# Books



## Alxmrphi

I think we should have a forum on Books and related language learning material that is to a really good standard.

For example, today I was in _xxxxxxx_ and I saw this book, "_xxxxxxxxxxxxxx_" which I bought because it's it's aimed at "advanced-beginners", which I am and it's not questions and answers but stories in a context that is easy to understand and memorise words from, I am extremely happy with this book and look forward to really getting into it more.

I just thought it would be a good idea if someone else was wanting more information and this being a language learning website, advice on what books to buy, were available.


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## badgrammar

In the Other languages forum there is a resources page, but it is set up with links to resources online, and you can't really give a descriptive or opinion on a particular item, it all goes through a moderator.  You could always contribute to that page (I don't know if it exists in the Italian forum, for example) by sending a link to a merchant who sells the book or to a page with information on it.

I quite agree though that it would be nice to have a resources page where individual foreros could recommend and give their reviews of different works...  Especially since we take a liking to certain foreros and may value certain opinions/learning styles over others.

But I kind of doubt it's going to happen...


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## Alxmrphi

Yeah it seems there is a phobia about brand names and published titles, like people are going to sue others for promoting/bashing their book, you're allowed to on Mamazon.co.uk and on sites like the Shoe york times and scbookstop.com so why wouldn't it be allowed here, I just don't understand.

If someone can give me a suitable explanation I will 100% shut up.


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## Etcetera

I'm afraid discussions of books are too likely to become chatty. If the new forum will be created, it will require a lot of attention from our Mods. And I believe they're having enough on their plate without this new forum.


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## Jana337

Alex, we have a thread "Italian - tips for learning". I agree that it is not really neat because it is kind of all-encompasing (audio, books, beginners, advanced...) but I am highly suspicious that having more threads would do any good.


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## Alxmrphi

What I envisioned was a sub-forum at the bottom here, and the title of every thread had to be a book, plainly listen "Book Title - Author" and only one thread allowed per book and everyone inside that one thread could give their opinions, and possibly have a pole on the usefulness.

I don't mean a big messy forum of repeated questions, just, let's say

"The Secret Of Learning Italian - Jana Dantedóttir"

and inside "I thought it was well written, informally for an easier divulgence into the grammar", "well, I thought what it lacked was the full explanations because it was trying to be so informal and non-threatening to the reader". etc etc.
I just thought it was a good idea and would be a good resource for us all to use.

Not "promoting and advertising" like everyone keeps mentioning, but a level-headed fair comparison on books, reviews written by educated language-learners who can appreciate what a good book is and what isn't.


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## Jana337

> "The Secret Of Learning Italian - Jana Dantedóttir"
> 
> and inside "I thought it was well written, informally for an easier divulgence into the grammar", "well, I thought what it lacked was the full explanations because it was trying to be so informal and non-threatening to the reader". etc etc.
> I just thought it was a good idea and would be a good resource for us all to use.


This reminds me of a certain webpage that features customer reviews. What exactly is the value added of duplicating this valuable service under the auspices of WR?


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## Alxmrphi

badgrammar said:


> I quite agree though that it would be nice to have a resources page where individual foreros could recommend and give their reviews of different works... Especially since we take a liking to certain foreros and may value certain opinions/learning styles over others.




Because we know who wrote the reviews.


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## Jana337

Alex_Murphy said:


> Because we know who wrote the reviews.


The other page has a   system.


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## Alxmrphi

Mi arrendo


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## cherine

Alex_Murphy said:


> Yeah it seems there is a phobia about brand names and published titles, like people are going to sue others for promoting/bashing their book, you're allowed to on Mamazon.co.uk and on sites like the Shoe york times and scbookstop.com so why wouldn't it be allowed here, I just don't understand.
> 
> If someone can give me a suitable explanation I will 100% shut up.


Not to shut you up, but ...
If the forum is advertisment free, and if the WR dictionary -to which this forum is affiliated- has paid advertisment, would it be fair to put free ads in the forum ?
It's not a phobia really, just a fair treatment. How come a site/producer/company... pay for their ads in the dictionary, and find -probably- a competitor's ad posted in the forum for free? Would you like that if you were in their place?


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## maxiogee

Sounds like a great place for me to push the products of my cousin's publishing house. 
How many books am I allowed to 'laud' at one time?
Can I sign up as four different members and congratulate one of my personas on a well-plugged book?
Will I be able to object to people's reviews of my books from my cousin's rivals?


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## Alxmrphi

Well the only aim I ever thought of was introducing good books to members that would be glad to read them, but here comes real-world politics to ruin the day as usual.


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## Jana337

Alex_Murphy said:


> Well the only aim I ever thought of was introducing good books to members that would be glad to read them, but here comes real-world politics to ruin the day as usual.


Books to read? Fiction?
I was hoping you meant textbooks and dictionaries. 
A priceless demonstration of what a can of worms it could turn out to be.


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## Alxmrphi

You _know_ that's what I meant! 

People really can drag out my tongue and tie it in a bow sometimes, lol.


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## badgrammar

Alex_Murphy said:


> Because we know who wrote the reviews.



Precisely!  It would be a wonderful tool...  in Utopia, that great place where  foreros run free, and nothing's ever misconstrued or abused and moderators have nothing to do but lyle (sp?) away the time amid fields of sweet-smelling lilacs and buttercups...!


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## lsp

badgrammar said:


> ...moderators have nothing to do but lyle (sp?) away the time amid fields of sweet-smelling lilacs...



Badgrammar, are you looking for the expression, "*wile* away time"?

Alex, this is a good point that got lost in the usual flotsam and jetsam that always accompany suggestions of this sort: "Because we know who wrote the reviews." And _this_ is a *great* expression: "Drag out my tongue and tie it in a bow."


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## badgrammar

Thanks isp, got lost between lolling and wiling, that was weird.  Liling.  That does not exist.


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## mkellogg

Tony summed up my first thoughts about a book review section in post #12 above. 

He forgot one bullet point though:

Review sites tend to get sued constantly by publishers and authors upset that somebody said something bad about their book.
I'll keep an eye out for some other way to let people recommend books and websites though.


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## Alxmrphi

http://forum.bookreference.com  maybe? LOL


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## maxiogee

badgrammar said:


> …and moderators have nothing to do but lyle (sp?) away the time ...!






lsp said:


> Badgrammar, are you looking for the expression, "*wile* away time"?



Are you both looking for the expression "while away the time", which outscores 'wile away the time' by 111,000:12,400 on a Google Fight 
Surely you don't mean to imply that our Moderators have wiles, or wily attitudes?


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## lsp

maxiogee said:


> Are you both looking for the expression "while away the time"...



The dictionary I had available at the time gave _wile_ as the preferred, _while_ as the accepted.


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## ILT

Off-topic! Off-topic!
I prefer to while away the time as mentioned in our dictionary (here), but I also have wily attitudes every now and then


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## _forumuser_

cherine said:


> Not to shut you up, but ...
> If the forum is advertisment free, and if the WR dictionary -to which this forum is affiliated- has paid advertisment, would it be fair to put free ads in the forum ?
> It's not a phobia really, just a fair treatment. How come a site/producer/company... pay for their ads in the dictionary, and find -probably- a competitor's ad posted in the forum for free? Would you like that if you were in their place?



I think our precious Alex was talking about *advice and recommendation from people you trust*, which happens to be what we base 99% percent of our important decisions on, not "advertising".


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