Cover for California: On the Edge of American History

The First Ten Focus Group Feedback for California: On the Edge of American History

Because California: On the Edge of American History was Book of the Day, some of our most trusted members have carefully looked over the cover, the description, and other aspects of this book as a part of purchase-intent focus group. We then asked each participant in the focus group if they planned to buy and read the book, and why they planned to buy and read the book or not. Their answer to that question and reasons are displayed below. We call this awesome feature The First Ten Focus Group.

Keep in mind, the responses from the members are not reviews. This is purchase-intent focus group which means the participants are people who have NOT yet bought or read your book. A purchase-intent focus group is an important and extremely useful marketing tool for any product, not just books. For other products, you might walk on the street and show people an item in a package and poll them about whether they would buy if or $X or not. These kind of focus groups are one of the ways big marketing companies find the ideal price points for products and test the effectiveness of different packaging. The focus group can help you identify your market so you how to target ads of your book, and it can (but may not) provide you new useful info about your "packaging" (e.g. your book cover, your book synopsis on Amazon, etc.). The point of the focus group comments is to give you information from people who have not bought or read your book about why they plan to buy your book which will help you in marketing the book. These are not reviews or critiques of your book because they are not from people have read the book. This is a marketing tool, not reviews. The trick of book marketing and book advertising is that you have to convince people who have not read your book yet that your book is worth buying and reading. For marketing, it doesn't matter much if people love your book after reading it if you cannot convince potential buyers before they read it that they will love it.

IMPORTANT: Any score over 10% is considered very good. And any score above 0% is acceptable. This is because we only poll about 20 or so readers, and all readers have to say "no" to almost all books. Over a million books are published each year. Even a very active reader cannot come close to even reading 1% of books out there.

This is also why publishing books is such a tough industry.

briellejee

Based on the cover and the title, I wouldn't have sampled the book since I am not someone who is keen on these kinds of things of different countries. California, as a country, does not interest me to be reading its history. However, after reading the first few pages, I find the diversity of such country intriguing and amazing. The talk of diversity doesn't limit itself in people but also of the fauna and flora present. I also liked how the author posed questions to the readers and didn't go on rambling and throwing facts like most non-fiction books. The questions make it engaging and fun to read. The mention of it being a powerhouse economy also had my attention, especially when it mentioned their products like the poultry ranches. Overall, the book isn't as dull as I think it would be. However, this genre and the topic isn't my cup of tea. Thus, I'm not going to read the rest of the book. I would recommend this though to history book enthusiasts. There were no noticeable errors and the official OBC review seems helpful enough in deciding whether to read this book or not.

First Ten review added on October 24, 2018, at 4:56 am by briellejee.

Do you plan to read the whole book? No

Vickie Noel

The textbook nature of this book wouldn't have enticed me into reading it. I'm not also curious enough to want to know more about California so I wouldn't have read it outside the program. Even after sampling a few pages, there's no indication that I'd continue. Yet, I did learn a few things like marijuana being one of the most lucrative, though illegal sources of income, such that law enforcement were reluctant in controlling it. I also chuckled when I read, "Sonoma County is the leading producer, with Petaluma claiming to be the “World’s Egg Basket” because of their major chicken egg production. I didn't spot any grammatical errors. Nonetheless, I won't be reading this book for its sheer length and textbook-y nature. The OBC review, though praiseworthy, didn't stimulate my desire towards it.

First Ten review added on October 24, 2018, at 4:54 am by Vickie Noel.

Do you plan to read the whole book? No

a9436

As a history lover I was drawn to this book, especially as, due to the Euro-centric nature of my studies, I do not know much about California. The preface, in which the author's aim to capture the history of the people, rather than just the leaders, was stated, was encouraging to me, as were the inclusion of imperial to metric conversions, without which I would have struggled to understand the significance of data on the opening pages. Unfortunately though, there were a number of grammatical errors, from the inconsistent use of quotation marks to the use of, "important," instead of, "importantly." Whilst the subject matter was interesting, these errors in combination with the informal style of writing meant that I found the book difficult to read, and led me to doubt its accuracy overall. I am sad to say that I will therefore not be finishing California: On the Edge of American History.

First Ten review added on October 24, 2018, at 3:57 am by a9436.

Do you plan to read the whole book? No

Gravy

I would not have looked at this book. The genre doesn't interest me, and nothing I knew about it changed that.

I would believe that this was professionally edited, though there were some errors (the singular "part" being used when it should have been "parts" and missing spaces between words. There were also repeated facts; Mount Whitney's height was included multiple times in just a few pages.
Nothing about the sample changed my opinion of it, so I won't be continuing.
I would also note that a book claiming to be a fact based historical text should be as unbiased as possible. It shouldn't be strongly influenced by the author's opinions. The whole of what I read is very obviously colored by the opinions of the author, be it about climate change, or protections against clear cutting forests.

This book is most certainly not for me.
There was a review for this book, but it having one or not in no way affects my opinion.

First Ten review added on October 24, 2018, at 3:35 am by Gravy.

Do you plan to read the whole book? No

Annelore Trujillo

I would not have sampled this book without this program. I rarely read non-fiction books, and a book about the history of California did not seem interesting to me. The Amazon blurb and OBC review would not have changed by mind about reading the book. After reading the first ten pages, I won't be finishing this book. It reads like a textbook. For example, the first section of the first chapter is titled "Geography". It then talks about the land forms, the mountains, and the different regions of California. I don't really like learning about geography, especially about the geography of a state that isn't particularly important in my life. I also would not have the time to finish this book as it is very long. Finally, the book did not seem to be professionally edited. For example, in the Introduction, the dashes around "signal events and their dates" are inconsistent. Also, in the foreward there are several punctuation errors as well as a missing space in "the wars". In the first chapter, the list for the education system is improperly punctuated. These errors all tell me that the book wasn't edited, and I don't like to read books that aren't edited. I did like the map at the beginning of the first chapter.

