The First Ten Focus Group Feedback for The Instant Champagne Expert
Because The Instant Champagne Expert 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.
Vickie Noel
I wouldn't have read this book outside the program because I'm not a wine aficionado. My opinion hasn't changed after reading the sample. I didn't care to read more about the history of winery, although it was interesting to learn that "the earliest known grape-based fermented drink was in China about 9000 years ago," and that wine was mentioned in the King James Bible 231 times while milk was mentioned just 48 times. I found no grammatical errors. I saw an OBC review but it didn't influence my decision.
First Ten review added on October 18, 2019, at 4:42 am by Vickie Noel.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Gravy
This doesn't appeal to me. I don't drink, and while the technicalities of it do interest me, this isn't in a format that works for me. I wouldn't have sampled it, and the sample didn't change my mind.
There were some errors, namely some word form issues. Maybe from a past edit? Anyway, it was an odd one.
As this isn't something I would read I really didn't particularly enjoy any part of it. Nor did I hate anything about it. It's just not my taste.
I'm not sure if there was a review for this one, but it having one or not would not affect my opinion. I'm not reading this due to it being outside my reading preference.
First Ten review added on October 18, 2019, at 3:56 am by Gravy.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Fu Zaila
The cover is unimpressive. The blurb and reviews didn't appeal to me. The sample seemed to be well written and professionally edited. It was good to learn about the history of wine and how China had started wine consumption way 9000 years back. Mentions of wine in the bible was also an alien knowledge to me. I liked that the author only touches on brief descriptions of wine anatomy rather than details. There wasn't anything I disliked, but I wasn't interested in reading about wine and its health benefits. So I won't be reading this book.
First Ten review added on October 18, 2019, at 3:32 am by Fu Zaila.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Alice Heritage
While I'm quite interested in wine-making and tasting, learning more about it wasn't such a priority that I would have sampled this book on my own. I will probably read the rest of it after sampling the first ten pages because it's interesting and a quick read. I noticed the author always capitalizes "Champagne"; this is correct when referring to the region, but not the drink, in English. Also, "by example" should read "for example". I liked the list of the different sizes of champagne bottle (Jeroboam, Nebuchadnezzar and more) as I find that a fascinating subject, and the quality of the photographs was good. The editing needs to be improved as the book does not appear to have been professionally edited. I checked the two OBC reviews linked; both helped with my decision.
First Ten review added on October 18, 2019, at 2:46 am by Alice Heritage.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
Annelore Trujillo
I would not have sampled this book based on the genre, blurb, OBC review, cover and title. After reading the first ten pages, I won’t be finishing this book. The book talked about wine and Champagne and how they are made. It talked about some specific Champagnes and the specific blends of wine that these contain. I’m not much of a wine or Champagne drinker, and didn’t even know the two drinks were related. This pamphlet was boring to me because I don’t have a use for the presented information since I don’t drink alcohol. It did seem to be professionally edited. There wasn’t anything specific that I liked.
First Ten review added on October 18, 2019, at 1:36 am by Annelore Trujillo.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Lorraine De Vos
I would have chosen to sample this book based on the title. I was curious about the content. The first ten pages were extremely interesting to me. I enjoyed the historical facts blended with the author’s own brand of humor. The book does appear to be professionally edited, as I did not notice any errors. The official OnlineBookClub review was excellent and confirmed that I would finish reading this short book in the near future.
First Ten review added on October 18, 2019, at 12:11 am by Lorraine De Vos.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
briellejee
Based on the cover and title, I think I wouldn't have sampled the book. I'm always picky when it comes to book covers, especially in non-fiction. I found both aspects not appealing and might not catch the eyes of a passerby. As for the first few pages, I find the facts interesting. From the historical overview of the names to the shapes of glasses and bottles, I think I'm learning a lot. My only problem is that of the author's writing style. The presentation of the facts seemed bland to me. In presenting such a mundane and simple topic, I think it's crucial to have a somehow different approach in order to gauge readers to go on. I like how it covers the fermenting process, and I didn't know about the second fermenting aspect of making champagne so it was a cool read. However, I think I will not be reading the rest of the book. I seldom read non-fiction and my interest wasn't caught by this one. I found one error in Page 11: "Therefore, the base wines are quite acid and not very pleasant to drink." I think "acid" should be "acidic". The official review was persuasive enough to tell me to sample this but I was disappointed since I did not see the "wittiness" that the reviewer was giddy about, but I'd like to note that it's all my personal view.
