Discoverability and Paid Reviews

Digital self-publishing has many benefits I am sure, though I am not completely certain what they are.  I like books.  Among the disadvantages of self-publishing, with the needed discoverability, is the trend of paid reviews, paying to have something written about your book.  This is an issue.  How do we discover what is good?

Author ego to save publishers

Rob Eagar has fun with the author ego, including his own.  There is also a serious point.  Can writers and writing survive without publishers and publishing?