Book-note ratings

From Scienticity

Scienticity:
Readability:
Hermeneutics:
Charisma:
Recommendation:
Ratings are described on the Book-note ratings page.

We use five categories to indicate our satisfaction with a book, listing them in a table with 1 to 5 Ars checkerboards to indicate level of satisfaction, as at right. Five checkerboards denote the most positive assessment, one checkerboard the least positive assessment.

Scienticity

Scienticity is our report on how science-y the book is.

Readability

Hermeneutics

Comprehension and communication: how thoroughly did the author understand his subject, and how clearly did the author communicate his understanding? Did the book have depth, or was it superficial? Was the author's expression clear and penetrating or muddled? How much wisdom did the book have to offer, and how well?

Charisma

Some books are fun to read; some books are a chore to get through. Some books stimulate new thoughts in the reader; some don't. Some books make clear the author's enthusiasm for her subject; some don't. Some books are beautifully presented and pleasant to hold; others make the act of reading a struggle.

Charisma, meaning gift or charm, usually describes an ineffable quality in some people that makes them pleasant, fun, or stimulating to be around; we use it to describe a book that is pleasant, fun, or stimulating to read.

Recommendation