First Ten review added on October 17, 2019, at 9:58 pm by briellejee.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Scerakor
From the cover, blurb, and review of this book, I wouldn’t have read it. Although I've enjoyed books like this before, I don't drink much anymore and I'm not that interested in champagne. 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 liked how early on in book the author shows his knowledge, wit, and passion for the drink. Just by the way he starts, it's clear this book is based off of an innate love for champagne and a great personality. That being said, I'm not interested enough in the drink to merit reading a whole book 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 17, 2019, at 9:47 pm by Scerakor.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Ekta Kumari
I wouldn't have read the book as the subject didn't hold my interest. However, it is quite an informational read if you are a champagne drinker. I really like that the author details the history of champagne in so much detail. Readers also get to know those who were responsible for its popularity. The book even has a section on the best glasses to have your champagne. I didn't find any error in the portion I sampled, so I'm rating the book as professionally edited. Those interested in the read can check out the official review. However, I'll not be reading it as I don't drink champagne, and so reading the book is not useful for me.
First Ten review added on October 17, 2019, at 9:31 pm by Ekta Kumari.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Delaney35
As I am not interesting in champagne, this is not a book I would normally read. I also was not interested by any reviews that I read. This book is simply a guide to becoming a champagne expert. The book starts with a quick introduction. It then talks a little bit about the history of champagne and glasses it is typically served in. It was well written; I didn't notice any grammatical mistakes. I was not that interested, and will not be finishing this book. However, for those that are interested in champagne, this seems to be a good resource.
First Ten review added on October 17, 2019, at 8:58 pm by Delaney35.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Sarah_Khan
At first glance, I would not have picked up this book because I am not interested in champagne. The first ten pages seem well-edited. I liked that this book did not sound like a textbook. I would be interested to read about the health benefits that the author mentions. Unfortunately, the overall subject of this book is not interesting enough for me to want to commit to reading the rest. I would suggest improving the cover of this book, it does not strike me as professional. I did not read any OBC review.
First Ten review added on October 17, 2019, at 5:41 pm by Sarah_Khan.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
unamilagra
Before sampling this book, I probably would not have picked it up. Despite the glowing OBC review, I am not really interested in the details of champagne. The first 10% of the book consisted of a brief history of the invention of champagne, which was considered faulty wine until Dom Perignon decided he liked it. The tale was interesting, but nothing about this book pulled me in and made me want to know more. I don't plan to continue reading it. I didn't notice any errors in the pages I read, but I had trouble figuring out why there were page breaks between some sections and not others in the Kindle version.
First Ten review added on October 17, 2019, at 4:16 pm by unamilagra.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
MsTri
I was captivated when I saw this book's cover and title, and the OBC review - the only review I read - and Amazon synopsis both confirmed that it's a book I'd like to read. I love bubbly, and this sounds like a fun little read, especially since humor is involved. The sample read was free of errors, so I believe it to be edited professionally. I also really liked when the author noted how many times the word "wine" is mentioned in the Bible versus how many times the word "milk" is in it. I don't have any suggestions for changes to this tome because it seems to be perfectly written already.
