Manson Seems to Give a F*** About Being Petty
Several months ago I read a book which I really enjoyed and I posted a glowing review of it.
Like many people who read something which they think is great I wanted to share it.
I had a competition to give a copy away.
Several people even contacted me afterwards to say how they bought the book on the basis of my review.
The book was called "The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F_ck" by Mark Manson.
You can read my review here.
I have done a number of reviews for books I liked and I always email a copy to the authors to let them know. The response has always been positive.
-Until now that is.
No Good Deed....
It seems that Mark Manson or someone representing him is trying to have the review taken down under DMCA.
See this link here on github - many thanks to @ausbitbank for letting me know.
This is ridiculous as not only is a book review one of the most obvious cases of fair use it is also terrible PR - particularly given the basic premise of Manson's book.
I could understand someone being aggrieved with a very negative review - everyone has feelings, although even in that case they would have no grounds for a DMCA takedown.
The problem with the DMCA is that things are often taken down or blocked anyway because companies don't have time to look into things in depth and are afraid of lawsuits.
My review is on the blockchain so can't be removed but it's visibility can be altered and it could be blocked on the Steemit website.
Giving F_cks in All The Wrong Places
The whole episode is really sad.
I suppose the most disappointing thing is that it basically killed the respect I had developed for Mark Manson and his book.
Manson clearly does give a "f***" and in a very petty way. He also has a lot to learn about PR.
Needless to say I now see him as a phony and will not be reading his future books or recommending any of his work.
So if that was your intention, Mark, - mission accomplished.
Thank You For Reading
Had to google DMCA...now i get it :)
Surprised you haven't encountered it before - I'm most familiar with it from gaming where people get their Youtube game reviews struck down.
I play Quake Champions and Quake live but had never hear that before. Thank you for clearing it out for me and great article. Thank you for sharing. Following to learn more.
I am so sorry for your embarrassment. I know very well the politics of reviews from my two novels - one that was published by a small house, now defunct, and the other an e-book. Both were posted on Amazon and subject to the vagaries of the review process.
A Familiar Rain did well and received many glowing reviews - one, in particular, a professional review posted in The Educated Imagination, a journal of McLuhan and Northrop Frye. But nevertheless, I had certain enemies - spammer authors who incessantly hawked their wares on Twitter and Amazon and tried to torpedo me by encouraging friends or lackeys to post fake reviews. GRRR!!!
But then, I self-published on Amazon Kindle and was torpedoed again, but this time by well-meaning fans - people who were barely literate who decided to adopt the persona of professional reviewer and totally skew the work. Equally exasperating! But I did not then, nor ever will, attempt to censor this feedback. An author has to rely on a discerning readership - otherwise, what's the point?
Now, in your case, it seems you were unjustly maligned. It's happened to me here on steemit where I gave a fair and honest response to an author's work and was met with a bristling response. Apparently, everything should be in superlatives or best not said at all. As in your case, I actually praised the author's work and recommended him to several other steemians to follow.
I am really grieved that a professional author, or his associates would react in this way. As a matter of fact, I am one of those people who read one of the books you recently reviewed and am still deriving great benefit from it. I think I wrote you and told you that. So, please don't allow this one bad experience to stop you from posting your excellent reviews. You are professional in your approach, unfortunately, as sometimes happens, other are not.
Thanks so much for your well thought out response my friend. I won't let it put me off.
I'm glad. I do enjoy your reviews
Thank you:)
I hope Mark Manson reads this, and then fires his staff, or at least yells at his publisher's staff.
You are clearly not in violation of any copyright. And so, they, at minimum, are just wasting your time. I guess they couldn't be bothered to waste any of theirs looking into the actual case.
Word of mouth advertising is the strongest form. Clearly Mark Manson, or someone who represents him is a complete Jackass. And for putting You threw the ringer, in my book he
or they, are a complete and utter looser with lifetime tenure.
Now if Mr. Manson wants to come after me for my review of him,
Lol:)
Spot on mate. Sadly this seems to happen a lot with DMCA requests though.
Either Mason or someone on his team is a complete douchebag. I certainly don't need him to teach me to not give a fuck. I already know how to do that quite well on my own. :)
As an author myself, I often give away free copies of my books to encourage reviews, especially when the book is new. That is a common pre-release or shortly post-release technique in publishing. And, any review is generally considered a good review, whether it's good or bad, because both generate publicity, get people's eyes on the book, and increase the likelihood of sales.
