The First Ten Focus Group Feedback for Massacre Rocks: A Campaign of Deception
Because Massacre Rocks 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.
Ekta Kumari
Through the book, the author has tried to portray how racially motivated hatred has been used for terrorism in the United states from the very beginning. He details on the incident of Bear River Massacre in 1863 and also explores the influence of the Mormon Church on the understanding of these events. He emphasizes on this kind of terrorism that continues to exist in the Unites States today as well. I liked the premise but wouldn't have read the book as I wasn't interested in a historical read. However, I like how well-researched and radical in nature the read is. The thing I liked the most while sampling is how the author establishes the plot and explains the events in great detail to facilitate better understanding. I also like that he has done his research and places the facts accurately. As for the editing, I would rate the book as professionally edited as I didn't find any errors. While I liked the read, I wouldn't read the whole book as I don't specifically like the nature of the book, and I'm not into the genre. I did see an official review before sampling. I've no other recommendations for improvements.
First Ten review added on October 4, 2020, at 4:59 am by Ekta Kumari.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Catherine Hsu
If I had not read the sample, I would not have read the book as I did not think it was my genre. After reading the sample, I have changed my mind. Honestly, the book grabbed my attention right off the bat when it discussed the FBI and America's neo-Nazis as home-grown white terrorists; it's rare to see a book say the truth like this. I am really loving the history I am learning so far, and I also like that the citations are provided so I can double check! The photos at the start of the chapters were nice also. There is nothing I'd change. It was professionally edited. The official review did not affect my decision.
First Ten review added on October 4, 2020, at 4:58 am by Catherine Hsu.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
va2016
The cover and the title are indicative of the theme of the book. There are only 3 Amazon customer ratings, which is not a sufficient number for me to decide if I should sample the book or not. The Amazon summary gives a very clear description of what's in the book. As I am interested in the theme, I would have sampled the book even if not for the First Ten program. As I sampled through the book, I found the narration describing how the Native Americans are blamed for the massacres that happened at the "Massacre Rocks State Park". As I am very interested in this theme, I am going to read this book in full. I found the sample professionally edited. There are no grammatical or mechanical errors. What I liked most about the book is its theme. I don't have any recommendations for the improvement of the book. Although I found one OBC review of the book, my decision to read the book in full is based on my own sampling.
First Ten review added on October 4, 2020, at 4:56 am by va2016.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
Lorraine De Vos
I would not have chosen to sample this book based on the title and cover. The title gave the impression that it contains graphic content about mass murder and I am not currently interested in reading about this topic. The first ten pages were very factually driven. There appears to be ongoing misconceptions about what happened in the past that the author is trying factually point out in this book. The book does appear to be professionally edited. The official OnlineBookClub review was very well written, but did not serve to change my mind in this instance. I will not be adding this book to my reading list. I have no recommendations for improvements.
First Ten review added on October 4, 2020, at 4:54 am by Lorraine De Vos.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Vickie Noel
I wouldn't have read this book outside the program based on its title or cover art. Neither of them is aesthetically appealing to my senses. My opinion didn't change after reading the sample. The introductory part was fraught with narrations that quickly bored me. I agree, though, that it's important and necessary for the FBI to prioritize "its resources to focus on organized white supremacists who seek to terrorize America" because terrible things "can happen when domestic terrorism remains unchecked." There were no grammatical errors; the book is professionally edited. I have no recommendations for improvement. The OBC review I saw was interesting, but the sample didn't retain my attention.
First Ten review added on October 4, 2020, at 4:36 am by Vickie Noel.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Aditi Sapate
I wouldn't have chosen to read this book based on the title, cover and genre, as I usually don't enjoy reading books based on history. The official OnlineBookClub review gave me a summary of the book's contents. When I started sampling the book, I found the author to be really knowledgeable about the geography of Massacre Rocks. However, I did not particularly enjoy reading geographical terms. I do appreciate the author's aim behind writing this book, which is to present a different point of view about terrorism. I think the book is serving a good purpose of educating people. Due to the small size of the book, the sample was very short. I couldn't really connect to the book in this short span. I will not continue reading this book. The sample did not have any grammatical errors.
First Ten review added on October 4, 2020, at 4:14 am by Aditi Sapate.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
elisathelvarik
I would not have chosen this book based on its title, cover, and description. I do not read many historical stories, but I am interested in reading more books about discrimination and racism to broaden my cultural horizons. The title and cover do not reflect the theme of the novel well enough to distinguish it from other books, so I wouldn't have clicked on it if I found it on my own. The book starts off strong with language like "home-grown white terrorists" and "neo-Nazi." I love the knowledge and strong tone the author puts into this novel. This book is very educational. I found nothing that I disliked about the first ten pages. After reading the first ten pages, I will eventually finish reading the novel. It is important to stay educated about systemic racism and the wrongdoings of whites against minorities throughout history. As the introduction says, "This book is a step down that road of understanding." I found no errors or typos. This book seems well-edited.
First Ten review added on October 4, 2020, at 3:10 am by elisathelvarik.