First Ten review added on October 24, 2018, at 3:20 am by Annelore Trujillo.

Do you plan to read the whole book? No

va2016

The title and the cover indicates the theme of the book very well. The Amazon summary of the book motivates me to read the book. There are 19 Amazon customer reviews with an average rating of 4 out of 5 stars. Based on these factors, I would have sampled the book even if not for the First Ten program. As I sampled through the book, I found the book pretty detailed about California. The book starts with two maps of California, and then the geography, history and the natives details before the European settlements (before 1768). These details really impressed me, and I am going to read this book in full to learn thoroughly about California. I found the book to be professionally edited, and I didn't find any grammatical and mechanical errors. What I liked most about the book are the details and information. I could not find anything that can be improved with the book. I found several OBC reviews on the book, but my decision to read the book in full is based on my own sampling.

First Ten review added on October 24, 2018, at 1:29 am by va2016.

Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!

Sicily Joy

I would have sampled the book based on the cover, description and the official review as I like learning about different states and their history. However, after sampling the book I don't think I will buy or read it in the near future. It was hard for me to get interested in the book as it was very dry and academic especially since it focused on the geography in the first chapter. I think the book could be improved if there was a focus on the people of Calfornia or politics at the beginning instead of geography and the economy. I did like that the beginning clearly outlines the questions that the book is attempting to answer such as talking about the various economic resources and the diverse population. I also liked that the book had quotes from Californians throughout. There were no errors and I believe it was professionally edited,

First Ten review added on October 23, 2018, at 11:37 pm by Sicily Joy.

Do you plan to read the whole book? No

Fu Zaila

I have no idea about the American history or about California, neither am I interested in reading about it. The sample was well-written, and going by the foreword, it seems to be well-researched too. I loved what Mr. Dooley said about history, and felt like his opinion was correctly expressed, with accent and all. There wasn't anything to particularly dislike, but I felt like the book was written in a scholarly manner. There weren't any grammar errors, but I noticed two case of missing spaces - in "The period between thewars" and also in "Americanhistoriography." It makes me think that it might have not been edited professionally. I won't be reading the book any further since I'm not interested in non-fiction.

First Ten review added on October 23, 2018, at 11:06 pm by Fu Zaila.

Do you plan to read the whole book? No

Heidi M Simone

Without this program, I would not have sampled this book. The cover, title, genre, and blurb all remind me of a textbook. Essentially, this is stated in the OBC review, and I don't enjoy lengthy textbooks. Even with its positive reviews, including the OBC one, I still would not have sampled this book. While reading, I did not see any glaring mistakes. Right from the beginning, the author seems to know a lot about California, its mountains and its counties. However, there is way too much information for me to be able to focus and learn. There's talk about mountain ranges, regions, marijuana, wineries, animals, industries, banking, agriculture, fossilized extinct species, and so much more. All these topics don't really seem organized and is more of a laundry-list of facts. Also, I personally don't enjoy a book that asks me several questions right from the beginning. This is what happened in chapter one of this book. It becomes too much to think about all at once. Therefore, due to the overwhelming amount of information, I do not plan on reading the rest of this book.

First Ten review added on October 23, 2018, at 10:27 pm by Heidi M Simone.

Do you plan to read the whole book? No

KRay93

The cover design could have used some extra work, but that does not stop it from being appropriate for a history book. The review highlights the large number of documents and first-hand testimonies that support the content of this book. The first ten pages introduce the history of California from its origins to 1768, especially in what concerns geography, climate, and the geological history of the region. The prose is sufficiently fluid and appropriate for an informative book, while the editing looks acceptable at first glance. Since the theme of this non-fictional book simply does not result from my interest, I am afraid I will not continue reading it.

First Ten review added on October 23, 2018, at 8:50 pm by KRay93.

Do you plan to read the whole book? No

RebeccasReading

This is not a book I would have normally read. I don't have a strong interest in California. After reading the sample, my opinion has changed. I really like the author's approach. He emphasizes that he believes history about the stories of everyday people. I agree with that point of view. I like reading stories about the various people who make up a society. The one thing I recommend for improvement is the first sentence of Chapter 1. It is structured very awkwardly and doesn't get the book off to a strong start. It seems to be professionally edited.

First Ten review added on October 23, 2018, at 8:13 pm by RebeccasReading.

Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!

Samantha Simoneau

Prior to sampling this book, the title interested me. I am fascinated with American history and history in general. The blurb further supports my interest, especially phrases like "masterly historical research." The reviews are somewhat mixed, with people saying it's "politically biased" and "bloated" with detail." Sounds like it might be informative but dry. The foreword sounds really biased about the book, the author, and especially California. The opening paragraph is gushing - and subjective. I don't believe there should be a comma between "G-8" and "of." There shouldn't be a semicolon between "diversity" and "all." There is a missing space between 2 words: "thewars." There's a missing comma between "Russell" and "as." There shouldn't be a comma between "(1934)" and "radical." At this point, the many errors in the foreword make me worry about the overall editing quality of the entire book. There's a missing comma between "Sinclair" and "as." There should be a comma between "years" and "and." There's another missing space: "Americanhistoriography." The foreword is not putting the best foot forward for this book - no pun intended. There should be a comma between "teacher" and "my." I don't believe "students'" should be possessive. The length and spacing of dashes are inconsistent. There should be a comma between "paper" and "I." At this point, I have no confidence in this book. It's poorly edited, and that poor attention to detail undermines anything the author has to say and would make me question his accuracy. I believe this book requires more attention - at least to make a better first impression. I wouldn't download this if it was free, and I certainly wouldn't for almost $10.