Anyone who wouldn't want you reviewing your book is obviously a person who doesn't understand book marketing.
Thank you exactly. I know quite a few authors myself and none of them see reviews as a negative. It is all publicity. Further most of them understand that a review is a textbook example of fair use and cannot be shut down. Sadly the way DMCA is implemented online does not take account of that.
I am sorry I haven't read your review earlier. Your article made me curious to buy the book but I am not sure if it is available for buying in Romania.
I think it would be available if you check.
I wouldn't look for scapegoats in his staff or other people. this is what it is. and I resonate with your thoughts, moreover because I am an author myself. critical reviews, good and bad, are important and hater reviews are easily identifiable and much different from a critical one.
I also read that book and I agree with some arguments presented by Manson; on the other hand, a lot of what's written is ludacris, nothing new but a form of revisited/rewritten concepts from very popular past books - case in point: read Carnegie's popular How to Stop Worrying and Start Living...and I dont see Manson paying any tribute...
I second endorse Dale Carnegie's books.
I also recommend Napoleon Hill's books (Think and Grow Rich)
They are basically the well spring of almost everything that came after.
But hey, all works are derivative. We are all a collection of what we read and our experiences.
Thanks. That is interesting. I am not aware of the Carnegie book, I will need to check it out.
weird, a true classic. many of the popular modern books are regurgitations of classics. and yes, I am deliberately biased here, especially because things like this that happened to you.
I can not believe you would get in trouble for just doing an honest review of a book. Plagerizing a book...yes I can see a person getting into deep trouble for that. But reviewing a book???
Unbelievable!
Clearly Mr. Mark needs to give a few very SERIOUS FUCKS about winning readers and influencing people.
That is all. :-)
Well said.
I hope the people behind that similarly named world famous book do not come after you now too LOL
(:
Let's hope not! But I really don't think Dale Carnegie would mind a little poetic and artistic license being used here. I'm just going to think positive about the whole matter. A lot of power there too according to Norman Vincent Peel. :-)
I couldn't have said that any better!
Exactly!
Yup it's like someone didn't assess the request or look at your post at all.
That is the only explanation I can really think of.
Indeed.
How to alienate readers in the new....Digital Millennium -- LOL
That's BS, thats a well thought out review. That being said I doubt this is Mark's work personally probably the publicist or whoever.
Thanks. Yes that is possible but he should be more careful with who he hires to represent him in that case.
I'm wondering what was going through his (or his representative's?) mind. Other authors give free books to bloggers in exchange for good reviews which is like a free/low cost advertisement. And here you were giving him that free ad and he does that. He must hate freebies. Or he's not a fan of fans. Either way, that makes me not want to buy his book even when the title piqued my interest.
Lol yes exactly - makes no sense.
Ahh that's just sad. Writing a book about not giving a fuck
but he actually gives a lot of fucks seems like :D
Lol yes.
Seems Mark Manson does not eat his own dog food.
No not at all.
Who needs rules anyways? Fuck the book. Just kidding...influence matters the most over anything . Focus on the prize @thecryptofiend
Fiendish Success.... FTW!!!!
(:
Exactly , that's the Moto :D
Well that is F*ckdiculous!!!!! It is definitely not not my summer reading list. LOL Knowledge is power. Knowing PR is a necessary tool in today's world. Thanks for sharing a great post. - Troy
Thanks Troy. Yes I agree and Manson is someone who seems to have been very good at building up a social media following which would suggest at least some knowledge of PR which makes it all the more strange.
That is too bad, that book has been on my reading list, and seeing this post actually reminded me to put it on hold at the library. I'm really sorry to hear your trouble, and am eager to know what comes of it. If I find a book particularly interesting, I will sometimes write a bit about it, include a few quotes ect. Nothing quite as excellent as the review you wrote. Which concerns me, because this could be me some point down the line. Book reviews are definitely within our rights, and a few quotes are fair use. If anything you gave his book great publicity, perhaps they are opposed to the fact that you got paid on steemit for the review. then again, plenty of people get paid to write book reviews, the price paid just usually isn't sitting at the bottom of the review.
