That's my question.  Can I mention a book, either only by name or even
a URL to it where it is listed and ask for someone to summarize it for
me in a reply?

Also, what would be a good number to offer? :-)

Thank you.

/Mao

Hi Dustdune ~

There is no problem with your asking for a summary of a book, either
by name ~ or a URL to where it is listed.

I will refer you to the Google Answers "Help & Tips"
   - http://answers.google.com/answers/help.html

and direct your attention to the specifics you are looking for in
order to get the type of answer you are looking for.

That is, do you want:

1. opinions as to whether or not it is useful for a specific purpose,

2. merely a general summary, 

3. a discussion of its salient points, etc.

4. comparison to another book or writing style, etc.

Be as specific as you can to get the answer you want.


Then take the FAQ pricing guidelines into consideration as well:
   - http://answers.google.com/answers/faq.html#cost


If you are looking for my opinion as to pricing: I'd consider the time
it would take YOU to read and digest the book and present a suitable
answer and then price the book accordingly. If it's a substantial book
and you want a really in-depth summary, complete with comparisons,
etc., the $200 figure would be a good price.

The trick is to state exactly what it is that you want, because your
idea of a 'summary' may not be what someone else's idea of a summary
is.

Hope this helps,
Serenata

---

Request for Answer Clarification by dustydune-ga on 23 Jan 2004 02:57 PST

Hello Serenata,

What I'm seeking is #2, a general summary.  I understand the setting a
price would be dependent on how complicated the book might be to
comprehend and to summarize.

So, is that found to be acceptable use of the service?  Does it pose
any copyright issues?

Thank you.

/Dusty

---

Clarification of Answer by serenata-ga on 23 Jan 2004 03:46 PST

There's certainly no problem with asking for a summary in that manner.
Just state clearly what you want.

A summary of a book does not constitute any copyrights.

Serenata

Thanks! :-)

It may be a good idea to look at Amazon in the customer reviews or to
look at the quick notes/cliff notes in case this is a school-related
book.

As to the price, consider that some researchers may have already read
the book and that this is an extremely competitive environment.

Hi again, Dustydune ~

Thank you for your rating and for your tip. That was a nice thing for
you to do, and I wanted you to know it is appreciated.

Thanks again,
Serenata