First Ten review added on October 23, 2018, at 8:00 pm by Samantha Simoneau.

Do you plan to read the whole book? No

Kareka88

I would not have read this book if it were not for first ten, mostly for the sheer fact of its size. I read an excellent review on OnlineBookClub that explained the premise of the book as well as the fact that it is an extensive book. The history of California would be fascinating, but I will pass on this one because again, the size of it and the academic tone. I think this would be an excellent textbook for history. I did not notice any grammatical errors in the sample. I agree with the author that the topography of California is very diverse. There are deserts, beaches, mountains, and forests. My favorite area of California is the northern coast. Most people like the sandy beaches to lay out and get sun. I prefer the rocky shores of the north with the tide crashing into the rocks. The technical aspect of the book turned me off, but I'm sure some readers would enjoy the facts and figures.

First Ten review added on October 23, 2018, at 6:21 pm by Kareka88.

Do you plan to read the whole book? No

Sharill Rasowo

If I had not read the sample, I probably would not have read the book. The official OnlineBookClub review confirmed that the book was long, which would require a time commitment. Reading the sample, I could see that the book was well structured. It begins by discussing the diverse background of California from its people to the topography. It gets a bit complicated as figures are discussed and to be honest, I zoned out a bit. I would not buy and read this book as I am not interested in the history of California nor do I have the ability to commit to it. The few pages I read did not have any typos so I think it was professionally edited.

First Ten review added on October 23, 2018, at 3:15 pm by Sharill Rasowo.

Do you plan to read the whole book? No

Chelsy Scherba

As a lover of history, I find this book appealing. I like that this author also loves history and tries to make it more appealing to everyone by talking more about people and culture than simply government and leadership figures. The fact he liked to act out parts of history for his students is fun too. The book itself has lots of detail and information. It would take a long time to read thoroughly, but be rewarding. I like the maps and illustrations. The review mentioned this book is used by some schools in California and I agree the text is professionally edited. I will read the rest in the future.

First Ten review added on October 23, 2018, at 3:12 pm by Chelsy Scherba.

Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!

Nelsy Mtsweni

I would have chosen to read the book because I want to learn more about California. Having sampled the book and read the review, I found the book to be very informative, and so , I am planning on reading the book entirely. The book discusses the ancient history of California and the events that have shaped the area. Ronald Genini shares different stories, and covers (I think) everything there is to know about California. I loved reading the Tales of Cortez, and his well-known search for the City of Gold (El Dorado). It was very amusing to read about this mythical ruler who covered himself in gold from head to toe each morning and watched it off in a sacred lake each evening. I did not notice any editorial errors with the book. Thanks.

First Ten review added on October 23, 2018, at 3:11 pm by Nelsy Mtsweni.

Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!

Alice Heritage

I sampled this when I considered reviewing it and thought it looked interesting but it was too long for me to be able to review in the time frame then required. I will read the rest of it because I did think it seemed interesting. It also appears professionally edited as I did not notice any errors in the sample. What I liked best was that the author's enthusiasm for history is infectious. He quotes "Mr Dooley" who said that he would believe in Greece or Rome if he was taught about people getting drunk or running up debts with grocers, and stresses that he focuses on the history of people rather than of leaders. I think that that will make for compelling reading. I was frustrated that the maps were too tiny to see on my Kindle but maybe they would be more visible on another device. I have seen an OnlineBookClub review of this book, which confirmed that it is worth reading.

First Ten review added on October 23, 2018, at 1:43 pm by Alice Heritage.

Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!

Sahani Nimandra

California: On the Edge of American History by Ronald Genini is a historical information guide about the past of California. The author was an experienced highly school history teacher that lead her career as a history lecturer in collage. The author provides details in great length which is evident in the official review and the book. This read is divided into 6 parts, each organised according to a series of chronological events. I didn't encounter any hindrances while reading. As an introductory approach the author provides a map illustration of California for the reader's aide in understanding her work. The cover illustration carries a loud volume related to the topic. I'm not an avid reader who appreciates text book reads, therefore, I wish to pass this read.

First Ten review added on October 23, 2018, at 12:14 pm by Sahani Nimandra.

Do you plan to read the whole book? No

micoleon13

While this is an interesting enough cover page, it looks very much like a school history book, so I would not choose it to read. The OnlineBookClub review was complementary but it did point out that it was a very long detailed book that was difficult to get through, and that it was used as a educational book. It did not change my original opinion. The pages which I read were well written and edited, however, the foreword and the preface did drag. While it was nice to get a bit of an idea about the author, his passion for history, and passing this on to his students through his teaching style, it just reinforced the fact that it was not a book that I would be interested in. I am not going to continue reading it and I have no ideas for improvement.

First Ten review added on October 23, 2018, at 8:01 am by micoleon13.

Do you plan to read the whole book? No

OloladeO

Based on the cover and title, I wouldn't have read the sample as I am not interested in the history of California. From the sample, it starts with California's geography. The author stated that if California were a separate country, it would have the world's seventh largest economy. Californians are strikingly diverse, in no way homogeneous as much as the land that produced such variety in its habitats. California's diversity reveals itself in topography, climate, population, density, flora, fauna & industry and the author states that if anyone doubts the state's almost infinite variety, let him or her take the aerial tramway near Palm Springs. The rider would see many zoological and botanical zones and may notice the great variations as if in geological layers. The book seems professionally edited. The OBC gave it a perfect rating, but advised that the author splits the book into multi-volumes because the book is lengthy in nature. As for me, the book's length is a major turn off plus, I am not interested in the history genre.

