How to read a book blurp

In the interest of providing a public service to many readers, and maybe to some readers' advisors, I would like to point out this article from Guardian Unlimited Books on "How Blurps Fail Me." It basically translates all the b.s. you see on those blurps for books so you know which ones to stay away from. I found this via Bookslut Blog, where they add some additional items as well. So, you may want to avoid a book if:

• "Rule one: if it sounds like baloney, it probably is baloney. 'A dark allegory about empathy, nuclear power and contemporary feminism' is not for us."
• "American blurbs are often the most suspect. 'I devoured Lucretia Jones's novel remembering why I want to read fiction' translates into: 'I'm a pathetic old drunk who hopes to get lucky with Lucretia next time she does a reading on campus.'"
• "Novels 'in the spirit of Hunter S Thompson' or that 'might have been written by Jack Kerouac' are, almost by definition, semi-literate alcoholic ramblings."

Now go read the rest so you know what to avoid.