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. I rarely read non-fiction books. After reading the first ten pages, I won’t be finishing this book. The content was dry, in my opinion. It talked about the white emigration that travelled the Oregon Trail. It gave a little history of the settlement of the Idaho/Utah area. This wasn’t intriguing to me. When it began to talk about the mascots and getting them changed, I was a little more interested, but not enough to keep reading. I did like that the author included footnotes. The book did seem to be professionally edited.
First Ten review added on October 4, 2020, at 1:58 am by Annelore Trujillo.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Ari Martinez
If I had not read the first ten pages or any review, I would not have sampled this book since the cover page and name of the book made me think the emphasis of the book was completely political. I have chosen to read this book because I am very interested in the history of different religions, including the Mormon Church. With what I have read so far, I have already learned new things about the Mormon community. This insight into the Mormon Church is my favorite part of this book. I have not noticed any grammatical errors within the first ten pages - it seems professionally edited. This book had an Official OnlineBookClub review which sparked my interest in the content of this book because it mentioned how the Mormon Church was involved in this incident.
First Ten review added on October 4, 2020, at 1:41 am by Ari Martinez.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
Jeremie Mondejar
The title already indicates gore scenes, though I don't like the theme. However, I will read this book because it's part of the history of the world. I may never see the exact location, but at least, my mind goes there. One thing I like in this book is the dating, which is set in 1800s. Idaho massacre is very brutal. The sample ignites me to read further the book. It looks like the book is well-researched. I also didn't notice any typos nor could suggest anything for improvement. The book looks edited well. The OBC review helps me decide about this book.
First Ten review added on October 4, 2020, at 1:31 am by Jeremie Mondejar.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
AvidBibliophile
The cover art feels slightly masculine, but it effectively conveys a clear sense of purposeful plot direction. The Amazon product description entices prospective readers with mentions of Native American culture, institutionalized racism, acts of domestic terrorism, and the sight of a mass murder that occurred in 1863. There has undoubtedly been an egregious suppression of historical records over the centuries, and a multitude of innocent souls have likely been unfairly targeted in the "pursuit of justice." This book appears to have been professionally edited, and I appreciated seeing the additional inclusion of photographs. The history on Pocatello, the Snake River, Massacre Rocks State Park, and the nomadic Native people was all fascinating to peruse. The one published OBC review provides a positive impression, as do the three currently posted Amazon user ratings. I am, generally, not strongly inclined to read titles that heavily explore religious propaganda and racial persecution, but I will not be passing on this one. The short nature of this publication further encourages me to read it in its entirety. I earned a degree from a university in Oklahoma that was forced to change its mascot from the "Redmen" while I was in attendance there (and it was a massive undertaking with many heated arguments from both sides), so I definitely understand why there are still cultural misappropriation issues among us that trigger deservedly sensitive reactions.
First Ten review added on October 4, 2020, at 1:06 am by AvidBibliophile.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
Howlan
The cover looks great. The synopsis gives us a good information about what this book is about. The first ten pages starts with an introduction with the Native American lifestyle and culture in ancient times and describes recent contoversies in Idaho over it's Indian themed mascots or the use of other stereotypical symbols to mimic the rich culture. The narrator also mentions different battles fought in the region resuting in the death of many natives in the 1800s. The book depicts an important piece of history and is well narrated. I am really curious about history in general, so I would really love to read the rest of this book to gain a perspective of the history of the Native American people. So, I am going to read the rest of this book as I am interested in the story. No typos were found in the first ten pages. I found nothing to improve in the first ten pages. The Official Review is present, and the reviewer rates it highly.
First Ten review added on October 3, 2020, at 11:32 pm by Howlan.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
edztan15
I didn't really think I could relate to this book since this is a part of history that I'm not really aware of since I'm not from America. The blurb and review for this book didn't persuade me to buy it. Reading the first ten pages, I found it to be a little bit too textbook-like for my taste. The reader is given an academic introduction on the history of Idaho and the city of Pocatello, and it's not interesting for me. I do understand that this non-fiction book has a very specific subject in terms of location and history that it would definitely be an insightful read for those who have studied or still studying this topic. The book is well-edited since I didn't find any errors in the first ten pages. I think this book is for a niche group of readers that I'm not a part of, so I'll have to take a pass on this.
First Ten review added on October 3, 2020, at 11:00 pm by edztan15.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Samantha Gayle
The title and cover led me to believe this was historical nonfiction, which I occasionally read. I probably wouldn’t have sampled it on my own, as it doesn’t indicate what part of history this covered. The official OBC review gave me great information about what it was about and piqued my interest. Having read the first ten pages, I will continue to read this book. It is well written, appears professionally edited, and is easy to follow. I had no idea such an incident occurred in our history, and I want to read this to educate myself on the matter. Native American culture has continually been misrepresented and abused. I have no complaints so far, and wouldn’t change anything. I look forward to educating myself and recommending this book to others.
First Ten review added on October 3, 2020, at 9:24 pm by Samantha Gayle.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
Sarah_Khan
I like the cover of this book and the title is unique. I would not have sampled this without the First Ten program because I do not read non-fiction. The first ten pages were professionally edited. I liked that the author used simple words and explained everything instead of assuming the readers knew what he was talking about (e.g. the differences with nomadic living). The OBC review was positive. This books seems like it provides important information that everyone should be aware of. Unfortunately, it still is not my cup of tea. Therefore, I do not intend to read the rest. I do not have any suggestions for the author.