First Ten review added on October 23, 2018, at 3:54 am by OloladeO.

Do you plan to read the whole book? No

ObsessedBookNerd

If I had not read the first ten pages of the book as part of the program then I wouldn't have read the book based on the title, cover, genre, blurb or reviews. I don't like reading non-fiction or have much interest in reading about California.I am not going to buy or read the whole book because it's not the type of book I like to read; it is very long, I greatly dislike reading non-fiction,and I don't want to read about the history of California. The book seems professionally edited and I found no spelling or grammatical errors. There wasn't really anything I enjoyed reading about the book. During the first ten pages of the book I zoned out because it is mostly facts, history, and information about California. It talks in the preface/introduction chapters about how it is the most populous state and the greatest pop culture influence of any place on Earth. It talks about the gold rush, ports and its geological variety. The book continues at part 1 where it talks about the origin ( from the beginning to 1768). The first chapter is about the land and people prior to European settlement. I don't like reading the book because it is mostly just facts about California;like the type of geography, things grown there, the different/popular companies, surveys taken throughout the years, the cities, etc. This book is not for me and I found it very boring/uninteresting.

First Ten review added on October 23, 2018, at 1:44 am by ObsessedBookNerd.

Do you plan to read the whole book? No

Mercelle

Judging by the cover, I wasn't going to read this book, and the OBC review dampened my hopes even further when it mentioned that this is a book about the history of California. When I read the first ten pages, I liked that the author posed a question asking who a true Californian is, and answered by saying that anyone who lives in the state is a Californian. As I noticed no errors, I'll conclude that the text underwent professional editing, but I won't read the rest of the book because it doesn't appeal to me. As it is, there's nothing I would change about the bit I read.

First Ten review added on October 23, 2018, at 12:48 am by Mercelle.

Do you plan to read the whole book? No

Catherine Hsu

If I had not read the sample, I would have read the book. I live in California so I think it would be interesting to learn about it. After reading the sample, I have not changed my mind for the same reason. I liked how the book began out broadly, mentioning Hollywood, San Francisco, and the University of California system as important factors for California's economy. It was professionally edited. I did not read the official review but that did not affect my decision.

First Ten review added on October 22, 2018, at 11:22 pm by Catherine Hsu.

Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!

Scerakor

From the cover, blurb, and review of this book, I wouldn’t have read it. I'm just not that interested in a specific state's history considering that I'm Canadian. After reading the first ten pages I didn’t change my mind and therefore will not be buying and reading the rest of this book. I did like the powerful message that the book is portraying. California is a state with incredible history and, within the sample, it showed how it is very important from the Spanish settlers to the natives that originally inhabited the area. I was particularly interested to hear that California, were it a separate country, would have the seventh largest economy. That being said, I'm really not that interested in California's history and am not interested in reading all about it. I didn’t see anything specific that I would have wanted to change within the sample that I read, but it did seem well written and edited. The official review did not affect my decision at all.

First Ten review added on October 22, 2018, at 10:43 pm by Scerakor.

Do you plan to read the whole book? No

CinWin

The cover of "California: On the Edge of American History" by Ronald Genini showed exactly what the book is about. I liked the transparency. I read the first 10 pages. It stated that California is diverse both in the geography and the people. The geography of each region was then covered, as well as how people derive their income from the various land types. This is the most comprehensive book on the history of California I have ever seen. The table of contents shows that it starts before man and ends at the recent turn of the century. I enjoyed reading the sample because it did not read like a history book. The author made the contents very interesting. However, I, personally, won't be finishing it. I think it would make a great reference book for anyone wanting to know anything about California. There were no typos and there was an onlinebookclub review.

First Ten review added on October 22, 2018, at 10:28 pm by CinWin.

Do you plan to read the whole book? No

JHuschle519

Based on the name and genre of this book, I would not have chosen to read a sample of it. Books such as these are sometimes great for research purposes, but in my opinion, reading them from start to finish can be boring. If someone is a huge history buff, they may have a different opinion. I read through the foreword, preface, acknowledgements, and the first ten pages of the first chapter. There was nothing in these pages that changed my mind about wanting to read the whole book. The foreword section was especially difficult to read because of run on sentences and other grammatical issue. One such example of this is “thewars,” instead of “the wars.” Mostly, I just found myself getting bored while reading it, because I had no reason to be researching the history of California.

I will say that the author appears to have done a lot of research, and they do appear to be an authority on the subject. If I did need to research something specific about California’s history, I would trust this book to give me the correct information. I just wish it had been more interesting for the casual reader.

First Ten review added on October 22, 2018, at 10:26 pm by JHuschle519.

Do you plan to read the whole book? No

FictionLover

I would not have read this book based on the the title or genre. The cover is interesting, but I am not interested in a straight history book. The OBC review was very positive, and made me want to give it a read, but I wasn't expecting to change my mind, and I didn't. I normally don't read history books. . . I was surprised to see that the forward had several grammatical errors. The following run-on sentence has a spacing error, a missing comma (after Russell) and a closed quote instead of an open quote. "The period between thewars, when California was seen, in the words of philosopher Bertrand Russell as ”the ultimate segregation of the unfit” and by California gubernatorial candidate (1934), radical novelist Upton Sinclair as a haven for swindlers and hucksters, was only a decade or so before Ron Genini was born in Oakland." The rest of what I read seemed professionally edited, but there were so many lists, and so many commas, I might have missed one. . . . The descriptions of the redwoods and the forests of Humbolt and Del Norte counties was engaging, but not enough to make me want to read through the ongoing descriptions of California's physical regions. . . . I thought this was going to be a "people's history", but I don't know many people who go around reciting long lists of forests and fisheries. I found the author's style a bit dry and lacking any personal connections.

