You can look up which articles and books have cited a given work. This can help you identify how well-known a given work is. It can also point you to more recent scholarship on the same topic. This more recent scholarship may critique or build on the original work.
How to find citing articles and books using Google Scholar:
Scholars publish reviews of academic books. Book reviews typically summarize the main argument, assess the quality of the work, and sometimes mention works on closely related topics.
How to find reviews of a book: