I don’t buy books online very often, but I do use many of Amazon’s features frequently. One of the things I do often before purchasing a book I don’t know much about is go to Amazon and read the reviews. These have definitely swayed my decision on purchases and I wonder why I easily put so much trust into them.

I am terrified of flying. I grew up on the east coast, so after moving to Portland I have had to fly much more frequently and for longer flights than usual. I decided reading a book about coping strategies could be helpful. Since I had no idea where to start, I went to Amazon, typed in the subject, and read the reader reviews of dozens of books. The one I chose to order was the one with the best and most helpful reviews. I did find the book helpful and it lived up to my expectations for it. I based my decision to purchase it solely on what others had to say. While the reviewers of this book, for the most part, were not from esteemed publications or groups one might seek a review from, they were experts to me. They were a specialized group of people who knew exactly the problem I had, had it themselves, and could let me know if a particular book would help solve it.

These reader reviews have definitely swayed my decision on purchases on many occasions. I always prefer reader reviews to the reviews of “experts.” I wonder if this is just me. Something about being able to relate to another consumer and help them in some way is kind of a nice idea. Amazon does have a very personal side to it, and I don’t think this is explored or talked about very often.