First Ten review added on October 17, 2019, at 3:18 pm by MsTri.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
Aditi Sapate
Having read two books on the same topic (which I found very interesting), I would definitely pick up this book based on just its name, genre and cover. I am a food enthusiast, and even though I haven't tried wine yet, I'd like to learn about it. After sampling the book, I found out a lot about champagne that I didn't already know and often wondered about (like the meaning of the word demi-sec). The author seemed to know a lot and wanted to give the readers as much information as he possibly could, in the limited number of pages. I am going to continue reading this book, as I've already read half of it! There were a few grammatical errors. For example, on page 6, instead of, 'finding heavier and stronger glass bottles and replace the persistent blowout' it should have been 'replacing the persistent blowout'. Other than the editing, I can't think of anything that could be improved. The book also had an official OnlineBookClub review, which summarized the book well.
First Ten review added on October 17, 2019, at 1:52 pm by Aditi Sapate.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
Nuel Ukah
If I had not actually sampled the first ten pages as part of this program, I would have chosen to read or sample this book based on the cover page, title, and genre because I feel compelled by it's look. I am going to buy and read the whole book because I'd like to know more about the history of champagne and wine. Reading the first ten pages did not change my mind from my original guess, rather it inspired me to want to read the entire book.
Based on what I read, the book seems like it was professionally edited as I noticed no error. What I like most in the bit I read is the historical background and evolution of champagne. I like how the author defined wine and champagne. It's so interesting how the author puts it — "Wine and Champagne are the result of natural grape sugar that was fermented into alcohol by the action of yeast." What I know about the book is that it entails a brief but detailed history of wine and champagne. I didn't notice anything that could be improved in the bit I read. The book has an Official OnlineBookClub review, which affected my decision by providing a brief, detailed overview of the book.
First Ten review added on October 17, 2019, at 8:11 am by Nuel Ukah.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
Bianka Walter
This is not a book that I would sample without the first ten program. I am not a big fan of Champagne, so it holds no interest for me. The sample starts a bit haphazardly, and there doesn't seem to be a real direction. The author has put a lot of different tidbits of information into the short sample I read, and I wasn't too interested in any of it. It hopped from wine to Champagne and didn't give much information in each section. I found no glaring grammatical errors, although the flow of the narrative is a little choppy. I think with a bit more direction, it may have been easier to read. Because of this, and because of my lack of interest in the subject matter, I will not be reading this book further.
First Ten review added on October 17, 2019, at 4:51 am by Bianka Walter.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Fazzier
If I had not sampled the first ten pages as part of this program, still I would not have read the book based on the genre. I'm not so much into wine or champagne and therefore wouldn't be interested in finding out how its made. The sample and the official OnlineBookClub.org review have also not made me change my mind about not reading it. However, the author seems to have taken his time in writing this and I, therefore, can't find any improvement to recommend. The book also seems to have been professionally edited since I didn't find any error in the sample I read. What I liked the most was the author's passion for wine and that could be felt in his writing. For wine lovers, this would be an interesting read.
First Ten review added on October 17, 2019, at 4:01 am by Fazzier.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Cristina Chifane
I wouldn't have sampled this booklet without the first ten program since I only drink champagne once a year on New Year's Eve. However, the 29 pages definitely reflect the author's fascination with and knowledge about champagne. By reading the first pages I've learnt a few interesting details about the history of champagne and its health benefits. The same as the OBC reviewer, I've also enjoyed the author's humorous tone. I didn't notice any editing errors, so I'd love to finish reading this booklet and learn more about champagne.
First Ten review added on October 17, 2019, at 3:05 am by Cristina Chifane.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
Mai Tran
I’m not a big fan of wine, so I wouldn’t have read this book regardless of what the official review says. The language of the book is easy to understand, but the layout interferes with my reading flow as I’m used to seeing relating ideas in the same paragraph. It's interesting how wines that carry bubbles were once considered faulty until someone started to appreciate them. The book also seems well-written without any grammar error so far, but I won’t continue to read it because it doesn't really captivate my interest.