First Ten review added on October 22, 2018, at 10:22 pm by FictionLover.

Do you plan to read the whole book? No

Seraphia Bunny Sparks

After reading a few pages of, California: On the Edge of American History by Ronald Genini, I have decided that I will not read this book. When I first saw the cover of this book, I didn't think it would be a good fit for me. This book looked like a non-fiction novel, and I don't read a lot of non-fiction. The length of this book leads me to believe that this book is very detailed. As I read the blurb, my interest is not piqued. This book sounds like an avid historian would enjoy reading this book. I, personally, have never been interested in the history of California so I don't think this book would be a good fit for me. If I had not read a sample of this book, I would not have picked it up. As I read a few pages of this book, my interest is not piqued. The author spends a lot of time going into detail about the book. The author speaks on why they chose to write the book, those who came before him and the uniqueness of California as a state and its history. I honestly wanted to go to the table of contents and pick the parts that might interest me. There are parts of this book that I might find interesting, but the book as a whole I do not. I think the book would benefit from being broken up. I know the author is full of information from his research, but I feel it's too much. Based on what I have read this book appears to be professionally edited. This book does have an official OnlineBookClub review. The reviewer speaks positively of this book and piques my interest a bit. As the reviewer speaks on the Indians, the settlers who later came, and the Gold Rush, my interest is piqued. I'm just not keen on "swimming" through all of this book to get to those parts. I will put this book on my to-be-read shelf for later, but as of right now I will not be reading. Overall, this book is not a good fit for me.

First Ten review added on October 22, 2018, at 8:23 pm by Seraphia Bunny Sparks.

Do you plan to read the whole book? No

CataclysmicKnight

I was born in Chicago, moved to Florida for a while, then back to Chicago before moving to Tennessee. I finally ended up in Indiana where I've been for over 10 years. I've been to California once in my life and it was to visit Disney Land as a very young child. As such, I really don't have any interest in California as a state, just like I really don't for most of the states in the US. I wouldn't have checked this out if it wasn't the book of the day.

I had a little hope when the Amazon description mentioned discussing history; I love tales of the wild west, the gold rush, etc. But the first ten pages so far have basically been a combination of an ad trying to get people to visit California and a textbook. It's bounced back and forth a bit from dry facts and painting a rather beautiful picture. While I learned a fair amount about the state and how varied it is I also found myself completely losing focus when looking at pages that are essentially just a list of facts about distances, elevations, and types of fish caught. Speaking of which, the only error I found was a reference to Death Valley being listed as "s282 feet" elevation, which should be "-282 feet". As such, I don't see finishing this book.

First Ten review added on October 22, 2018, at 7:36 pm by CataclysmicKnight.

Do you plan to read the whole book? No

revna01

The Online Book Club reviewer said this book was professionally edited and that was my impression as well, considering I found no mistakes in the first ten pages. I love that the author explains his passion for history, stemming back to the fourth grade, and that he has taught high school history for over 20 years! He also describes his family's story as being woven into California's history. The author's writing style is concise and easy to read while still sounding professional. I like the title and the cover art as well. For its genre, there is nothing I didn't like about the first ten pages. I will definitely keep this book on hand as a resource should the need arise, but won't actually sit down and read it in its entirety because I am not from California, so my interest isn't especially piqued about the state's history.

First Ten review added on October 22, 2018, at 6:29 pm by revna01.

Do you plan to read the whole book? No

JuliaKay

The title and cover of this book aren't very exciting for me, and it doesn't look professional or do anything to draw my attention. I did, however, like the description of the book that was in the blurb and reviews, and I am drawn to the history of U.S. territories, so I do think that this book could be interesting. My fear is that it could be boring. I would have at least chosen to sample this book even without this program. My first impression from the first ten pages was that the person reading this will need a very long attention span. There was a rather long forward, preface, and acknowledgment section. The first chapter talks about the land and people of what is now California prior to European settlement. The book describes California as being diverse, particularly in its people and landscape. There is an overview of California's geography, which was slightly boring for me. It speaks of the Redwood Empire, the Napa Valley, mountain ranges, and so forth, and then the book moves on to prehistoric California. I really thought that this book would begin with the indigenous people of California and how they lived and then talk about the European settlers and how they came to California and took the land. I was disappointed by the long geographic description which pretty much took up the first ten pages and left me pessimistic about the rest of the book. I do like the quotes that are woven into the book though as that gives me an idea of what the settlers were thinking of the state of California. The second chapter talks about the aboriginal people. Learning that about only 130,000 Native Americans out of the 50-100 million in North and South America surprised me because California is such a large territory with a lot to offer. There is a description of the tribes and the languages they spoke, but I would like to have known more about why not a lot of Native Americans settled here. The first ten pages do not appear to have any technical errors, and this book does seem like it was professionally edited. I do think that the writing, while extremely informational, was not very captivating. I do not plan on reading the rest of this book.

First Ten review added on October 22, 2018, at 6:28 pm by JuliaKay.

