I go right for the debates

When trying to figure out what's what, what direction is up, in a scholarly field, I go right for the debates. I go to jstor and try to read as many book reviews as I can of a prominent figure. This gives me the context of intellectual discussion. Reviews that are mere summaries or that are mostly positive aren't very useful.  By the same token book reviews of my own work that are more mixed are more useful than those that praise me, ego aside. Polemic is enjoyable, even though many are afraid of it.