First Ten review added on October 17, 2019, at 2:25 am by Mai Tran.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Verna Coy
Had I not sampled this book through the First Ten program, I would have picked it up right away because the title and cover appeal to me. For this reason, I do plan to read the whole book. I appreciate receiving a free copy through the Online Book Club! Reading the first ten pages confirmed my first impressions that I would like this book. This book is informative about the subject of champagne. Based on what I read, this book seems professionally edited, although I did notice errors like missing commas at location 50 of 407, “Most wines[,] and all Champagnes[,] are blends of different grape varieties.” What I liked most about what I read is the way that the author included the history of Champagne and wines throughout the text. It made it very entertaining. I know that readers who enjoy short, educational books will love this book. As far as improvements, maybe a short round of proofreading to catch those last few tiny errors, but as a whole, this is a great book. I did read the Official Online Book Club review and found it informative and enjoyable.
First Ten review added on October 16, 2019, at 11:56 pm by Verna Coy.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
CrescentMoon
After reading the blurb, I don't think I would pick this book up because I'm not much of a champagne or wine drinker, and I tend to read more fiction books for fun. After reading the sample, I spotted a few errors. "...a lot of hard work, knowledge and love." There should be a comma after the word knowledge. "Veuve Clicquot, by example..." I think it should say for example instead of by example, for sounds better. I also wasn't too big a fan of the formatting. Each paragraph mostly only had one or two sentences and they were spaced really far apart so I found all the spaces kind of distracting. I do like how the author explains the scientific process of how champagnes and wines are made from the fermentation of the alcohol and the yeast. I also like how he adds the history of wines and the different countries and their involvement in making wines and champagnes. However, I'm not the target audience for this so I won't be reading the rest.
First Ten review added on October 16, 2019, at 11:11 pm by CrescentMoon.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Juliet+1
Based on the title, the cover, and the OBC review, I thought that I might enjoy reading "The Instant Champagne Expert." I've always been curious about champagne – how it's made, why it's so expensive, and how to get that bottle open without injury.
I really liked the first 10 pages. They presented many useful facts in an entertaining way. I definitely want to read the entire book.
This book is beautifully organized, well written, and well edited. I especially liked the information about the history of champagne and the derivation of the different names.
No improvement is needed; the book is perfect as is.
First Ten review added on October 16, 2019, at 11:08 pm by Juliet+1.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
Jsovermyer
The cover picture is interesting. I like that the author included his photo on it. The title, The Instant Champagne Expert, is intriguing and lets me know exactly what the book is about. Everything you want to know about the bubbly is included in this short book about champagne. I found out that the wide-mouthed “Coupe” glass used to drink champagne was modeled after Marie Antoinette's breast-size. I also learned that red wine gets its color from the grape skin, and white wine is from the juice only without the skins. The official review rated this book highly, and I agree it is very educational. I found one sentence that I would change slightly for grammatical purposes on page 4. It reads, "Since our taste buds are complex in nature and vary widely, a particular wine -or champagne- may not be “bad,” but simply carry a taste that the consumer may not like." It would be better written with the dashes and some commas removed as, "Since our taste buds are complex in nature and vary widely, a particular wine or champagne may not be “bad” but simply carry a taste that the consumer may not like." Since the book was so short, I have already finished reading it and enjoyed it thoroughly.
First Ten review added on October 16, 2019, at 10:58 pm by Jsovermyer.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
Washboard
This is not the type of book I would normally read. The title suits it well, but the cover art is a bit bland. The official review made the book more appealing by discussing the humor used throughout. The only error I found in my reading was inconsistent capitalization of the word "Champagne" when referring to the drink and not the city. The introduction to the discovery of champagne, technological developments to improve it (using thicker bottles and better stoppers, and improving clarity by inverting the bottles during fermentation) were cool to learn. I won't be continuing to read this one since I don't have any interest in the topic itself, but I will recommend it to those with an interest in champagne.
First Ten review added on October 16, 2019, at 10:26 pm by Washboard.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Kro92813
If I had not read the first ten pages (or had been offered a free copy), I would not have considered this booklet. Firstly, almost ten dollars for a 28 page informational booklet is rediculous! Secondly, the cover seems boring in my opinion. And lastly, I do not drink wine or champagne, so I am not the target audience.
