3 ms·

I just compared the two lists, and there aren't many differences: only one of Amazon's top 10 didn't make it onto the SPIEGEL list ("Homo Deus"). The lists are

I just compared the two lists, and there aren't many differences: only one of Amazon's top 10 didn't make it onto the SPIEGEL list ("Homo Deus"). The lists are at https://www.amazon.de/charts/2019-08-11/mostread/nonfiction?ref=chrt_bk_dx_intra_nf_rd https://www.amazon.de/charts/2019-08-11/mostread/nonfiction?... https://www.spiegel.de/kultur/bestseller-buecher-belletristik-sachbuch-auf-spiegel-liste-a-458623.html https://www.spiegel.de/kultur/bestseller-buecher-belletristi... It's all German, obviously. And note that Spiegel has at least two different lists, for hardcover and paperback (plus a few more, less relevant). FWIW I'm surprised by the claim that Spiegel has too much "light-reading" in its bestsellers. The usual charge is that they exclude certain lowbrow titles/categories.

DanielleMolloy 7y ago
The Amazon list (20 top items binned across hardcovers, paperbacks and audiobooks, which is correct if your goal is to identify a "zeitgeist trend") and the Spiegel lists (for an unknown reason, separate lists for paperback, hardcover and "Taschenbuch", 60 items in 3 lists [1]) have 11 books in common right now. However if I only look at a single Spiegel list of 20 items, e.g. hardcovers there are only two items left in common. I think you will agree that a book sales data analysis that has not made a successful effort to include one of the biggest book sellers in Germany for years can still safely be called garbage. It is baffling for me how much reputation the Spiegel lists still have. Also, the hardcover Spiegel list has entries like the new book by Spiegel journalist Todenhöfer on rank 10 (rank 2129 on Amazon Germany right now). [1] I ignored the Spiegel audiobooks list because this data is irrelevant without Audible.
- lispm 7y ago
  Todenhöfer is not a Spiegel journalist. Not at all. DER SPIEGEL gets its book data from der Buchreport which uses sales info from a few hundred actual bookstores. Thus the list is not 'garbage', but a represents what bookstores sell and what is currently trending. The list is also filtered by some criteria, which are listed on the SPIEGEL site.

DanielleMolloy 7y ago

The Amazon list (20 top items binned across hardcovers, paperbacks and audiobooks, which is correct if your goal is to identify a "zeitgeist trend") and the Spiegel lists (for an unknown reason, separate lists for paperback, hardcover and "Taschenbuch", 60 items in 3 lists [1]) have 11 books in common right now. However if I only look at a single Spiegel list of 20 items, e.g. hardcovers there are only two items left in common. I think you will agree that a book sales data analysis that has not made a successful effort to include one of the biggest book sellers in Germany for years can still safely be called garbage. It is baffling for me how much reputation the Spiegel lists still have. Also, the hardcover Spiegel list has entries like the new book by Spiegel journalist Todenhöfer on rank 10 (rank 2129 on Amazon Germany right now). [1] I ignored the Spiegel audiobooks list because this data is irrelevant without Audible.

lispm 7y ago
Todenhöfer is not a Spiegel journalist. Not at all. DER SPIEGEL gets its book data from der Buchreport which uses sales info from a few hundred actual bookstores. Thus the list is not 'garbage', but a represents what bookstores sell and what is currently trending. The list is also filtered by some criteria, which are listed on the SPIEGEL site.