First Ten review added on October 3, 2020, at 9:21 pm by Sarah_Khan.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
MsH2k
Given the genre, title, cover, and blurb, I would have surely sampled this book even if I were not part of this program. I am interested in Native American affairs, and it sounded like I could learn a lot by reading this book. The sample pages were marvelous. The writing was clear, and the information was outlined well. I cannot wait to continue reading this book. I will finish it. I like that the author presents information without bias or judgement. He gives the reader pieces to a puzzle that, when put in the correct places, change the picture of the puzzle and make it make sense. The pages I sampled were well edited. I did not notice any grammatical errors. I have no suggestions for improvement. The featured OnlineBookClub review was highly favorable, as were the Amazon ratings, but neither of these influenced my decision to read this book.
First Ten review added on October 3, 2020, at 8:06 pm by MsH2k.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
Nikolas Farmakis
This is a non-fiction book about mass murder and crimes against humanity. I would not have read this book based on the cover, the title, or the genre, as I do not like historical books about murders and crimes. I will not read this book, as it seems too violent and gruesome. I found no errors in the sample I read, so this book has been professionally edited. What I liked most about this book was that the author used some historical documents and sources to accurately describe white terrorism during the 1800s. To improve, the author should add more interest to the text by adding more suspense and action to it. This book had an Official OnlineBookClub review, which did not affect my decision.
First Ten review added on October 3, 2020, at 7:25 pm by Nikolas Farmakis.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
moowshiri
I wouldn't have read the book had I not been part of this program based on one of its official reviews from OnlineBookClub that I came across. It's cover is also not eye-catching. Lundgren should consider making some improvements on it. After sampling its first ten pages, I found its contents to be biased. For instance, Lundgren seems to be addressing an American audience in the book. He refers to bombings of the Oklahoma City federal building, and in Oregon, California among many others. Consequently, I won't be reading the book further since I found it hard identifying with the events in the book since I'm not American. However, I liked the fact that it has no errors in grammar in the few pages I sampled.
First Ten review added on October 3, 2020, at 5:42 pm by moowshiri.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Elvis Best
Since I did not find the book's cover appealing, I would not have read it. Also, after reading the first ten pages, I would not read the rest of it because I'm not interested in its subject matter, which is related to domestic terrorism in America. I think the book is professionally edited, though, as I found zero errors in the first ten pages. The one thing I liked most is how the author clearly stated the premise of the book in the first few pages. Further, I do not have any suggestions for improvement. Finally, I read an OnlineBookClub review that I believe presented the book well.
First Ten review added on October 3, 2020, at 4:08 pm by Elvis Best.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
ritah
Based on the title and genre, I wouldn't have sampled the book as it's not what I'd usually go for. I read the official review and sampled Massacre Rocks. I liked that the author put emphasis on the need to address domestic terrorism with as much vigor, quickness, and decisiveness as international threats and acts of terrorism. It was unfortunate that despite extensive proof, the military still went ahead and massacred innocent Native people. It just doesn't makes sense. I didn't see any errors in the pages I sampled nor did I notice any areas needing improvement. I think this is an important book, shining more light on biases, injustice, racism, and institutionalised racism. I didn't know about the historical events mentioned in the book, I'd like to learn more, which is why I will be reading the book.
First Ten review added on October 3, 2020, at 1:10 pm by ritah.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
aacodreanu
Had I 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, with the map pointing to the place the book will be discussing, the title, not that I take pleasure in learning about massacres, but the victims of such deserve people to learn about them, as the least form of respect anybody can show, the genre: history is important as it explains events of the present day, and the Official OnlineBookClub editorial review that I saw, a thorough, well-argumented and convincing presentation of the book. I already have the book and I will read it more like a resource book. The dense account of facts and people makes it difficult to read in one go. Reading the first ten pages confirmed my original guess. Based on what I read, the book seems like it was professionally edited. I like the fact that the author sets the key note of the book in the raising awareness of the authorities: ”The FBI only recently designated racially-motivated violent extremism as a “national threat priority,” which puts white nationalists and neo-Nazis on the same level as ISIS.” (location 44) The massacres of the native Americans, which some say were the most massive in the recorded history, deny any feeling of some descendants of European emigrants that they are entitled to do as they please with the non-white, regardless that they also are citizens of the present-day United States of America.
First Ten review added on October 3, 2020, at 11:22 am by aacodreanu.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
Laura Lee
This is an outstanding book and one that I fully intend to finish reading. I'm thankful for this program to bring it to my attention or I probably would never have read it as it's not a genre I spend a lot of time in. That said, the description in the review really sparked my interest, as did the Amazon blurb. I'm always fascinated by cover-ups and untold stories, and Dave Lundgren delivers! There was honestly nothing I disliked. Lundgren makes some amazing claims, but he backs them all up with documentation, which is very important to me. I don't like it when authors expect you to take their word for something. Lundgren doesn't do this and his clear writing style, combined with impeccable documentation is what I like best about the book. The writing is clear and engaging and the editing is exceptional. I am really looking forward to finishing reading this outstanding little book.
