# Worst sample ever!



## mom133d (aka Liz) (Nov 25, 2008)

One of my co-workers has a "master plan" for me. This involves me learning about photography so when he retires, I could have a good shot at getting his job. So I see Scott Kelby's The Digital Photograhy Book in Kindle format. Its $9.99 and fantastic reviews so I get a sample. The frigging sample is his thanks, his bio and the table of content! Thanks for nothing Amazon!


----------



## pidgeon92 (Oct 27, 2008)

I have a lot of photography books. Since they tend to contain a lot of technical information in graphics and side by side comparisons of photos, I don't think they will translate well to e-book.


----------



## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

You can always buy it. . .check it out. . .and have 'em take it back if it's not good.  I wouldn't recommend this as a general practice, but if they don't give a decent sample, what can you do?  

Ann


----------



## mom133d (aka Liz) (Nov 25, 2008)

pidgeon92 said:


> I have a lot of photography books. Since they tend to contain a lot of technical information in graphics and side by side comparisons of photos, I don't think they will translate well to e-book.


Good to know. Maybe I'll flip through a DTB copy and see if its worth me buying in any format.


----------



## pidgeon92 (Oct 27, 2008)

mom133d said:


> Good to know. Maybe I'll flip through a DTB copy and see if its worth me buying in any format.


Absolutely.... Try your local library first, he is a very popular author so they likely have it there.


----------



## sebat (Nov 16, 2008)

pidgeon92 said:


> I have a lot of photography books. Since they tend to contain a lot of technical information in graphics and side by side comparisons of photos, I don't think they will translate well to e-book.


I have several photography books myself and have to agree with Pidgeon. That being said, I am still intrigued with having one of these books on my Kindle. There are times when I'm out with my camera and want to refer to my photography book and don't have it with me. I would probably have my Kindle with me, but I know I wouldn't lug the DTB. I had planned to check it out next time I made it to the book store. Guess I won't bother with the sample.

If you end up buying it let us know how it is.


----------



## chynared21 (Oct 28, 2008)

mom133d said:


> One of my co-workers has a "master plan" for me. This involves me learning about photography so when he retires, I could have a good shot at getting his job. So I see Scott Kelby's The Digital Photograhy Book in Kindle format. Its $9.99 and fantastic reviews so I get a sample. The frigging sample is his thanks, his bio and the table of content! Thanks for nothing Amazon!


*I forget what book it was that I was sampling but it did get as far as the acknowledgements and that was it...*


----------



## LDB (Oct 28, 2008)

I've had a few samples that were incredibly short, not giving enough to get any flavor of what the book might be. As far as photography books go, Scott Kelby is considered one of the better choices in authors of that type book.


----------



## DawnOfChaos (Nov 12, 2008)

pidgeon92 said:


> I have a lot of photography books. Since they tend to contain a lot of technical information in graphics and side by side comparisons of photos, I don't think they will translate well to e-book.


I was going to say the same thing. I have his 2nd Digital Photography book, and there are several pics that you might not see what he's talking about if the examples are on a Kindle.


----------



## Marci (Nov 13, 2008)

mom133d said:


> One of my co-workers has a "master plan" for me. This involves me learning about photography so when he retires, I could have a good shot at getting his job. So I see Scott Kelby's The Digital Photography Book in Kindle format. Its $9.99 and fantastic reviews so I get a sample. The frigging sample is his thanks, his bio and the table of content! Thanks for nothing Amazon!


Scott Kelby is a good, well-known photography/Graphic Designs expert. He is funny & knowledgeable. I would recommend his books and due to the subject manner, a book would be better than a Kindle book.

My two cents.

Marci


----------



## sebat (Nov 16, 2008)

chynared21 said:


> *I forget what book it was that I was sampling but it did get as far as the acknowledgements and that was it...*


I remember reading somewhere in one of the other threads that...

Samples are set as a percentage of the total number of pages the book has. I'll not sure on the exact percentage but it's something like 5% or 10%. If it's a shorter book you may not get anything in the sample. I think that percentage can be upped. I don't know if it's something that Amazon, the publisher or the author is responsible for.


----------



## Brian (Nov 13, 2008)

I have this book in Kindle format and it isn't terrible from a formatting standpoint. I haven't read it cover to cover but glanced through it several times.

The table of contents probably has the worst formatting. This is because two reasons, 1 the chapter subtitles are fairly long (e.g. "Chapter Three. Shooting Weddings like a Pro: There is no retaking Wedding Photos. It's got to be right the first time." Even in a small font, that goes to two lines on Kindle screen. Then they use some sub-chapter headings and those are indented. The indent accompanied by the long titles gives an "odd" look in my opinion.

