Help Dr. Berardi

For any of you T-Nationers that have purchase the Scrawny to Brawny book and liked it, go post some positive feedback on Amazon.com.

Apparently there have been some unitelligent reviews of the book posted and he wants those of us who have had success to help him out and post our positive results/reviews.

As a reward, he will send you a free chapter from a new book he is working on if you send him the link to your post.

Help JB, get reward. Cool.

If anything just vote for the nice comments twoards the book. Itll help place one to the top of the page, correct?

Just added a review on Amazon:

"This book contains many unique stretches and exercises. I have been into powerlifting for a while, yet I was still able to pick up many new stretches and exercises. It was also good to see various powerlifting movements being incorporated in a bodybuilding routine (box squats and low bar squat). It allows one to gain muscle, without being all show and no go.

The best part of the book, however, is the nutrition info. John Berardi gives a very reader-friendly description of his unique food combining principles and useful supplements, which, when combined, allows maximal muscle gain with minimal fat gain.

Whether you are a skinny teenager or an experienced powerlifter, you will still pick up many useful information in this book. "

Good luck JB, that was indeed a great book.

Fahd

Do I PM him the link or email him?
Fahd

Was wondering the same…

I just voted for an existing very favorable review.

I only saw one bad review?? and when I checked the other stuff the same guy reviewed, it quickly became clear that he’s a dork?

[quote]fahd wrote:
Do I PM him the link or email him?
Fahd[/quote]

I don’t think he has PM activated. Just go to his webpage and get his e-mail off it. I’d post it here, but it’s not my place to do that.

Isn’t it somewhat shady to be offering a reward in return for your postive review of his book?

[quote]TheJoker wrote:
Isn’t it somewhat shady to be offering a reward in return for your postive review of his book?[/quote]

If the reward is more of his writing it doesn’t seem so shady.

If one didn’t like the book why would they want the reward? It doesn’t seem to encourage dishonesty.

[quote]TheJoker wrote:
Isn’t it somewhat shady to be offering a reward in return for your postive review of his book?[/quote]

Perhaps - I’ll let you be the judge…

I have a list of individuals who bought the book. After a negative review (unjustified) at Amazon, I sent out this email to my list:


I want to start this email off by posting something marginally disturbing.

Below is a recent review of our Scrawny to Brawny at Amazon.com.

“I regret buying this book. It is mainly for someone who can survive on
supplements or soup. Most of the routines and guidelines are very hard to do and you would look silly doing them anywhere people are present! I do no recomend this book!”

Now, for any of you who actually read the book, you’d know that this
reviewer is likely on crack! Soup? Squats and bench presses are silly to do? Uhm, ok.

Heck, I wonder if this reviewer even read the book or has ever exercised
in his life.

But, I guess everyone is titled to his or her own opinion.

So what’s the point of me sending this ONE review to you?

Well, the point is that ignorance, unfortunately, speaks its opinion loud
and often while reason often keeps quiet and shakes its head. And not only do ignorant opinions like this lower the collective intelligence quotient of mankind, they prevent others from getting any better.

Think about it - I’ve received thousands of emails from S2B readers
telling me how the S2B program changed their lives. In fact, right now Im doing an interview series with our S2B stars, individuals who put in the time, comittment, and dedication necessary to reap outstanding results. So I know the program
is one of a kind. And I know that most of you reading this think so too.

But, when someone like you looks for info about the S2B book, the get to
read our friend’s review above and may not pick up the book, even though they
despirately need it.

Sad.

So here’s how I’d like to combat this, with your help, of course:

I’d like you to get on the web and make your opinions heard. Post
your thougts on the book at amazon.com, amazon.ca, one of the
many message boards online, etc.

And when you do, send me the link to your post. For doing me this favor,
I’d like to send you something. I’m working on a new book called Precision
Nutrition and although it’s not yet finished, I’d like to send you a chapter from the book.

The chapter is all about idividualizing your nutritional plan based on your body and your goals. I know you’ll love it!

So, make your voice heard - post your opinion on the web, send the
link to me, and I’ll send you that chapter.

And let me leave you with the words of Plato:

The price good men pay for indifference is to be ruled by evil men.