The OBC review I had read mentions this booklet highlights the history of wine and champagne and is sprinkled with quick little tidbits of information.
After reading the first ten pages, I will not be finishing this one. I liked the fast pace the author had created in this booklet. It seemed to be full of interesting information for those who enjoy a glass of bubbly. I am just not one of them. The book started off with a brief history of wine and how champagne was accidentally made.
I did not like the formatting issue in the kindle edition. Every paragraph seemed to be double indented at the start. I did find one grammatical error in the first ten pages; missing commas in the sentence "Most wines and all Champagnes are blends of different grape varieties." This seems like a good quick read for fans of wine and champagne - it's just not for me.
First Ten review added on October 16, 2019, at 9:52 pm by Kro92813.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Chelsy Scherba
I love the historical stories about the wine. “I’m tasting stars!” That was a pretty hilarious comment. It’s amazing to think wine is such an old drink from 6100 years ago. I definitely feel like the author is a champagne expert and I love his easy-going style of writing. The review said a comment about “wine shouldn’t be mixed with orange juice” was king of offensive. I haven’t yet read the context myself, but it occurred to me that maybe the author was being facetious rather than serious. I guess I’ll find out when I read it myself. I’m not typically interested in wine or any other booze since I don’t drink, but history interests me so this book is a fun, well-edited read. I didn’t see any mistakes to correct. I would probably give it a more professional looking cover image, but otherwise I liked everything I read.
First Ten review added on October 16, 2019, at 8:51 pm by Chelsy Scherba.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
LV2R
The book cover and title were both OK, but I did not know if I wanted to read the book or not. The Amazon blurb was very short and to the point that the fun, short book was all about champagne. I wanted to read the sample. I do not know anything at all about champagne, so one of my questions was to know what champagne is. I best liked that the author explained what champagne is in the very beginning. It is made of red and white wine blends. This book seems to answer any questions a reader may have about champagne. The book seems to be edited well, as I did not notice any errors. The OBC review gave some very interesting facts and tips from the book about champagne. I like that the author used wit along with facts. I want to read this short and fun book about champagne to learn about the history and facts about it.
First Ten review added on October 16, 2019, at 8:48 pm by LV2R.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
Brenda Creech
Since I don't care for the taste of champagne, the title and cover of the book did not interest me. After reading the review and the first ten pages, I haven't changed my mind; although, I have already learned quite a bit from the book. Things such as the size of champagne bottles are named after kings in the old testament. Really? That was a big surprise to me. I also didn't know champagne was made up of mostly red wines, or that champagne has health benefits. I personally did not notice any errors in the portion I read so I believe the book is professionally edited. I also did not see anything I would define as needing to be improved. I won't be reading the book in its entirety as I am not interested in the topic. Although I must say what I did read was interesting.
First Ten review added on October 16, 2019, at 7:29 pm by Brenda Creech.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
gen_g
I have come across a positive review of this book, and it has piqued my interest. There are still some errors present: on page 4, there is a missing "s" to indicate the plural form of "result" in "Wine and Champagne are the result(s) of...", since the sentence is referring to two things, wine and champagne. I like how the author has given the reader a brief introduction about the history of wine and champagne, as well as some trivia, such as the fact that the earliest grape-based fermented drink was found in China about 9000 years ago and the earliest Dom Perignon in 1688 in the French province of Champagne. I would suggest that the author run the book through another editing. However, I will not be reading the rest of the book, as I am not part of the target audience, and the errors are also slightly distracting.
First Ten review added on October 16, 2019, at 7:27 pm by gen_g.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
AA1495
Had I not sampled the book, I would not have read it. I usually read pure romance books. Further, I do not have much interest in knowing more about champagne. However, the book has a 4/4 OBC review, which gave me a good impression. Having read the sample, I was disappointed by the lack of a proper introduction. While there was an index, I would have also liked an introduction to the author, a prologue and a foreword. In terms of writing and language, I found the book easy to read and understand. I found no major grammatical errors in the sample. However, I found a few minor formatting errors. In the subsection "The beginning of Champagne", there was double the spacing between chapters two and three, than between the rest of the paragraphs. I do not want to know more about champagne and hence, I will not be reading the rest of the book.
