As someone who reads a fare bit (mostly non-fiction besides the mandatory "before falling asleep" novel), I've never gotten much value from looking at these type of books lists.
The main process by which I find a book is that I get interested in a particular subject (botany, biographies of politicians, ..) and then seek out books that fit that subject. And then when I narrow it down to a couple books I can read reviews on things like goodreads / .. to determine which one I'll buy.
When I'm presented with these endless "book lists" I get some sort of paralysis where I have so many different books on different subjects in front of me that I can't internally compare them and decide which one I would want to read. So I end up just closing the page having gotten nothing out of it.
I guess a different kind of person might do the opposite and start by choosing a book out of one of those lists and then get interested in the subject as the second step
NPR's fascination with and fetishization of race is sad to see. The fact that they list the 1619 Project (an ahistoric and well debunked project) as a "book we love" was all I needed to see. The mask fell off and the leftist/wokeism bias is on full display.
My top concern about its bias is how overtly biased a publicly funded radio station is with its embrace of wokeism — an ideology that is overwhelmingly unpopular with the public.
>Biography & Memoir (15/60) 25.00%
>Book Club Ideas (19/60) 31.67%
>Comics & Graphic Novels (1/60) 1.67%
>Cookbooks & Food (5/60) 8.34%
>Eye-Opening Reads (15/60) 25%
>Family Matters (15/60) 25%
>For Art Lovers (2/60) 3.34%
>For History Lovers (19/60) 31.67%
>For Music Lovers (3/60) 5.00%
>For Sports Lovers (2/60) 3.34%
>Funny Stuff (8/60) 13.34%
>Historical Fiction (4/60) 6.67%
>Identity & Culture (6/60) 10.00%
>It’s All Geek To Me (6/60) 10.00%
>Kids’ Books (6/60) 10.00%
>Ladies First (3/60) 5.00%
>Let’s Talk About Sex (2/60) 3.34%
>Love Stories (7/60) 11.67%
>Mysteries & Thrillers (6/60) 10%
>No Biz Like Show Biz (2/60) 3.34%
>Nonfiction (25/60) 41.67%
>Rather Long (11/60) 18.34%
>Rather Short (5/60) 8.34%
>Realistic Fiction (11/60) 18.34%
>Sci Fi, Fantasy & Speculative Fiction (8/60) 13.34%
>Science! (7/60) 11.67%
>Seriously Great Writing (12/60) 20%
>Short Stories, Essays & Poetry (4/60) 6.67%
>Tales From Around The World (13/60) 21.67%
>The Dark Side (17/60) 28.34%
>The States We’re In (4/60) 6.67%
>Young Adult (4/60) 6.67%
2021 staff picks (179)
>Biography & Memoir (34/179) 18.99%
>Book Club Ideas (67/179) 37.43%
>Comics & Graphic Novels (7/179) 3.91%
>Cookbooks & Food (11/179) 6.15%
>Eye-Opening Reads (50/179) 27.93%
>Family Matters (44/179) 24.58%
>For Art Lovers (10/179) 5.59%
>For History Lovers (33/179) 18.44%
>For Music Lovers (12/179) 6.70%
>For Sports Lovers (4/179) 2.34%
>Funny Stuff (11/179) 6.15%
>Historical Fiction (14/179) 7.82%
>Identity & Culture (70/179) 39.10%
>It’s All Geek To Me (12/179) 6.70%
>Kids’ Books (3/179) 1.68%
>Ladies First (47/179) 2.63%
>Let’s Talk About Sex (17/179) 9.50%
>Love Stories (30/179) 16.76%
>Mysteries & Thrillers (18/179) 10.06%
>No Biz Like Show Biz (15/179) 8.40%
>Nonfiction (84/179) 46.93%
>Rather Long (14/179) 7.82%
>Rather Short (9/179) 5.03%
>Realistic Fiction (34/179) 18.99%
>Sci Fi, Fantasy & Speculative Fiction (15/179) 8.38%
>Science! (8/179) 4.47%
>Seriously Great Writing (49/179) 27.37%
>Short Stories, Essays & Poetry (25/179) 13.97%
>Tales From Around The World (34/179)18.99%
>The Dark Side (23/179) 12.85%
>The States We’re In (52/179) 29.05%
>Young Adult (6/179) 3.35%
I didn't feel up to pulling data from each year in between, but I think the staff picks from these two years is interesting enough to observe. Most interesting points for me: "Identity & Culture" in 2021 is up nearly 30 points compared to 2013; "Science!" is down by more than half.