First Ten review added on October 3, 2020, at 11:13 am by Laura Lee.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
Scerakor
From the cover, blurb, and review of this book, I would not have read this book. I'm not interested enough in American history or home-grown terrorism to read this one. 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 loved the descriptive writing even in the sample that I read. Even simply writing about where Pocatello is and the surrounding area, I can tell the author has a penchant for descriptive writing. That being said, I'm just not interested enough in the subject matter to pick this one up. I didn’t see anything specific that I would have wanted to change within the sample that I read. Although the reviewer mentioned that there were several errors in the book I didn't see any in the sample that I read. The official review did not affect my decision at all.
First Ten review added on October 3, 2020, at 10:59 am by Scerakor.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Hazel Arnaiz
I would not sample the book outside the program. I am not a fan of this genre. I was confused with the cover and title. Based on the cover, I thought it was a travel book because of the map. Upon seeing the word ‘massacre’ in the title, I thought it was a thriller. In addition, the font sizes for ‘massacre’ and ‘rocks’ were different. The word ‘rocks’ was slightly bigger than ‘massacre.’ I am not sure if this was intentional, but I had to squint my eyes a bit to adjust to the change. I did not find a blurb and there was only one customer review at Amazon, which was not very helpful. Reading the sample did not change my mind. The pace was slow, and the flow was not very smooth. I had to go back to previous pages, several times, to recall which event or character the author was talking about. Although the subject was intriguing, the reading experience was not engaging enough for me to finish the book. Another factor is that I am not familiar with the history and geography. I would probably have a hard time relating to the topic. What I liked about the book was the attempt of the author to expose the story. It will help if the story-telling is improved to make the reading experience engaging. I did not notice errors from the pages that I sampled. The Official OnlineBookClub review was insightful, but it did not change my mind.
First Ten review added on October 3, 2020, at 7:25 am by Hazel Arnaiz.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Sanju Lali
The cover and the title hinted to me that this book focuses on some geopolitical issues at someplace. Therefore, I read the official review of this book because I was curious to know more about the country that is facing these geopolitical issues. The official review helped me to understand that the book depicts how racially-motivated terrorism has created troubles for the citizens of the United States for several years. This information encouraged me to read the sample of the book before purchasing it. When I read the first ten pages, I realized that this book is professionally edited because I did not find any grammatical or typing errors. The thing l liked the most is the depiction of the geopolitical situation that persists on American soil in the context of racism. However, I got distracted by some unnecessary information. For example, the sentence, "Ice age floods shaped Pocatello’s topography and enriched the region’s topsoil about 14,500 years ago...". The information that appears irrelevant to the main subject distracts the readers like me from staying focused. My suggestion to the author would be to address the shortcomings pointed out by me in the above sentence. Considering all these facts, I decided not to purchase and read this book today but wait until the author addresses my suggestion so that reading the book could be rewarding for me.
First Ten review added on October 3, 2020, at 6:30 am by Sanju Lali.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Mutai Marshal
This book addresses some of the historical injustices in the US. The FBI seem to shift its attention from the culprits responsible for the attacks on Americans. Despite the documented evidences present, the military is yet to take the appropriate action. The novel was written from the third-person perspective. I loved most the simple language used. It also provides some proof that continues to be overlooked. I wanted to read this book based on its intriguing title and a nicely-executed review (by OBC). Having sampled the first ten pages, I will buy this book since I am an enthusiast of American history. It was exceptionally edited, and I cannot suggest any improvements.
First Ten review added on October 3, 2020, at 4:54 am by Mutai Marshal.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
Emy Katherine
Throughout his book, Dave Lundgren explains how Native Americans were wrongfully accused of robbing and murdering a group of 120 emigrants passing through their territory along the Oregon Trail in 1857. A few years later, the U.S. Army took revenge by killing 450 Shoshonis along the Bear River. As I am not fond of historical non-fiction books, I would not have read the book without The First Ten program. Unsurprisingly, I did not change my mind after reading the first ten pages and the OBC review. However, I found the author's writing style expository and easy to read; the inclusion of pictures also made the book more interesting. Moreover, I only found some minor errors that did not disrupt the flow of the story. For example, there should be a comma after "Idaho" in the following sentence: "In Idaho it is fiercely guarded as a sacred tradition that should never be questioned." (location 175 of 1383 • 13%) The only thing I disliked was that I found the Amazon blurb too long; I would suggest the author shorten it. From what I have read, it will surely appeal to those who enjoy reading well-researched historical books.
First Ten review added on October 3, 2020, at 4:08 am by Emy Katherine.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Shrabastee Chakraborty
From the cover and the blurb, the premise becomes quite clear. Although the official OBC review rates it a full 4 stars, I wouldn't have read this book based on the genre. The first ten pages were without editing issues. They give a brief introduction of "white terrorism" in various parts of North America. Then the author starts with the geographical descriptions and the histories of each Native American territory. While this book addresses a concerning issue by shedding light on the true yet unreported stories, the book did not appeal to me. I do not have any suggestions for improvement, just that the premise did not interest me. I am not going to read this book.
