When a blurb is not enough

Q: If you cant judge a book by its cover, how ARE you meant to judge it ?

A: They also provide a short blurb on the sleeve of most books that concisely describe its contents.

However, that's insufficient for many people, including yours trully.

Generally, when judging a book, I like to put together a large panel of experts, overseen by a politically-objective steering committee, guided by a ex-miliatary computer system with GPS and a calming synthesised female voice.

I had a friend suggest once my process was overkill, but I haven't bought a dud read yet.