Do you plan to read the whole book? No

ladycraic

I would not have chosen to sample California apart from First Ten. While I do end up enjoying most of the history reads I pick up, I do find the prospect of beginning a new, strictly factual historical book daunting. That was one factor that led to my initial hesitance of reading. In addition, I didn't have a burning desire to learn specifically about California out of the other 49 states. On the other hand, the blurb seemed very promising. The way it explained the goal of this book appealed to me, interest-wise. It reinforced the rich history of California, such a history that astounds pioneers and scholars. I think the coolest part of the blurb would be the last sentence. It provided an incentive to read - for some reason, I was curious to learn of California's secrets! The first ten pages moved slowly, seeing as there was a lot of factual content to take in. But I enjoyed it. I liked learning little nuggets of information that I would have otherwise never bothered to learn on my own. For example, the extreme diversities in not only the residents of California, but in also the landscapes and terrains. In addition, I learned that California has big fisheries - that's pretty cool! I would like to, at some point, finish this book. This book seemed professionally edited and I didn't notice any grammatical errors.

First Ten review added on October 22, 2018, at 5:47 pm by ladycraic.

Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!

Yoli García

I would have sampled this book on my own because I am a historian. In addition to that, one of my Spanish ancestors went to live in California around 1906, so I would like to learn more about the state. The OBC review confirmed that this is a well-researched book. After I read the sample pages, I thought the book was professionally edited. I liked that the author had a 34-year-long career as a respected history teacher in the state of California. I also liked that it has several chapters about the period I want to learn more about. I will read the book because I think it might help me learn more about life in California from 1905 to 1920.

First Ten review added on October 22, 2018, at 5:31 pm by Yoli García.

Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!

MsTri

When I saw this cover and title, I thought this book would be of a genre I dislike. The Amazon synopsis and OBC review (the only one I read) both confirmed my initial thoughts. I just have zero interest in history and/or geography, so I don't care to read about California's in particular. I'm really not even interested in its modern goings-on. Because of my distaste, I had trouble getting through the sample, but at least it seemed to be professionally edited. The one thing that I did like about it was the quotes, especially the quote by Tommy Reynolds, Stuart Magolin, and Jerry Ripelle from "Day After Day". Even though I will not finish reading this tome, I have no suggestions for changes because it is written well for its genre.

First Ten review added on October 22, 2018, at 5:26 pm by MsTri.

Do you plan to read the whole book? No

kfwilson6

American History is one of my least favorite subjects, and the fact that the OBC reviewer indicated this is a dense, time-consuming read makes this an instant pass for me. California also holds no particular interest for me as I have never even visited the state.
After reading the sample, I am content to say I will not be reading any further. As I suspected, California's history holds no appeal for me. I was absolutely bored with the sample. In the preface, Genini throws out several names as if the reader should be familiar with the people he references. Then the first part of the book discusses the geographical makeup of California. I cannot imagine a more boring introduction to the state. The entire sample sounds like a high schooler's report written in such a manner as to meet a specified list of criteria (geography, minerals, vegetation, etc.) It is obvious from some of the things Genini writes that he really loves his home state. However, I am not at all interested in learning what he has to share. At least the book appears to be professionally edited. I only noticed one error, an unnecessary apostrophe: "This not only made my class popular but resulted in students' enjoying and learning history..."

First Ten review added on October 22, 2018, at 5:04 pm by kfwilson6.

Do you plan to read the whole book? No

Laura Ungureanu

"California: On the Edge of American History" presents the importance of California in great detail. The history, economic, and political details are gold to anyone passionate about California. Part one of the book presents the origin of the American state. I like the way the author treats California like it is the best country in the world, it makes me want to live there. Unfortunately, if I am not American I don't see the point in opening this book and reading it. So I wouldn't have tried this book out without this program. I found a typo in the foreword: "The period between thewars"

First Ten review added on October 22, 2018, at 4:07 pm by Laura Ungureanu.

Do you plan to read the whole book? No

Kendra M Parker

I don’t much care for history books in general, so this was not on my reading list, even though i had seen it before. The official review certainly makes it sound like one of the best history texts on California, though. Still, that isn’t quite enough to make me want to read the book. As I read the first ten pages, I found at least one typo. Location 59 has an issue where two words, the and wars, are squished together into Thewars. The amount of introductory material alone is almost enough to put me off this book, but I did like the author’s use of the quote from Our Times to explain his approach to history. I’m not that interested in California history, but that is the approach that would make me at least consider a history book. I will pass for now, but if I ever need to know more about California, I will keep it in mind.

First Ten review added on October 22, 2018, at 3:58 pm by Kendra M Parker.

Do you plan to read the whole book? No

Sonya Nicolaidis

I've come across this book quite fortuitously, as I am about to take my first trip to California and want to find out a little more than what the guidebooks offer. This book is rich in detail, topographical and historical that I crave, so I'll definitely be reading it to the end. The first pages deal mostly with the landforms, different regions, climate, farming and environment, and also touches on the economic contributions of each area, which might put off a lot of readers looking for an immediate launch into the history. I was most interested in the author's comments about the illegal but rife largescale farming of marijuana on the North Coast. Editing, done by the Author's wife, seems professional - I only came across a couple of words with no spaces in between in the Foreword (Pg59 - thewars; Pg59-Americanhistiography). I am really looking forward to discovering more in these pages.

First Ten review added on October 22, 2018, at 3:29 pm by Sonya Nicolaidis.

Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!

