The rules were simple. Leave an Amazon review of Beginning French that two or more people marked “helpful.” Your name would then go into a drawing for an authentic market bag stuffed with French goodies.

The winner of the drawing was Maureen Alfieri, a pre-med biology instructor at the University of Pennsylvania. “I never win anything!” she exclaimed.

In her Amazon review she called the book “enchanting.” She wrote, “Read this book…share it with the best of friends.” Then she gave softcover c...