There are a lot of pictures. The pictures generally take up about half the screen. Some are larger. Typically you get text above and/ or below the picture but sometimes do to the way it falls, you'll get a picture on a page by itself.

The text reads pretty much like any other book on Kindle.

I'm not sure how easy it would be to use this as a reference book when your out shooting. I suppose if you read it and added notes and highlighting it would work as well as anything.

So I guess my personal opinion is I would not rule this book out for Kindle. It serves its purpose for me.


----------



## sebat (Nov 16, 2008)

Brian...

Thanks for the review.


----------



## chynared21 (Oct 28, 2008)

sebat said:


> I remember reading somewhere in one of the other threads that...
> 
> Samples are set as a percentage of the total number of pages the book has. I'll not sure on the exact percentage but it's something like 5% or 10%. If it's a shorter book you may not get anything in the sample. I think that percentage can be upped. I don't know if it's something that Amazon, the publisher or the author is responsible for.


*I just remembered what sample it was....The Monster of Florence. All I read was the list of characters and that was it. By the end of it, I was just as confused as when I started and still had not read any bit of the book itself. I know it's a decent sized book, I can only imagine how many pages of characters there are to go through in the DTV.*


----------



## Jaderose (Dec 19, 2008)

I have his books in DTB format.  Fantastic.  Thanks for the review with the Kindle one.  That would be great to have but I'm not sure I'd be able to use it to it's fullest. 

I forgot that we can return them.  I haven't done that yet, but the book is so good I'd like to try the Kindle format as well.


----------



## amanda924 (Mar 9, 2009)

sebat said:


> I remember reading somewhere in one of the other threads that...
> 
> Samples are set as a percentage of the total number of pages the book has. I'll not sure on the exact percentage but it's something like 5% or 10%. If it's a shorter book you may not get anything in the sample. I think that percentage can be upped. I don't know if it's something that Amazon, the publisher or the author is responsible for.


I dl two samples of Junie B Jones books for my first grader, and it was just the table of contents I think. None of the actual book. Not too surprising I guess given it's a children's book but she was very dissappointed.


----------



## kevindorsey (Mar 4, 2009)

When the sample sucks, you just go online and get a better one.  I know that defeats the purpose of getting a sample, but you got to do what you got to do.


----------



## pomlover2586 (Feb 14, 2009)

wow that really sucks.............  good thing it was free


----------



## meljackson (Nov 19, 2008)

Amanda, my first grader saw the Junie B Jones books too. We downloaded Aloha ha ha and have been reading it at bedtime. They are great books! Our daughters have good taste.

Melissa


----------



## amanda924 (Mar 9, 2009)

meljackson said:


> Amanda, my first grader saw the Junie B Jones books too. We downloaded Aloha ha ha and have been reading it at bedtime. They are great books! Our daughters have good taste.
> 
> Melissa


Melissa,

Yes, they do! Does your daughter also enjoy the magic tree house books? Jayde loves them!

It all brings me back to my youth...I was an avid reader...The Babysitter's club...Sleepover Friends...Nancy Drew...Fabulous Five....Sweet Valley....and the list goes on and ON lol!


----------



## Leslie (Apr 7, 2008)

kevindorsey said:


> When the sample sucks, you just go online and get a better one. I know that defeats the purpose of getting a sample, but you got to do what you got to do.


I am not sure what you mean? Just get a different book or get a different sample?


----------



## MAGreen (Jan 5, 2009)

I think he means looking up the book on either the publisher, or author's site and getting a sample from them...maybe...


----------



## Kind (Jan 28, 2009)

MAGreen said:


> I think he means looking up the book on either the publisher, or author's site and getting a sample from them...maybe...


 I was thinking that he meant, just get another sample of another book?


----------



## Eclectic Reader (Oct 28, 2008)

I read far more nonfiction than fiction, and some of the samples of nonfiction are laughable--the Table of Contents, the copyright info, and a foreward written by someone other than the author--GRRRR. I've sometimes found more samples of the book on Amazon in the "See inside this book" feature of the hardback than the sample I get on the Kindle. If that's not possible, I sometimes check to see if the book is available at my library, or may look at the book at a bookstore to see if I really want to buy it, then purchase it on the Kindle and read it.

The samples of fiction I've downloaded have always been a pretty good indication of what the book will be like, but nonfiction can be hit-and-miss, IMHO.


----------



## luvmy4brats (Nov 9, 2008)

Just remember, if the sample isn't enough, you can purchase the book. Amazon offers a 7-day return on all Kindle books. I have done this with a couple of books that did not have samples available.


----------

