JUDGING A BOOK BY ITS COVER

 

We’ve heard about not judging a book by its cover. This goes for not dismissing a person because of the way they dress, or their vocabulary.  

In other words, ignore your first impressions.

 

But do we? Furthermore, do we judge a book by its cover?

 

Yes, sir. Certainly, ma’am. We do. I know I do.

 

When the cover is raunchy, I assume the book is also. When a cover is cheaply or carelessly designed, I assume lower quality for the content.

It isn’t fair. One out of ten times (I’m inventing this quantitative assertion) it turns out to be a wrong judgement. But it’s right enough times that we, or I, continue to make these judgments.

 

A thoughtful or brilliant cover will make me open the book at least to read the flap-jacket. A nicely dressed and groomed person will get an easy smile and a possible greeting.

 

Of course, there are life experiences that surprise us by contradicting this pattern. A person once dismissed is revealed under unexpected circumstances to be a gem. A book I’d never open even to read the first page turns out, after a strong recommendation from someone I respect, to be one I will re-read many times and consider a treasure.

Even if this sort of thing happens enough times to make “Don’t’ judge a book by its cover” an acknowledged truth, I continue to judge books by their covers.

 

Which leads me to say: covers matter. Pay attention to yours and your books’.