How Not to Respond to Bad Reviews

As a writer and public speaker, albeit on a small scale, I found this story on the Panda’s Thumb amusing. Apparently Dr. Stuart Pivar, who appears to have no particular qualifications in the field, has written a book about giving “structuralist/developmental interpretation of evolution.”

As authors will do from time to time, Pivar then sent a review copy to PZ Myers, whose review was anything but positive. Pivar sent him a revised copy, which resulted in another unfavorable review, to put it mildly. Now, my fellow authors, what do you do when you get an unfavorable review? You learn what you can from it, and if it’s truly malicious and not at all constructive, you suck it in and go on. When you present ideas to the public, you live with the possibility–no, the near certainty–that someone isn’t going to like them.

In the case of LifeCode: The Theory of Biological Self Organization, the author shows no qualifications for writing the book, and the reviewer is extremely well qualified, thus suggesting who should be heard and who no. Besides, $60.00 for a 164 page book is just a bit out of range. Specialty books written for a scholarly audience sometimes are priced in that range, but that doesn’t apply here.

Finally, any author who sues a reviewer should assume that any positive review he ever gets can be discounted. He has tried to apply intimidation, and cannot be relied upon.