The author says:
Non-fiction – This book is about consciousness and happiness. It follows the trail from smiles, through peak experiences, entheogens, and cultivating a natural state of mind through a meditative, playful attitude.
Nathan says:
I have no problems with it as such, but I wonder if using a hand-drawn, cursive typeface — or even actual cursive writing, not generated by font — for at least part of the next might be an improvement.
Comments?
My thinking is that while the tree–that lonely tree, there–sort of kinda implies meditation, or peacefulness, it’s a long way from playful.
That is what strikes me the most. It’s cold-looking. It doesn’t speak to me, doesn’t reach me. I would think that the image should invoke a sense of longing, right? To achieve that meditative, happy state? The message here, assuming I’m not the only one that feels this, is a very lonely one, and I’m not sure that’s what the submitter is trying to go for.
I realize that, from the description, this is clinical–is it? Because that’s how it reads. I’m equally unsure that that’s what the submitter wants, as well.
If the book is highly clinical and meant for practitioners/teachers, then this might be quite right for it. If it’s meant to appeal to folks in the self-help aisle, though, I think it might be missing the mark.
I don’t have any complaints with it technically. It’s clean, and that type of clean design has its own elegance. Can’t complain about that. Just not sure that this is the right cover for this particular book. I wish we had a bit more description to go on.
Well, to be honest, when I saw the large word “Cultivating” above a photo of a tree, I thought the book had something to do with farming.
I agree with Hitch: the cover is very off-putting. Given its subtitle and description, I don’t think it remotely conveys the kind of impression it should. There is really nothing at all about the cover—from the choice of image to the choice of typefaces—that suggests “consciousness and happiness,” “meditative, playful attitudes” or anything else in its description.
The very first thing I would do would be to go back to square one and rethink the cover image. And I would strongly suggest finding something with people in it. I would also suggest having the image fill the space: the hard edges in the current cover are, as Hitch says, cold and uninviting. Finally, I would give some further thought to the type.