Julie Green

I would not choose to read the book based on the title and cover; the font and images look dated, making me think that the content will also be out of date. It gives the book the feel of an old school reference book such as those I might find in a library. Having read the opening pages, I will still not be buying the book.
There are lots of dry facts and statistics e.g. the Redwood trees stretch across 10-30 miles rising to a height of 3000 feet. These kind of statistics may be useful as part of a reference book, but a little more commentary would add to the interest. One good example of commentary that I did spot is the reference to the protests raised at any suggestion that the cable car be removed, due to the importance of the tourism sector.
There are also quite a few lists e.g. the kinds of fish caught or names of technology companies located in the region; these lists add to the dryness of the content.
I only spotted one grammatical error; on the first page it states: "...the way history was Traditionally written..."

First Ten review added on October 22, 2018, at 3:13 pm by Julie Green.

Do you plan to read the whole book? No

Cristina Chifane

If it hadn't been for the first ten program, I wouldn't have come across this book since I was not looking for a book on Californian history these days. Although I like the title, I would have chosen a different cover. The book benefits from good editorial reviews, but I am worried about some of the customer reviews alluding to the overload of historical details and the politically biased comments. I noticed two missing blank spaces in the foreword: "The period between thewars [...]" (loc. 56) and "This is a valuable contribution to Americanhistoriography." (loc. 65). I liked the author's intention to make history more accessible and his sharing his experiences as a history teacher. I am glad he aims at being more a "people's historian rather then a historian's historian." The conversational tone makes readers more comfortable and ready to tune in with the author's stories on California's diversity and tumultuous history. Unfortunately, the style changes abruptly with a series of strict geographical information. The OBC reviewer mentions the fact that the reading process can be tiresome at times because of the book's length. Perhaps I would have read it if it had been shorter and better organized.

First Ten review added on October 22, 2018, at 2:50 pm by Cristina Chifane.

Do you plan to read the whole book? No

bookowlie

I normally like learning more about U.S. states, but I don't like reading books that are overly long (500+ pages). Since this book is 626 pages, I wouldn't have sampled it on my own. The Amazon blurb is well written with no errors. However, it has a disjointed feel due there being too many line breaks between the paragraphs. The sample pages are interesting, particularly the Preface where the author explained his research sources and his love of history in his childhood. The first chapter is jam-packed with historical information and I felt like I was reading a textbook. There are several 4-star OBC reviews, including one that mentions the writing style is easy to understand. Still, the textbook feel and length of the book put me off a bit. As a result, I am not interested in reading further.

First Ten review added on October 22, 2018, at 1:55 pm by bookowlie.

Do you plan to read the whole book? No

ritah

Based on the title and genre, I wouldn't have sampled the book because it did not appeal to me. I read the official review and then sampled California: On the Edge of American History. I liked the quotes found in the book as they were interesting to read i.e 'Such room of sea! Such room of sky! Such room to draw a soul-full breath.' - Joaquin Miller, and 'Make no mistake stranger-San Fransisco is west as all hell.'- Bernard de Voto. I did not find any errors in the pages I read. However, I won't be reading the rest of the book because the subject/ content is not for me.

First Ten review added on October 22, 2018, at 12:39 pm by ritah.

Do you plan to read the whole book? No

cpru68

The opening pages of this show the expertise that this author has regarding the history and geography of California. With his background as a history teacher and having grown up in the state, he has given readers an in-depth look into the diversity that exists in this region of America. I found myself learning as I was reading about a part of the country I think I had a certain mindset about, and his information began to dismantle these ideas quite quickly. I knew slightly of the wine country, but I did not think about the crops grown, the fishing industry, the lumber, the technology that is produced as well as the marijuana growers that has now been made legal for recreational use. I did not realize that California was one of the highest for egg production until I read this today. With most of the population in the Los Angeles area as the author as noted, I think that is why my greatest understanding is of that while this book offers more details in all of the landmass. His use of newspapers and magazines as sources from times past would also lend credence to what the author is writing about. I did find a couple of errors in the text. In the forward on page 55, I saw this sentence: The period between the wars when California was seen..

I noticed that the words the and wars were together and there is a space needed. On page 64, I noticed this: This is a valuable contribution to American history...

American and history were also needing a space between the two words. Other than that, I did not detect any errors in the main part of the book that I read, but I only read a portion of it, so I am uncertain if it was professionally edited.

I will not be reading the rest of this book as my reading list currently is full, and this book looks quite in-depth requiring a lot of time. I will, however, make sure to send it out on my social media for potential readers.

First Ten review added on October 22, 2018, at 12:33 pm by cpru68.

Do you plan to read the whole book? No

Mary WhiteFace

The cover and title were reflective of the contents. The synopsis and customer reviews verified my first impression that it was a history of California. Since I'm not interested in reading about this topic, I would not have wanted to sample this book if not for the First 10 program.

The beginning of the book thoroughly explains the geography, wild animals and industrial aspects of California, but did not encourage me to want to read more. The part I liked best was how the tourist industry stopped San Francisco Board of Supervisors from doing away with cable cars. "They know that the clang, clang of the cable car translates into a plink, plink of coins in the city’s coffers; thus both sentimentalists who want to preserve the past and pragmatists who count the coins are pleased." (location 227). I not only liked what was said, I liked how it was said.

The book seemed to be professionally edited. I have no suggestions for improvements. There was an Official OnlineBookClub review which did not influence my decision. I will not be reading this book, but I would recommend it to anyone who is interested in reading about California.

First Ten review added on October 22, 2018, at 12:23 pm by Mary WhiteFace.

