I would be curious to know if this has changed in the past 39 years. Edit: I'd also be curious to read the actual testimony. The wiki blurb in that link is vag

I would be curious to know if this has changed in the past 39 years. Edit: I'd also be curious to read the actual testimony. The wiki blurb in that link is vague enough that one could argue it refers to some of the editorial decisions that are referenced in the Esquire piece that this thread is about: >Although the list claims to be a numerical ranking with full autonomy from The New York Times Book Review, some of the sources I spoke with believe that an element of editorial curation must be at play. “To my knowledge, The New York Times tracks sales of books, and the sales are what is ‘supposed to’ decide where those books sit on the list. However, the truth is, it's much more editorialized,” Sarah*, a book publicist who has worked at two Big Five houses, suggested to me. “There is quite a bit taken into consideration—i.e., are the book sales mostly bulk buys? Are they mostly indie bookstore sales? Are they mostly Amazon sales? Even which list the book would be considered for has a huge effect.” For example, whether a book is considered for the Hardcover Nonfiction weekly list or the Advice, How-To, & Miscellaneous weekly list might affect whether it becomes a best seller at all.