JB


In the end, it’s the complainers who often make the most noise while the content sit back and are content.

In business, this is a killer. As the web becomes dominated by the complainer, those looking for valued opinions only hear one side.

I asked over 10K folks to share their sides so that both are equally represented.


So, this goes out to the T-nation audience also – if someone is doing something excellent, don’t hesitant to let people know. Whether it’s my book, or T-nation, or CT’s book, or whoever - let both your positive comments and negative be heard.

Certainly complain when it’s justified. But praise too when it’s justified.

That’s the point!

Awwwww, I thought we were going to have to help finally teach him how to tie his own shoes. Dang!

Just messin, I haven’t read the book, but I have followed Get Lifted’s thread pretty closely and from what I can tell it’s all good stuff.

V

[quote]Zap Branigan wrote:
TheJoker wrote:
Isn’t it somewhat shady to be offering a reward in return for your postive review of his book?

If the reward is more of his writing it doesn’t seem so shady.

If one didn’t like the book why would they want the reward? It doesn’t seem to encourage dishonesty.[/quote]

True. However, I think its poor form for an author to request ‘help’ from his audience in this regard.

Had a member of the T-Nation audience noticed this negative review and said ‘hey, lets get the word out’ and Berardi had stepped in to provide a chapter from his upcoming book as appreciation for the act of kindness then I would have been fine with that. But to each his own.

BTW to be clear I’m not anti-Berardi as I have used information from within his articles with great success in the past.

I’m a big fan of Dr. Berardi’s work and of him as a person.

It often seems on the web and in life that people are more eager to present a negative review than a positive review b/c you feel more passion when you’re pissed. For example do you go around jumping for joy when you receive your timely order from Biotest (well some of you might)? But lets say you order from another site and they take your money and don’t ship your order? I’m quite sure you’re steaming mad and much more likely to state your opinion of the site b/c the ardour of your enthusiam (in a negative manner) is much higher.

So quite often people don’t even post their positive reviews b/c they don’t think enough to. But these same people post raving rants of anger to vent or for some unknown reason when they don’t like something or “feel it’s silly.”

For anyone who is curious, I sent posted a review of the book on amazon yesterday morning, and received an email from Dr. JB later that day. It contained a PDF of about 30 pages of his new book.

I will definately be buying that when it comes out as well.

I agree (for once) with Powda. I have had the book for a while and never thought to post comments about it on Amazon even though I was pleased with the purchase. In fact I rarely post comments on there. This gave me an incentive and it helped out someone who has been giving me FREE info on this site for years.

[quote]PharmD Pete wrote:
For anyone who is curious, I sent posted a review of the book on amazon yesterday morning, and received an email from Dr. JB later that day. It contained a PDF of about 30 pages of his new book.

I will definately be buying that when it comes out as well.

I agree (for once) with Powda. I have had the book for a while and never thought to post comments about it on Amazon even though I was pleased with the purchase. In fact I rarely post comments on there. This gave me an incentive and it helped out someone who has been giving me FREE info on this site for years. [/quote]

Thanks! I appreciate it!

You have about 82 reviews, and over 70 of them are 5 stars or more, but there’s nothing wrong with that, as I’m sure its a good book.

A couple things about amazon.com
There are always contrarians. Go to the White Album, or any famous book (I’m talking about books like Ulysees (no, I can’t spell).) Sort it by comments, and read the lowest comments. They are hilarious, and well written, its just that they have such polar opposite tastes to classic works.

Also, it came out, mabey a year ago, when Amazon had a glitch in its reviewing system, that it was common for authors and their friends to write favourable reviews of their books, and negative reviews of competitors.

Yup saw that with Robert Jordan…a certain author competitor of his was caught posting negative stuff on all his books - mind you I find that pretty funny!

You do not have to elicite support. Your material will stand on it own, after a month or two good reviews will come in on their own.

[quote]TheJoker wrote:
I think its poor form for an author to request ‘help’ from his audience in this regard.[/quote]

What ‘help’ are you referring to?

If you still think he offered a reward for a positive review, you are mistaken.

Read his post more carefully. He asked for opinions.