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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Mark CMG" data-source="post: 5685035" data-attributes="member: 10479">Personal?  The way I am reading them they seem to point out what areas they can speak to, culturally, and point out what seem to be either obvious flaws or outright editing problems, and more than a few mention how little in-depth information is actually given.It doesn't appear that there is anything personal about the reviews.  Let me take a closer look -This review doesn't seem personal but points out how little "American" names are in the book (I suppose to caution writers who might be writing "American" stories and need names for them).  This review mentions a flaw that seems to be mentioned a number of times in other reviews regarding the lack of depth to the explanation of names.  I don't see any axe-grinding here.Is this what you meant by axe-grinding?  That is, when someone mentions (as others do) that the explanations are very light?  Is it that this reviewer seems very annoyed by that "fact?"  If it is true, it would seem justified annoyance and hardly axe-grinding. I suppose it might be that the reviewer was turned down when trying to submit some written work to the publisher but that's had to fathom from the review.This revewer with a Greek background is careful to point out that they have limited expertise but that's hardly making things personal.This reviewer doesn't give a lot of examples so I suppose one could call this personal axe-grinding, particularly if it is the only problem with the book.This reveiwer with a Swedish background seems to give a thoughtful "buyer beware" review.  Does having some background in a particular culture and using that knowledge to backup pointing out the errors in the book count as "personal axe-grinding?"This reviewer with a Japanese background points out flaws only in the one cultural section with which they are familiar which, as per some other reviews above, seems prudent.I wouldn't call this reviewer an axe-grinder but he does get personal by discussing the author rather than the content of the book, insofar as it pertains to help in naming characters for stories, I suppose.  The topic of the lack of many surnames has come up in other reviews so it is hard not to take that seriously, and he does make a good point that there are many, many sources for first names (lots for free online).  This review is one of the least extensive but still manages to make some good points.This is one that keys mainly on the surnames issue but I don't see anything personal involved in the review.Okay, I'm kinda lost on what makes you claim those reviews are about personal axe-grinding.  Can you discuss the points they make, since you have the book, and tell me whether they bear anything to the truth.  I was thinking about getting this book and if you tell me that they are in error regarding the surnames and the cultural errors, I might just pick one up for myself.  I'd hate to get a copy, though, and find out that somehow you dismissed their points only to find they were actually fair assessments of the book and that the good reviews on the site were actually the ones in error.  Thanks in advance for any specific input you can give on these issues.</blockquote>

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