First Ten review added on October 3, 2020, at 3:58 am by Shrabastee Chakraborty.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Sou Hi
The cover is practically a map that focuses on Utah state, the Oregon Trail, California Trail, and Overland Trail. Along with the title, I guess that is the region where the Massacre Rocks happened. The official review highlights the book's purpose, so I'm reading the sample to see if it's true. The sample opens with a brief introduction about home-grown white terrorists. One of the most famous cases was the story of Massacre Rocks State Park. White emigrants were murdered, and the innocent Indians were blamed, paying for the crime they did not commit. Revealing the truth about that dark chapter of American history is the main objective of this book.
I like the author's bravery. Despite being an American himself, he doesn't shy away from reality. As he states in his book, the true story is a sad one, but it's one that must be told. I've seen books that emphasize the terrorist activities of the Middle Eastern people, yet they ignore the fact that America itself is full of terrorists. Countless mass shootings have been recorded over the years, and the number of them hardly decreases. Hopefully, this book will be able to contribute to the government's attention, making them focus more on domestic terrorism. The author seems to pour a lot of effort into this volume, as he even adds photos to enhance the readers' understanding. I don't see any errors, so the editing looks good. For now, I have no complaints about this book. I would like to know more about the case, so I will be buying it.
First Ten review added on October 3, 2020, at 3:29 am by Sou Hi.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
MeganDJ
To be honest, I don't think I would have picked this one up regardless of the title, cover or the first 10 pages. After reading the Online Book Review on it, I already knew that this book was not for me. After reading the first 10 pages, my initial thoughts were correct as it immediately started touching on aspects such as white supremacy and terrorism, which I know are important topics, but also too heavy for me to want to dive into right now. With that being said, I will not continue reading the rest of the book. The book seems well edited as I did not find a single error. I like that is throws you right into the premise of the story and does not beat around the bush. For the type of book that it is, there is nothing that I would improve upon.
First Ten review added on October 3, 2020, at 2:34 am by MeganDJ.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
J_odoyo
Massacre Rocks: A Campaign of Deception by Dave Lundgren is an engrossing historical nonfiction book that seems to have been well written. The book’s cover page is smartly designed; it is a map showing the region where the story took place. The title was also relevant, attractive, and professional. I liked the author’s description on the Amazon website; it was precise and informative enough to allow for an accurate guess of what to expect in the book. The book’s storyline is gripping and well written. It also had a positive official OnlineBookClub review, which gave insight into what the book entails. I didn’t find any error, and I can wager that the book seemed to have been professionally edited. Dave Lundgren pens a painful but riveting truth that led to the Bear River Massacre of 1863. The book seems to have been well researched and well woven. The first chapter revisits the story of the Shoshoni leader known as Pocatello. The story is promising, and I can’t stop reading it. Having read the sample and the OnlineBookClub review, I’m going to finish reading this book because I like this story.
First Ten review added on October 3, 2020, at 2:02 am by J_odoyo.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
Kaitlyn Canedy
I likely wouldn't have read the sample of Massacre Rocks had it not been the OnlineBookClub's book of the day. The one thing that I loved about the book so far is the belief that it holds- history will repeat itself if we try to erase or change it. While American history is not all sunshine and rainbows, it is something that every American needs to read to understand the racism and wrongdoing that has happened. I believe that this book is no exception. I am curious to know what happens to the Indians, so I will be reading the rest of Massacre Rocks in the future. There are no grammatical errors that I can find, and there are no improvements that I can think of to make the book better. The official OnlineBookClub review was enlightening, and made me more excited to read the rest of the book.
First Ten review added on October 3, 2020, at 12:35 am by Kaitlyn Canedy.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
Twylla
I read the entire book today. I couldn't stop reading it. I have never heard this part of our American history. I am shocked this was part of the Mormons culture. My favorite part of the book was the maps and pictures. The online book club review was excellent. It had a very detailed analysis. I dont have any suggestions to improve it. The book was well written and professionally edited. I didn't find any errors.
First Ten review added on October 3, 2020, at 12:35 am by Twylla.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
Rodel Barnachea
I am not a fan of historical non-fiction works, so I become immediately uninterested in the book when I saw its genre. However, after I read its official OBC review and Amazon page, I changed my mind. The title's themes and content intrigue me, even though I am not an American. I love how well-edited and concise the book is, and I equally admire how it fights against historical negationism and revisionism. Without reading the sample, I want to purchase the book today.
After I read the sample, I changed my mind (again). I wouldn’t buy this book because I realized that I didn't understand the mentioned historical and cultural terms. I was wrong to expect that the title will communicate using words and phrases that I know and can understand. I do not live in America and knows nothing about Idaho, the Oregon Trail, or Pocatello, so I have to search on the internet the names and places every time I come across one.
Because it orients the reader on what to expect in later chapters, the book's introduction is what I liked most with what I read. It also contains only a few unfamiliar terms, so comprehending the text is easy. I noted no errors or typos in the sample; I believe the book is professionally edited. I have no suggestions for the author.
