One approach to the design of books is to make it completely transparent. The reader should not be cognizant of any design, the design should only be a bridge between the reader and the text. In other words, pay no attention to the man behind the printed page.
In terms of logos, business cards and anything else, if I have failed to capture the essence of what the identity is representing, then I have lied to everyone and everything. At that point, smack me.