First Ten review added on October 16, 2019, at 7:16 pm by AA1495.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Mbrooks2518
I'm not a wine and champagne enthusiast at all, so I wouldn't have sampled this book without The First Ten. Despite this, I have decided to finish this book. It's very short at less than 30 pages, and it's fast paced. I like that the author included some humor to break up the facts and keep the book from being a dry read. The official reviewer is a wine and champagne enthusiast and gave the book a glowing review, so it seems like this book would definitely be worth a read. I found no editing errors, and there is nothing that needs to be improved.
First Ten review added on October 16, 2019, at 6:26 pm by Mbrooks2518.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
ab2020
The official OBC review suggested that this is an informative and enjoyable read for those interested in champagne. I, for one, am not too interested in champagne, but I decided I'd try the first ten pages anyway. From what I read, I gather that this book might entertain people who are enthusiastic about the history and culture of champagne, but it probably isn't worth reading for others. I did not change my mind about champagne after reading the sample, and even though I did not find any errors in those pages, I will not continue reading.
First Ten review added on October 16, 2019, at 4:36 pm by ab2020.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
desantismt_17
Neither this book’s title nor description hooked me. I’m not really interested in Champagne, and the one-line Amazon description didn’t offer any neat or fun facts to spark my curiosity. Before sampling, I wasn’t interested in reading. After sampling, I’ll pass. The book appears professionally edited. I noticed no errors. As I said, I’m not interested enough in the contents of this book to read it, even at its short length. For those interested in the subject matter, though, what I read seems like a wonderful introduction to wine and Champagne. Starting from what wine and Champagne are and moving into the history (encompassing China, Iran, and Italy, among other nations) was a great way to get the ball rolling. I was actually a bit surprised that wine was in China before Italy, but I suppose I shouldn’t have been. Many things got their start in China. I have no improvements to suggest at this time. The OnlineBookClub.org review was positive and informative, but it didn’t change my mind.
First Ten review added on October 16, 2019, at 4:33 pm by desantismt_17.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Aubrey Lewis
The overall appearance of the book is too simple and uninteresting. It didn't catch my attention from the get-go. When I read through the official OBC review, I was uninterested, mainly because the topic isn't something I want to know about. When I finished sampling the first ten pages, or rather, the first ten percent of the book (since it's under 100 pages), I decided not to read the rest of the book. The contents seemed professionally edited so far because I didn't notice any glaring mistakes, and the author seemed knowledgeable about his topic. I only knew now the reason why champagne is best enjoyed through a tall fluted glass, and it's an interesting tidbit to know about. However, I'm not the least bit interested in knowing about champagnes, so I don't think this book is for me. By this, I also don't think any improvements are needed.
First Ten review added on October 16, 2019, at 4:12 pm by Aubrey Lewis.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Mary WhiteFace
I have no desire to become a champagne expert, so without the first ten program I would not have wanted to read this booklet.
I found it interesting that for years champagne was originally considered bad wine because the fermentation caused the stoppers to explode from the bottles. That all changed when Dom Pierre Pérignon decided to taste it before throwing it out. (pg. 6)
The booklet seemed to be professionally edited. I have no suggestions for improvements. The OnlineBookClub review did not influence my decision. Reading the first ten pages did not change my mind. I will not be reading the whole thing.
First Ten review added on October 16, 2019, at 4:09 pm by Mary WhiteFace.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Lisa A Rayburn
If I had not been a member of this program, it is highly unlikely that the cover, title, author, genre, blurb, or customer review would have prompted me to pick up this book. The cover, title, and blurb clearly reveal it to be about champagne/wine, a subject in which I have very little interest. I am not familiar with the author, so that would not have affected my decision, and the single customer review, though positive, would not have stirred my interest in reading the book. There was no review from this program, but even if there had been, it would not have influenced my decision. In reading the sample, I found the author to be humorous, and he has an easy-to-read writing style. The bits of humor woven in were my favorite part, but he did manage to make the facts about wine and wine-making at least mildly interesting. However, reading the sample did not convince me to continue with the book because, despite the author's favorable writing style, the subject remains one in which I am not interested. The book appears to be well-edited. I found no errors in the sample.