First Ten review added on October 2, 2020, at 10:34 pm by Rodel Barnachea.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Odette Chace
While the title didn't pique my curiosity about this book, the subtitle certainly did. The synopsis on Amazon made me more interested in the book. This is a part of U.S. history that I was not taught in school, and I am very curious to learn more about how even modern day historians have been complicit in covering this up. The official Online Book Club review was very complimentary and gave the book a perfect rating of 4 out of 4 stars. The review noted that the book is free of errors, which is always a plus. Otherwise, the review didn't make much of an impression. I would probably sample this book even if I were not part of this program, even though I don't typically read books about history for fun. I love how bold the introduction to the book is. The author does not pull punches. Throughout the first ten pages, I was impressed with how concise and well-worded the writing is. I did not notice any errors in the portion I sampled and am really looking forward to finishing the book at a later date.
First Ten review added on October 2, 2020, at 9:57 pm by Odette Chace.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
Mallory Porshnev
The cover of this book made me curious to find out what it was a about. The OBC review shed some light on that and gave it a high rating. So, I was even more interested in giving it a try. I enjoy history, and the topic appealed to me. However, after reading the first ten pages, I know I will not continue this one. I appreciate how much research went into writing this novel, but it was too dry for my taste. It is written more like a textbook. I didn't notice any editing errors, and it seems to have been written with care. I will not be reading it though.
First Ten review added on October 2, 2020, at 9:50 pm by Mallory Porshnev.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
CrescentMoon
After reading the blurb, I don't think I would pick this book up because I don't tend to read non-fiction so the genre isn't for me. After reading the first ten pages, I didn't see any spelling or grammar errors and the book appears very well-edited. What I liked best about the book so far was how the author introduced the topic of domestic terrorism and how white nationalists and Neo-nazis are basically similar to Isis and other terrorist groups. I completely agree with the author that there isn't much difference between them but the way news articles and the media refer to these white domestic terrorists, they describe them in much milder terms compared to groups of color. I also was not aware about how Mormons in the past dressed up as Native Americans and committed atrocious acts so that the Native Americans would be labeled as terrorists and they would have an excuse to indict them. I think the author does a great job addressing the importance of this topic. It's definitely relevant today. I do not have any suggestions for improvement. There was an onlinebookclub review. However, this genre isn't for me so I won't be reading the rest.
First Ten review added on October 2, 2020, at 8:56 pm by CrescentMoon.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Mbrooks2518
I'm not in interested in reading historical non-fiction, so I would not have sampled this book without The First Ten. Reading the first ten pages did not change my opinion, so I am not going to read the rest of the book. I did like that by talking about domestic terrorism in the introduction, the author made a connection between the past and the present. I did not find any editing errors, and nothing needs to be improved. The official review did not affect my opinion.
First Ten review added on October 2, 2020, at 8:50 pm by Mbrooks2518.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Juliana_Isabella
I wouldn't have chosen this book because I don't usually read nonfiction. Even though the review I read was positive, it didn't make me want to read the book because it sounds more academic than entertaining. I didn't find any errors in the first ten pages, and I agree with the author's comments in the introduction that home-grown white terrorism is an underestimated and ignored threat. However, I don't plan to finish the book because I like for my reading to distract me from the real world, not remind me of the horrors of it.
First Ten review added on October 2, 2020, at 7:14 pm by Juliana_Isabella.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Kelyn
If I had not been a member of this program, it is doubtful that the cover, title, genre, or author would have attracted my attention to this book. Historical non-fiction is not one of my favored genres. I usually find it dry reading. As such, it is unlikely that I would even have encountered the book. If I had, both the title and cover give strong hints that the book is historically-based, so they would also have deterred me from reading the book. The author is unknown to me, so that would not have influenced my decision. The blurb is clear and to the point on what the book is about. It revealed that not only is the book historically based, it also has elements concerning religion. This is another area of reading I stay far away from. Though there were three ratings, all positive, only one of those left a review. As it revealed that the commenter was also a friend of the author, I could not give it much consideration. There was no review from this program on the Amazon page. If I had seen a review of ours on the Amazon site, I would have been interested in what the reviewer had to say. The review on this site was both positive and complimentary of the book. This gave a good impression going into the sample. The sample was engaging. I would be very interested in seeing the 'documentary evidence' proving that the Mormons were actually the ones attacking settlers. It's not that I overly doubt this; I simply didn't realize there was proof. Despite the fact that I found the sample interesting, the fact remained that this genre, almost without fail, has proven to be less than stimulating for me. Because of this, I have decided not to continue to read the book. The book seems well edited. I found no countable errors in the sample.
First Ten review added on October 2, 2020, at 6:32 pm by Kelyn.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Rashida10
If I hadn't read the first ten pages of the book, Massacre Rocks by Dave Lundgren, I wouldn't have decided to read it based on its title because it portrays ruthless killings. I developed an interest to sample this book when I came across this awesome review on OBC. I will not be buying and reading the whole book because the killings at Massacre Rocks were hidden for a very long time. The book did seem professionally edited, with no grammar errors/typos found. I liked that the storyline was based on historical events.
First Ten review added on October 2, 2020, at 6:04 pm by Rashida10.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Kajori Sheryl Paul
Dave Lundgren's 'Massacre Rocks' is a book with a message. White terrorism and Neo-Nazism has become a matter of concern in the United States. White attacks of terror started way back in the 1800s. White immigrants traveling to the west along the Oregon, California, and Overland trails were brutally murdered. Responsibility was readily imposed on the Native Indians. The author shows that it was a completely different group of people that orchestrated the attacks. There were no errors. Hence, I consider it to be professionally edited. I like the concept of going back in the past to show the dire consequences of unchecked domestic terrorism so that we do not condone the same thing again. The title and the book cover are both apt. The OBC review and the Amazon review gave a proper insight into the book. I will give this book a try as I like the concept. Also, the writing style is pretty interesting.
