5 ms·

These books also have in common that they cover topics that everyone has an opinion on, and that you can get really upset and angry over while not being in a po

by sc11 7y ago

These books also have in common that they cover topics that everyone has an opinion on, and that you can get really upset and angry over while not being in a position to really do anything about the "issues" they describe. As you say it's about how "something needs to change" but it's never the reader who has to change. > Add some fears about the before-mentioned topics and there's your new book every few months, same content, different cover. Talkshows and other media make these books even more profitable and popular. Publishing such a book almost guarantees that you'll be able to tour talkshows for a few weeks, give interviews to newspapers etc. as free marketing for your books.

im3w1l 7y ago
> but it's never the reader who has to change. Well to be fair the top book was about how to eat correctly. Isn't that about how the reader has to change?
- Killes 7y ago
  Yeah, just as long as the masses don't change so much that they start demanding adequate compensation for their work everything is OK ;)
- sc11 7y ago
  I was refering to the kind of books that the parent comment also refered to: > There has been at least one book about how "Germany/Germans are getting dumber", "The Big Crash is Coming" or something similar on the Spiegel Bestseller list at all times. Not all books on the list are like that but there is indeed at least one of them at any given time. And those particular books never require the reader to change.
luckylion 7y ago
> Publishing such a book almost guarantees that you'll be able to tour talkshows for a few weeks, give interviews to newspapers etc. as free marketing for your books. I don't really see a clear divide between book publishers and media publisher on this issue. Most news media companies are going for the same content: everything is terrible, the world is constantly very close to ending, and you need to buy this paper to find out how to save yourself today. Bad news is good news after all.

by sc11 7y ago

im3w1l 7y ago

> but it's never the reader who has to change. Well to be fair the top book was about how to eat correctly. Isn't that about how the reader has to change?

Killes 7y ago
Yeah, just as long as the masses don't change so much that they start demanding adequate compensation for their work everything is OK ;)
sc11 7y ago
I was refering to the kind of books that the parent comment also refered to: > There has been at least one book about how "Germany/Germans are getting dumber", "The Big Crash is Coming" or something similar on the Spiegel Bestseller list at all times. Not all books on the list are like that but there is indeed at least one of them at any given time. And those particular books never require the reader to change.

luckylion 7y ago

> Publishing such a book almost guarantees that you'll be able to tour talkshows for a few weeks, give interviews to newspapers etc. as free marketing for your books. I don't really see a clear divide between book publishers and media publisher on this issue. Most news media companies are going for the same content: everything is terrible, the world is constantly very close to ending, and you need to buy this paper to find out how to save yourself today. Bad news is good news after all.