First Ten review added on October 16, 2019, at 3:22 pm by Lisa A Rayburn.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Kaitlyn Canedy
The front cover of The Instant Champagne Expert is not very attractive, and if it wasn't for the OnlineBookClub offering the book for free, I would not have read the sample. Because I am not into strong drinks, such as wine or champagne, I will not finish reading the rest of the book. There were a few errors in the sample that I read. One example is in the 3rd paragraph on Page 4. When the phrase "knowledge and love" is used, there is supposed to be a comma after "knowledge". What I like about the book is that it talks about the fact that the King James Bible mentions wine 231 times but mentions milk only 48 times. I have read the King James Bible completely at least 2 times now, but this fact never occurred to me. Since the book is so short, I think that editing it to fix the few grammar errors will do the book good. The Official OnlineBookClub Review was very informative, but it did not change my mind about reading the rest of The Instant Champagne Expert.
First Ten review added on October 16, 2019, at 2:30 pm by Kaitlyn Canedy.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
MsH2k
The title and cover of this book are self explanatory. Had I not actually sampled the first ten pages as part of this program, I would not have chosen to read or sample this book. The pages I sampled were very informative and easy to read. For example, I learned that all Champagnes are blends of different grape varieties. One grammatical error I found was a missing comma before the coordinating conjunction “and” in the following sentence: “He was able to resolve the issue and the King’s Court was delighted with this new effervescent pale colored wine.” Although this book is short, entertaining, and had a positive OnlineBookClub review, I will not continue reading it because it is not a topic I find relevant.
First Ten review added on October 16, 2019, at 2:15 pm by MsH2k.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Laura Ungureanu
I didn't think this was something I'll enjoy when I first saw the cover. However, the review convinced me that this book is worth my time. I'm happy there is such a short book that explains everything there is to know about wine and Champagne. I like the way the information is organized. I enjoyed learning something about the history of wine. I'm not interested in the subject of this book, but I can see that this information can be useful, so I'm going to read it whole. I guess that the best thing about this book is that it's concise and short, so everyone can read it and find it useful. I wouldn't change a thing about it. It's professionally edited.
First Ten review added on October 16, 2019, at 1:44 pm by Laura Ungureanu.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
ritah
Based on the title and genre, I wouldn't have sampled the book because I don't usually go for books in this genre. I read the official reviews and sampled The Instant Champagne Expert. I liked learning all the different names of champagne based on their bottle size. It was interesting to learn that the fancy names referred to legendary patriarchs and Kings from the Old Testament. I did not find any errors in the pages I read. I like the content and that the book is a quick read, which is why I will reading the rest of the book.
First Ten review added on October 16, 2019, at 11:13 am by ritah.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
lavellan
I probably would have not read The Instant Champagne Expert if it had not been a part of the First Ten program. While the Book of the Day review was positive, I'm not interested in learning about champagne. The book seemed like it was professionally edited, but I noticed an error while reading. In the following phrase, a comma is not needed before "and": "Therefore, the word goes that each bottle reflects the producer's character, and that an honest man will produce an "honest wine." I enjoyed the different facts that author included about champagne. It was interesting to read that the earliest reference to wine production took place 6,100 years ago. I didn't like the cover of the book; I found it very plain. Due to my lack of interest in champagne, I will not read the rest of the book.
First Ten review added on October 16, 2019, at 10:43 am by lavellan.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
cpru68
This author has put together a book that will educate the masses on the origins of champagne, how to read labels and how to properly drink it so that it can be enjoyed to its fullest. I liked the humor in the opening pages because champagne has a reputation of being for the “rich and famous” and would seem to be a serious topic. The comedic quality, I think, will help readers relax and make it easier to learn facts and terms. The title is very appealing because it conveys a message that this material won’t be difficult to learn and it’s a fast reading experience.