First Ten review added on October 2, 2020, at 6:03 pm by Kajori Sheryl Paul.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
Jorge Leon Salazar
In the beginning, the book denotes the difficulty of dealing with home-grown terrorism indicating that the FBI, just recently, has placed them on the same level as ISIS. Next, the injustices that have traditionally been committed against the natives are highlighted. There are comments on the history of Pocatello, regarding the name, who he was, and whether he was actually real or invented by Mormons to instill terror.
I found interesting the descriptions about the ancient skills that the natives possessed and that is still preserved. They are referred to the environment, food search, dangers, and others. I was struck by the explanations about the influence of Mormons in southern Idaho nowadays. These first pages also comment on the racist, offensive denominations against the Natives and the constant terror campaigns of the Mormons. They often alter historical facts that have led to the creation of bad fame and transmission of terror from generation to generation until today. It is equally intriguing to learn more about the Mormons and their founder Joseph Smith, who from a youthful age already had criminal inclinations.
Definitely, this book clarifies and claims the legacy and culture of Native Americans. That is striking and I would like to read more about it. The official review clarifies the content a bit more and encourages to read the book. The edition is remarkable since I did not observe any details. The cover accurately displays a map that places the reader in the primary place of occurrence of the events. In summary, I will read the rest of the book as soon as I can.
First Ten review added on October 2, 2020, at 5:36 pm by Jorge Leon Salazar.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
Verna Coy
Had I not sampled this book through the First Ten program, I would not have chosen it because the title sounds negative to me.
For this reason, I don’t intend to read the whole book.
Reading the first ten pages didn’t change my mind about my first impressions of the book. The first sentence is racially charged. “It has always been difficult for this country to deal with its home-grown white terrorists.” I don’t think that all homegrown terrorists’ are all the same race or color, so it seems this book does read a bit on the negative side as the title suggests.
Based on what I read, the book seems professionally edited.
I didn’t see errors in the first ten pages.
What I liked most about what I read is how the author researched the history this book is based on.
I know that fans of American history will enjoy aspects of this book.
As far as improvements, I could see no need for any in what I read.
I did read the Official Online Book Club review and found it insightful. It didn’t affect my views of the book.
First Ten review added on October 2, 2020, at 5:09 pm by Verna Coy.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Laura Ungureanu
I liked the cover, but I find history books to be too heavy for me. The OBC review didn't change my mind, but it presented me with a great image of the book. The sample talks about American history in regards to terrorism. I was bored from the first page because of the monotonous writing and the heavy information that I received. As a book with an educational purpose, I respect it, but I can't say that I would read this for pleasure. As a European, the education purpose is diminished for me, so I have to cast this book away. The editing seemed fine.
First Ten review added on October 2, 2020, at 5:05 pm by Laura Ungureanu.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Chelsy Scherba
This is an interesting topic about history that is little known. Apparently, the Mormons were masquerading as Indians and killing white settlers. The government chose to go with the narrative that the Indians were the perpetrators in spite of evidence to the contrary and went out and used it as an excuse to murder innocent tribes in the region. The author makes the content easy to understand and I like the inclusion of photographs, tribal customs, and descriptions of the geographic region. The book is very professionally edited. I saw no errors. The review made the book seem more interesting to me and gave the author a perfect score. I would not have found this book outside of the program, but I will read the free copy I received. I really like the title and cover.
First Ten review added on October 2, 2020, at 3:17 pm by Chelsy Scherba.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
Kirsi Cultrera
Neither the cover nor the name gave me any clue about the topic or the genre of this book. I found this to be a real pity because first impressions are crucially important when deciding for or against buying a book. In this case, it obliged me to search for the review first. Well-written as it was, it gave me the necessary information and input to take a look at the actual book. I have endless interest in the events in our history and enjoy reading historical non-fiction. My belief is, it is impossible to understand the present if we don’t know the past. Unfortunately, even though technically everything seemed to be in good order, I did not feel like this book provided any veritably new information to me. I believe this book will find its readers, but personally, my intention goes against reading further.
First Ten review added on October 2, 2020, at 2:58 pm by Kirsi Cultrera.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Brenda Creech
I would not have checked this book out just on the cover and title. After reading the official review, I still wasn't interested in reading the whole book. Having read the first ten pages of the book I was intrigued by some of the history about Massacre Rocks, but not enough to make me want to read more. The first ten pages are perfectly edited. I did not see anything that needed improving. Although the historical facts about the Indians and immigrants travelling the trails heading west were interesting, it is not something I am personally interested in learning. I tend to become bored with facts and can't remain interested in what I am reading. That is why I have decided not to read the rest if the book.
First Ten review added on October 2, 2020, at 1:58 pm by Brenda Creech.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Melisa Jane
I wouldn't have sampled this book based on its title because rocks don't interest me. After sampling it, I won't finish reading it because it addresses American issues. Since I'm not from America, I feel like I'm not part of the target audience. I like that it addresses issues of racism, especially how Indians in America have been sidelined. I also learned so much about different incidents of bombing and the mass shooting in America. I don't have any improvement suggestions. I didn't find any grammatical errors while reading. This book has an official OBC review.