Do you plan to read the whole book? No

Allyseria

The book cover and title do not attract me because it sounds like a history non-fiction - a genre that does not interest me. The blurb has many paragraph breaks errors which make me question the quality of the editing inside the book. The review also mentioned the many formatting errors that make me want to avoid the book. When I read the sample, I liked the preface because I was able to get a glimpse into the author's life. It made me more interested in reading the book. The map illustrations given were also very detailed which I also liked. The start of the chapter also poses a question which the chapter will attempt to answer. This helps me to follow along with content a lot easier. Overall, however, I will not continue to read the book because of my disinterest in reading about history.

Errors:
Capital T when it should have been a lowercase t.

First Ten review added on October 22, 2018, at 11:35 am by Allyseria.

Do you plan to read the whole book? No

lavellan

I probably would have not read the first ten pages of California: On the Edge of American History if it had not been a part of The First Ten program. While the Book of the Day review was positive, I was not interested in reading a long non-fiction book. The book seemed like it was professionally edited and I did not notice any errors while reading. I thought that the book contained some interesting facts about California that I did not know previously. I did not know that the Trinity Alps were named after the Swiss Alps. The length of the book was off-putting. It might have been better to have separated it into different volumes. I will not be reading the rest of the book because I am not interested in the subject and am off-put by the length.

First Ten review added on October 22, 2018, at 10:14 am by lavellan.

Do you plan to read the whole book? No

lesler

Looking at the cover, I love what I see, and want to read the book. Reading the sample, I enjoyed it, and will read the whole thing. I did find one error, in the opening preface: "thewars." I liked learning in general about California's commerce-from livestock, to fisheries, to even the logging industry! I did not like how quickly the history moved-there is too much information for what is crammed into the pages. I look forward to reading this soon.

First Ten review added on October 22, 2018, at 10:00 am by lesler.

Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!

LV2R

I like the book cover and title because it makes it clear that the book is about the history of California. The Amazon Blurb did not really make me want to read the book for sure because though it mentioned native tribes, the Mexican War, the Donner Party, and WWII as some of the topics, it sounded like a lot of history! I enjoyed reading the first ten pages because it mentioned that the book had enough detail but that it wasn’t in excess. I best liked that the author has been a history teacher, and he explained his teaching method of acting out the lives of the people of history. That is the kind of history I like to hear or read about, so I decided to read the book. I also liked the beautiful “view of North America from NASA’s Apollo 16”. The book seems to be well edited, but I noticed a space missing between “the” and “wars” on location 56: “The period between thewars, when…” The OBC review mentioned that the book was extremely long but very well written and that it was like experiencing California through reading it. So, this makes me want to read the book even more.

First Ten review added on October 22, 2018, at 9:46 am by LV2R.

Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!

Camille Turner

I don't think I would've sampled this book without the program because, while I love history books, I'm just not looking for a dense read at the moment. It's clear from the title, cover, and blurb that this is a comprehensive look at the subject of California. After reading the first ten pages, I believe the book was professionally edited as I didn't note any errors. My impression has stayed the same, as it is indeed a dense historical look at California, but the content seems interesting. I particularly liked that the author distinguishes between the framework of history and the people that make history. He promises to show how people live in California (I lived in CA as a child, so I'd be especially interested to see how he talks about the state in this way). I wouldn't improve anything as I think the author is spot on in the types of information he includes (economical, topographical, historical, etc.). I am already reading a dense history book about the senses in the Middle Ages right now, so I will not read this book at the moment. Additionally, while the subject does interest me, there are many other historical topics that interest me more, and I only tend to read several heavy history books a year since I like to read a lot of fiction as well.

First Ten review added on October 22, 2018, at 9:16 am by Camille Turner.

Do you plan to read the whole book? No

HRichards

I might have picked this book up on my own because I like nonfiction history books, but after reading the first ten pages I'm going to hold off reading it for a while as the formatting is rather disjointed and it just wasn't incredibly interesting out the gate. The first ten pages deal with the actual geography of California and questioning what makes the state so different from everywhere else. I noticed a grammar error in "year-round grazing. But a more important domestic" where the sentence really should just have a comma. The writing isn't bad, and the research seems to be very thorough. I wish the beginning hadn't been so disjointed though and had stuck to one theme. I have not read any other reviews of this book.

First Ten review added on October 22, 2018, at 9:04 am by HRichards.

Do you plan to read the whole book? No

gali

I wouldn't have sampled the book on my own, as it isn't a genre that I normally gravitate to. Neither the cover nor the blurb appealed to me. I didn't change my mind after sampling the book. While a history book revolving around the history of California sounds informative, the sample didn't capture my interest at all. There were too many details to take in, and it was written in a textbook style. I liked that the author started with general information about CA, such as its size and geography, and I liked the insertions of the maps. However, there was a lot to take in, and pretty soon my eyes glazed over. Although I didn't notice any glaring errors, the text was too dense. Adding a few breaks between the paragraphs would have made it easier to read. I won't read the book, as I don't have any interest in its subject. The official review further convinced me that the book isn't for me.

First Ten review added on October 22, 2018, at 9:02 am by gali.

Do you plan to read the whole book? No

Total ~ 22%

California: On the Edge of American History earned a score of 22%.

In other words, out of the top-level reviewers who read at least the first 10 pages of this book, 22% plan to read the whole book.

IMPORTANT: Any score over 10% is considered very good. And any score above 0% is acceptable.

Over a million books are published each year. Any given person could not even read .0001% of the books out there. This means readers have to be very selective. Even taking the time to look over reviews and blurbs, let alone read samples, is more time than most readers can afford for most books. The First Ten is a powerful focus group that addresses those issues. It creates a helpful tool for authors, publishers, and other readers.

Go to main Bookshelves page for California: On the Edge of American History