The first ten were nicely done, and I enjoyed learning that a blind monk, Dom Pierre Pérignon, was the creator of Champagne. I had no idea this was a guy and not just a brand name. Also, I enjoyed the part about choosing the right glass, preferably a flute, and the reasons why.
I will be finishing this book as I do enjoy wine and want to learn more about champagne. I thought the writing was good, but I did find a small hiccup in this sentence: But in 1688 came along the legendary Dom Pierre Pérignon (1638–1715), a near-blind Benedictine monk(page 6) It should be: But in 1688 “along came” . The reviewer mentioned that a handful of grammatical errors were found, so with this material being so short, I would say to go back and make those changes. I think they are a matter of mishaps that once fixed will make the book even more valuable. Maybe it was properly edited, but even at that, mistakes can slip through the process.
I appreciate the opportunity to read this one and will send it out on my social media for others to enjoy. I probably wouldn’t have found this without the online book club.
First Ten review added on October 16, 2019, at 10:10 am by cpru68.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
Emy Katherine
I am not interested in reading non-fiction books, so I would not have read the book based on the title, cover, and genre. After reading the first ten pages and the OBC review, I did not change my mind. The author used a clear, expository writing style to explain the production of Champagne, its history, and its health benefits. Also, I appreciated the inclusion of black and white pictures, which made the book more entertaining. Unfortunately, I found some punctuation errors such as missing and misplaced commas. Therefore, I am not sure the book was professionally edited. For example, there should be commas around the interrupter "therefore" in
the following sentence: "Is it therefore a coincidence that the King James..." (page 5 of 28 • 18%)
First Ten review added on October 16, 2019, at 10:07 am by Emy Katherine.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Theresa Moffitt
I like the title and cover of this book. They tell the reader exactly what the book is about. I would have picked this book up based on the cover alone in order to learn more about champagne. I haven’t read a review of this book yet. The first ten pages were interesting and informative. The author gives a history of how champagne was discovered and background on dom perignon and who he was. It was interesting to learn about the person and his discoveries in making champagne. It was also interesting to see the photographs included in the first ten pages that show the proper type of glass to use and the different types of bottles used for champagne. I didn’t see any errors in the first ten pages. I will finish reading this book to learn more about champagne.
First Ten review added on October 16, 2019, at 8:11 am by Theresa Moffitt.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
HRichards
I normally wouldn't have picked this book up since I'm not a drinker and am not really interested in the topic. Having read the sample I won't be continuing on with the book since the topic isn't really relevant to me. The sample deals with the author going into some of the history of wine and champagne and talks about some of the different kinds of wine. The author talks specifically about the history of champagne and the make up of the drink. The book seems very well edited and I didn't notice any grammar errors. Those interested in champagne might like this book. The history was quite interesting, but I don't have an overall interest in discerning champagnes. I read the OBC review and it did not change my mind that this book would not really appeal to me because of the topic.
First Ten review added on October 16, 2019, at 6:33 am by HRichards.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
gali
I wouldn't have sampled the book on my own, as I don't read non-fiction books. I didn't change my mind after sampling the book. While a booklet about champagne sounds like a good read for wine lovers, I am not one of them. The book relays the beginning of champagne, explains the differences between brands, and notes the benefits of drinking. l noticed a missing comma in the following sentence: "Every bottle of wine… and carries a lot of hard work, knowledge and love." I liked that the author explains the basics in an easy manner. However, as I don't drink wine or interested in the subject, I won't read the book. The official review didn't sway my decision either way.
First Ten review added on October 16, 2019, at 6:30 am by gali.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Total ~ 35%
The Instant Champagne Expert earned a score of 35%.
In other words, out of the top-level reviewers who read at least the first 10 pages of this book, 35% 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.
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