I wish all the best for you and will stay tuned
Thank you so much. My only theory on it is that they just did a trawl for any excerpts or mentions of the book and didn't bother checking them but there is no way to be sure.
https://markmanson.net/contact on this page there is a link to his twitter facebook and google+ profiles, as well as a form to submit him a message (which also claims he reads all of them).
I imagine you have already been to this page already.... but uh... tell me if you don't want me to contact him additionally to whatever attempts you've made.
I'm on his email list and have tried emailing him before but he never responded. I also tweeted at him. I haven't used that form but will give it a try. Thank you.
this article referenced in Free Culture! Why traditional copyright isn't always the best
Thanks! Will check it out.
Perhaps reach out to him personally? I have a feeling he is not responsible for this action himself. He might be appalled that someone from his legal team is doing this. Perhaps it's not any of his people at all! One of my YouTube videos was copyright flagged for the music I used. The track was purchased through a 3rd party. I contacted the composer and he was sooo mad that YT flagged me! He contacted them personally and the flag was gone in minutes.
Hope you get it cleared up, and maybe gain a friend in the meantime. If not, at least you know from the source.
Well I tweeted to him. I very much doubt he will respond though.
Hey, you tried at least!
Hey this a very important post because your post represents standing up for freedom of expression and freedom of press. So it is important to support you. As a writer ,blogger ans d a human being . I am with u on this and stand shoulder to shoulder in making your voice louder and heard.All the best
Thank you.
you are welcome crusader . Anytime :)
I'm so glad to have found this post. You've saved me the effort of reading the book and spending money on an author who sh!ts on good reviewers like you. I really hope this unexpected twist doesn't harm you in any way. I think the expression on that cute dog's face says it all..."Why, Mark, why?"
You're welcome. It won't really harm me - just harms Manson more than anyone else.
Interesting read @thecryptofiend. I am unfamiliar with the author, and now have no interest in it whatsoever.
Thank you for commenting - nice to see you here! Yes I suspect Manson has shot himself in the foot with this.
You're welcome @thecryptofiend. I sent you the link to that post I was asking about.
Cool. I already shared it hopefully we can get some answers for you.
I believe many humans have issues with DCMA in particular on YouTube which seems only too eager to block content that is subject to a DCMA Takedown Notice.
The only thing I noted in your review was a large number of quotes from the book, that could have triggered the action maybe.
Anyway now the publisher is ***ked and can't ever remove the review thanks to Steem blockchain, great idea to repost it here.
It was a very positive review, it is very weird to want it removed.
You got an upvote & resteem from me.
Steem on beyond the moon, we will all watch it go way past the moon. Good luck to us all.
Could be or it could be the images of the book, either way it is still fair use and a common practice with reviews.
The irony of all of this is that having not seen your original glowing review I never developed the need to go and follow up by purchasing his book. There is every chance I may have done just that. I have made many book purchases from reviews online. Now that my first encounter with his material is through reading your negative experience I have zero interest. That may mean nothing to him, and fair enough. Seems like some very strange behaviour nonetheless.
Great post I really enjoyed reading. Think I have mastered the art of not giving a fuck without reading the book lol
I've seen a very good Teds Talk video about the art of not giving a fuck, and Mark Manson was not the person giving the talk either. I forget the name of the lady that gave the talk, but she did a very good job. Looks like this is a very popular topic which can be easily self taught. So like...yes...who needs a book? :-)
Lol!
It's a shame too, that was a title that I was thinking about reading. I think I'll skip it.
Lol!
@thecryptofiend maybe the author didn't read the comments from your review...
Comments like... @thatstudentsblog35 who said You just motivated me to go buy it!!...@jaki01 said Maybe I will buy it one day, thanks for your great article!... @rok-sivante71 said this review makes me wanna pick it up and give it a shot :-)
Looks like the author just shot himself in the foot.
Yes it looks like it.
So riddiculous!
Yes.
Congratulations @thecryptofiend!
Your post was mentioned in the hit parade in the following category:
Putting this on my twitter blast (though Twitter is hiding my followers, saying i have 0 even after a wave of people followed me...Fucking Twitter.)
Thank you!
