Recommendations
Apr. 24th, 2008 01:55 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
stoutfellowI love it when some book club or other merchandiser notifies me of things they think I might like, on the basis of past purchases. Some years ago, I purchased a book (via Amazon) by Bill O'Reilly for one of my nieces as a Christmas present, because she had asked for it. I personally want as little as possible to do with the likes of Bill O. Nonetheless, for some months afterward Amazon pelted me with suggestions that I buy more books by O'Reilly, or (gag) Coulter, or - you get the picture.
Today, the Scientific American Book Club (from which I am trying to slowly disengage) sent me a list of recommendations. Now, in the recent past I have ordered books from them such as The Calculus Wars and The Poincaré Conjecture; does it occur to them that popular books on mathematics or on math history might appeal to me? No; every recommendation on the list is based on a book I bought as a present for my brother some months ago.
It is possible that, some day, mass vendors will be able to make accurate recommendations to their customers. I don't know whether to regard that possibility with hope or horror; but that day is most assuredly not here yet.
Today, the Scientific American Book Club (from which I am trying to slowly disengage) sent me a list of recommendations. Now, in the recent past I have ordered books from them such as The Calculus Wars and The Poincaré Conjecture; does it occur to them that popular books on mathematics or on math history might appeal to me? No; every recommendation on the list is based on a book I bought as a present for my brother some months ago.
It is possible that, some day, mass vendors will be able to make accurate recommendations to their customers. I don't know whether to regard that possibility with hope or horror; but that day is most assuredly not here yet.
