Unsuggester: Finding the Book You'll Never Want

Selanit writes "Lots of socially-oriented sites provide suggestions for things you might like based on user-provided data. But how many can claim to offer you things you'll probably hate? LibraryThing, the social book-cataloging site, has used its database of personal libraries to create UnSuggester, which does exactly that. You type in a book you like, "It analyzes the seven million books LibraryThing members have recorded as owned or read, and comes back with books least likely to share a library with the book you suggest." For example, apparently readers of Edward Said's "Orientalism" rarely purchase "Ella Enchanted" by Gail Carson Levine. Who'd have thought? Quirky though it may be, the tool seems an interesting way to broaden your horizons. If you're a hidebound, crufty old fogey, I un-recommend it!"

Re:I'm not so sure about that...

[flyingsquid]

I typed in Joseph Heller's _Catch-22_, and kept getting stuff like _The first and second Epistles to the Thessalonians_, _When I don't desire God : how to fight for joy_, _The gagging of God : Christianity confronts pluralism_... makes sense considering all the shots the book takes at religion. There's a great bit where the Chaplain sees Yossarian naked in a tree at a funeral, and thinks that it's some sort of sign from God, but can't figure out what it is.

Incidentally if you're looking for a good read, and _Six hours, one Friday : anchoring to the cross_ isn't your idea of a good read, I highly recommend Catch-22. One of the only comedies to be nominated as one the best 100 American novels by the ALA.

It *must* be broken

[TheWoozle]

It doesn't work. I have proof [librarything.com]

Re:King vs Pratchett

[XenoPhage]

The logic is likely similar to the Amazon "people who bought this item also bought..." logic.. it's statistically correct since they're using real numbers, but just proves that statistics aren't always accurate..