Any book called "The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F_ck" sounds like a really interesting book which I'd pick up if I saw in a store
I just went through the review you linked and it seems like a really enthralling and captivating book as it ponders on many psychological/philosophical aspects which I love to explore as you know from my posts haha
However this is really distressing to see how Mason is willing to go out of his way to take down a review. Were the reviews mostly criticism that Mason couldn't take or were there other motives behind this irrational attack? It just seems like Mason is the type of person that can't take criticism and is willing to use his authoritarian powers to control those who cannot do anything about it.
I don't think anyone should be censored and their honest opinions should be allowed to be heard. That is why decentralised, blockchain technology is the way forward and it will be adopted widely sooner or later.
Well there goes his reputation out the window but it seems like he just does not give a f_ck'...
Now I'm stuck in a predicament @thecryptofiend. Do I buy the book or not? I'
That is up to you. The book is good but if it is allegedly based on his own personal experiences then it kind of puts the provenance of it into doubt. Does he even really mean it?
I have also heard others suggest that it is a rehashing of previous books which might actually be better.
Anyway it is still a good book either way - for me the knowledge taints it but whether it does the same for you is another matter.
Dear I have a question about your userame. Did you knowingly omitted the letter r in the friend or it has some other meaning. Why did you choose thecryptofiend. Whenever I see it, I feel I should complete it.
I'm pretty sure that was done on purpose. "Fiend" is an actual word, which means evil, or a villain. "Fiendish" is a variation of the word. It doesn't need to be completed. It is a word on its own, and probably meant as a playful commentary as to his affection and knowledge of cryptocurrency.
Thanx for let me know about the fiend word, I did not know about it at all.
Always happy to expand the vocabularies of the people of the world. ;)
No it is because fiend can mean someone who is obsessed with something e.g. "he is a rock music fiend". At the time I was a bitcoin and cryptocurrency obsessive so it kind of fit. I also envisaged it as a monster in a Manga comic or animation. It's also why I sometimes use the Soul Eater which was an interesting character in an obscure Manga I randomly came across via a GF who was into that sort of thing.
Should we watch for some kind of "Make Millions on Steemit" contest from him soon?
Lol. I think he is already too rich to bother with us! We generally only attract Z class celebrities and D class scammers.
That Manson guy is strange fella you gave him free review, free advertising and more customers and he is not happy, you need to communicate well with your fans or they will turn away from you, so thats good decision to never read him again :)
Exactly. It also suggests he is a fake.
Interesting and ironic. I like it. Thanks.
You're welcome. Yes ironic to say the least, I would call it somewhat hypocritical.
Enjoyed the post but i still can't see Manson's point of view,why would he be so bothered over a positive review.
I doubt they even bothered to read it or check it.
I first heard about the author who does not like free advertising.
Yes it is very strange.
It is sad to hear that you got problems for just reviewing the book! :(
They might not pay much attention on your post! That's why they put troubles on you!
Yes it is sad.
The title of the book gave a flying "f" anyways.
Maybe Manson just wants a biased review for the book to get more sales.
I doubt he even read the review!
You can instead review movies from now on if you like and post here at steemit.
:)
I came across Manson when HE was reviewing Wilber and Integral Theory. He was none too kind and I say this as one who has been a critic of Wilber's for at least 10 years....Gotta love the ironies we are surrounded by today!
Yes for sure in fact it is more hypocrisy than irony in that case.
Indeed!
There was a book called, Fuck Ph.D., back in the day which is probably better and funnier!
I will see if I can find it.
I wouldnt have bought it anyways. But thanks for the nice ironical post :-)
You're welcome!
That's a very obvious application on Mark Manson side to not give a fuck
hahahahahaha FUCK YEA!
I enjoyed this new review a lot more ;-)>
That Fuck book about lol
Right @thecryptofiend Nice review
its really informative
Thanks!
That's a great lesson! Thank you!
You're welcome.
Life is all about risk and decisions we have to make every time. Anyway you will have to make decisions, just don't stress to much about the consequences.
BTW, just read an article related to this:
https://steemit.com/life/@razvanelulmarin/decisions
Not sure how this is related to my post.
I heard about this book. I need this one!
Er did you read the post?
Thanks a lot it is really awesome
What is awesome here?
Wow! Good job! Very interesting post! My friend @thecryptofiend! I did interesting post too. Look please!:
https://steemit.com/travel/@bugavi/a-trip-to-the-ukrainian-sea-from-bugavi-quarry-in-the-village-of-shklo