First Ten review added on October 2, 2020, at 12:59 pm by Melisa Jane.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
María Andrea Fernández Sepúlveda
I wouldn't have bought the book based on first impressions. I'm not that familiar with US History to get the cover at first glance and I think the blurb could be better. Although I understand the historical significance, I found it boring. The only rating the book has on Amazon is from someone who says about the author: "I have known you since we were young" so I don't think it's very trustworthy.
The first ten pages are interesting. I was especially pleased because this is a topic I know very little about since I'm not an American citizen. Some facts are truly appalling. For example, that the native tribes had lived in the Arco Desert for 15, 000 years. There are also passages that made me reflect. For example, the author says "Despite the extensive documentary proof, however, the military responded to the emigrant attacks by conducting the largest and most brutal massacre of innocent Native people in this country’s history." I think, however, that the individual soldiers that performed this act didn't know the truth. They probably thought they were acting righteously. Often, these truths are only known by the higher-ups. Despite these interesting facts, there are also some that I found of little importance (the Arco Desert [...produces] some of the world’s best potatoes, for example) and overall, the tone was boring.
I didn't find editing mistakes. I would suggest improving the blurb because the opening line is too broad of a statement to capture the readers' interest. The book has an official review but it didn't influence my decision.
First Ten review added on October 2, 2020, at 11:04 am by María Andrea Fernández Sepúlveda.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
LinaJan
I would not have walked past 'Massacre Rocks' by Dave Lundgren if I browsed in a bookstore. I find both the cover and the title of the book somewhat telling. Indeed, having read the official onlinebookclub.org review, I learned that this work addresses the most horrendous of humanity's tragedies as well as is of great importance to assist the understanding of modern tendencies and happenings. As expected, whilst sampling the book, I felt my blood starting to boil. It is not a nice feeling, but it is, nevertheless, a welcome feeling. I congratulate the author on his effort to fire up a conversation that should never stop. The story of the American Natives' demise is not only sad; it is enraging, same as any other atrocity carried out for self-concern and greed. The propaganda of those with a vested interest is widespread today, and people need to be continuously educated to recognize it when they are exposed to it. D. Lundgren seems to not only have done a brilliant job in presenting the horrible history and what lessons should be learned from it, but also at making sure that his work is well-edited and professionally proofread. I look forward to learning more as uncomfortable as it makes me feel.
First Ten review added on October 2, 2020, at 11:04 am by LinaJan.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
Gabrielle Sigaki
Massacre Rocks by Dave Lundgren is a non-fiction historical book that brings the themes of history about Native Americans and how some facts remained hidden from society. When I saw its Official OnlineBookClub review, I wanted to read the novel since it seemed educational and unique. After sampling it, I decided not to read the entire book since I didn't enjoy the author's style, which was too descriptive and monotonous in my opinion. However, I enjoyed the fact that the writer chose such an important theme with a different point of view and that there were a lot of photographs and maps in it. Besides, the book seems professionally edited.
First Ten review added on October 2, 2020, at 9:58 am by Gabrielle Sigaki.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Theresa Moffitt
This looks like a fascinating book about home grown terrorism that I would like to finish reading. I wasn’t sure What the book was about from the title and cover of the book, but the Online Book Club review provided a thorough picture of the book. The review was so interesting and gave the book a rating of 4 out of 4 stars. It increased my interesting in reading the book. So, although I wouldn’t have picked the book up based on the cover alone, the OBC review makes me want to finish it. I didn’t read a customer review of this book because the OBC review provided enough information. The first ten pages were well written and interesting. They focused on home grown terrorism that the author believes we try not to focus on. He provides a history of incidents of home grown terrorism that was blamed on the American Indians over one hundred years ago. I didn’t see any errors in this book, so I believe it was professionally edited. I also didn’t see any area that the author could improve upon.
First Ten review added on October 2, 2020, at 9:50 am by Theresa Moffitt.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
Timothy Rucinski
From the cover I wouldn't have picked this book up off the shelf to purchase, but perhaps to look inside to get a better understanding of its content. But if the inside cover notes described the content, I'd think differently. In this case, it was the introduction that encouraged me to continue reading, and from the first ten pages, I could see myself completing this book.
The story, involving domestic terrorism, couldn't be timelier. It's this point that intrigued me the most as I am personally interested in the issue of systemic racism and the forces employed to enforce it within the country. The author does a great job in the first pages setting the stage and frankly, if I weren't reading several other books at the moment, I'd continue with this one immediately. It seems to be a short read and I most definitely will get to it.
From what I could see, I believe the book is professionally edited and the writing style is simple and easy to read. I don't see much need for improvement, although I would suggest that the author include a map of the area up front, more detailed than the one on the cover, following the introduction, as an easy to access reference.
First Ten review added on October 2, 2020, at 9:37 am by Timothy Rucinski.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
Total ~ 44%
Massacre Rocks earned a score of 44%.
In other words, out of the top-level reviewers who read at least the first 10 pages of this book, 44% 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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