12 comments
[ 3.6 ms ] story [ 42.6 ms ] threadThe main process by which I find a book is that I get interested in a particular subject (botany, biographies of politicians, ..) and then seek out books that fit that subject. And then when I narrow it down to a couple books I can read reviews on things like goodreads / .. to determine which one I'll buy.
When I'm presented with these endless "book lists" I get some sort of paralysis where I have so many different books on different subjects in front of me that I can't internally compare them and decide which one I would want to read. So I end up just closing the page having gotten nothing out of it.
I guess a different kind of person might do the opposite and start by choosing a book out of one of those lists and then get interested in the subject as the second step
A publicly funded media arm having an ideological bias is scary.
No, there are objective studies of bias.
>Isn’t it simply relative to one’s own bias?
No, there are left, center, and right sides of the political spectrum.
>A consequence of how one measures it?
No. You can objectively measure these things regardless of where you personally lie on the political spectrum.
There's literally a science behind this: political science [0]
[0] https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Political_science
>Biography & Memoir (15/60) 25.00% >Book Club Ideas (19/60) 31.67% >Comics & Graphic Novels (1/60) 1.67% >Cookbooks & Food (5/60) 8.34% >Eye-Opening Reads (15/60) 25% >Family Matters (15/60) 25% >For Art Lovers (2/60) 3.34% >For History Lovers (19/60) 31.67% >For Music Lovers (3/60) 5.00% >For Sports Lovers (2/60) 3.34% >Funny Stuff (8/60) 13.34% >Historical Fiction (4/60) 6.67% >Identity & Culture (6/60) 10.00% >It’s All Geek To Me (6/60) 10.00% >Kids’ Books (6/60) 10.00% >Ladies First (3/60) 5.00% >Let’s Talk About Sex (2/60) 3.34% >Love Stories (7/60) 11.67% >Mysteries & Thrillers (6/60) 10% >No Biz Like Show Biz (2/60) 3.34% >Nonfiction (25/60) 41.67% >Rather Long (11/60) 18.34% >Rather Short (5/60) 8.34% >Realistic Fiction (11/60) 18.34% >Sci Fi, Fantasy & Speculative Fiction (8/60) 13.34% >Science! (7/60) 11.67% >Seriously Great Writing (12/60) 20% >Short Stories, Essays & Poetry (4/60) 6.67% >Tales From Around The World (13/60) 21.67% >The Dark Side (17/60) 28.34% >The States We’re In (4/60) 6.67% >Young Adult (4/60) 6.67%
2021 staff picks (179)
>Biography & Memoir (34/179) 18.99% >Book Club Ideas (67/179) 37.43% >Comics & Graphic Novels (7/179) 3.91% >Cookbooks & Food (11/179) 6.15% >Eye-Opening Reads (50/179) 27.93% >Family Matters (44/179) 24.58% >For Art Lovers (10/179) 5.59% >For History Lovers (33/179) 18.44% >For Music Lovers (12/179) 6.70% >For Sports Lovers (4/179) 2.34% >Funny Stuff (11/179) 6.15% >Historical Fiction (14/179) 7.82% >Identity & Culture (70/179) 39.10% >It’s All Geek To Me (12/179) 6.70% >Kids’ Books (3/179) 1.68% >Ladies First (47/179) 2.63% >Let’s Talk About Sex (17/179) 9.50% >Love Stories (30/179) 16.76% >Mysteries & Thrillers (18/179) 10.06% >No Biz Like Show Biz (15/179) 8.40% >Nonfiction (84/179) 46.93% >Rather Long (14/179) 7.82% >Rather Short (9/179) 5.03% >Realistic Fiction (34/179) 18.99% >Sci Fi, Fantasy & Speculative Fiction (15/179) 8.38% >Science! (8/179) 4.47% >Seriously Great Writing (49/179) 27.37% >Short Stories, Essays & Poetry (25/179) 13.97% >Tales From Around The World (34/179)18.99% >The Dark Side (23/179) 12.85% >The States We’re In (52/179) 29.05% >Young Adult (6/179) 3.35%
I didn't feel up to pulling data from each year in between, but I think the staff picks from these two years is interesting enough to observe. Most interesting points for me: "Identity & Culture" in 2021 is up nearly 30 points compared to 2013; "Science!" is down by more than half.