5. If a book is a religious book quoting the Bible, look at the copyright information to find what version of the Bible the author is using. If there are a lot of versions used it may be an indication the author has an agenda and is using one version over another because it sounds more like what they want to say than another.
6. When was the book written? Check the copyright date. A book on the Middle East from 15 years ago may be out of date. An old medical book may not be informed of the latest research. Then again, a book on World War I written in 1920 could prove very insightful.
7. Check the authors information in the Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication (LCCP) section below the copyright, you might find some interesting information. Professor, philosopher and author J.P. Moreland writes in the area of philosophy and Christian apologetics. Ever wonder what J.P. stands for? James Porter. I found this in the LCCP. Ever wonder what N.T. stands for in N.T. Wright? New Testament? Look it up.
8. Who is the publisher? You can have certain exceptions about a book on God from Zondervan, Thomas Nelson or Westminster/John Knox, but expect something totally different from Prometheus Books. Was the book self published or did it come come from a large publishing house like HarperCollins?
9. What edition is the book? First editions may end up being worth more. If the book is an early edition, there may newer and updated editions which have more current or additional content.
10. Also, check the LCCP for the authors birthday. Sometimes its listed and some times its not. I went to check this to see how old a writer was because I thought he was about my age. I found his year of birth listed as 1956. That makes him 54!!! This is either a typo or Shane Hipps is really old.
I hope these are helpful and assist you in figuring out the context of your next book!
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