September and October?