Why We Read What We Read: A Delightfully Opinionated Journey Through Bestselling Books

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Why We Read What We Read: A Delightfully Opinionated Journey Through Bestselling Books

3.32 of 5 stars 3.32 · rating details · 120 ratings · 45 reviews

What do weight loss, evil emperors and tales of redemption have in common?
We readers have many dirty little secrets-and our bestselling books are spilling them all. We can?t resist conspiratorial crooks or the number 7. We have bought millions of books about cheese. And over a million of us read more than 50 nearly identical books every single year.
In Why We Read What We...more

Paperback, 340 pages

Published September 1st 2007 by Sourcebooks (first published 2007)

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Sep 28, 2012 Carol rated it 2 of 5 stars

Why do people read the books they read? It seems that American readers are lazy, know-it-all, escapists with a short attention span who are only looking for reinforcement of our own beliefs. It tries to explain why we make the choices we do regarding books.

Adams tries to answer this in 6 chapters.
1 - The Obvious: Diet Wealth, and Inspiration
2 - Black and White and Read All Over: Good & Evil in Bestselling Adventure Novels and Political Non-fiction
3 - Hopefully Ever After: Love, Romance, and...more

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Jun 12, 2008 Elizabeth rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Book'o'philes

Shelves: non-fiction

An expose. Adams and Heath neatly (and cheerfully) cut open a variety of best-sellers from the past 15 years in a gleeful, unscientific study. Partially, I'm thankful that they read all of these books so I don't have to (especially the 5,000 page mega-epic series 'Left Behind'). I'm more totally whoaed by the statistics they present (57% of Americans didn't read a single book last year, but I'm deeply grateful for their insights into What Americans Are Reading Nowadays. Without condescending, Ad...more

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Feb 02, 2012 Chris rated it 2 of 5 stars

Overall, this was a very nice treatment of the latest trends in America’s choice of reading as evidenced by book sales. The authors were funny and insightful, and worked hard to interpret the patterns of book sales into a portrait of the modern zeitgeist. It started out great, but became predictable and belabored in parts. Too much time was spent critiquing some books, the choice of which selection to apply a lengthy critique often seemed arbitrary (based on the authors interest and not exclusiv...more Overall, this was a very nice treatment of the latest trends in America’s choice of reading as evidenced by book sales. The authors were funny and insightful, and worked hard to interpret the patterns of book sales into a portrait of the modern zeitgeist. It started out great, but became predictable and belabored in parts. Too much time was spent critiquing some books, the choice of which selection to apply a lengthy critique often seemed arbitrary (based on the authors interest and not exclusively on sales), and some books that I was really interested in learning more about were barely mentioned. I realize they had to lean on their discretion to keep the book brief enough to be readable, but it just felt imbalanced in parts. Much of it was synopses of books everyone has already read or heard about, or, in my case, books I’d never want to read. For instance, I’m not all that interested in reading John Gray’s Men Are From Mars…, much less Adams and Heath’s 20 page synopses/critique of it. Whoa. I’d pay not to read either.

They finally brought it back to the real objective of the work near the end, but it took some disciplined skimming to get me there. The findings were fairly obvious: we read to pass time, we read to ‘effortlessly confirm our own convictions’ (Jung), we read for easy secrets, and we read to vicariously experience adventure without the associated risks. I suppose I was attracted to the title because I was hoping for more insight into these principles, and not merely a run-down of sales receipts.

I did find the chapter “Soul Train” to be an interesting case-study of the direction that works on the subject of faith/spirituality are taking and how the world perceives their success or failure. On the whole, even with Rick Warren’s Purpose and Bruce Wilkinson’s Prayer, much of the evangelical output is the old ideas repackaged with the ubiquitous ‘go to church’ ingredient. Adams and Heath write that however sincere these Christian authors may very well be, it will always be a challenge to hear the whispers of truth from out the mounds of gold these writers are amassing. No one can argue that Adams and Heath have done their homework here. I mean, why, just why, would any critic, in his or her right mind read all of the Left Behind series (12 books!!) just to moan about it multiple times and offer the same conclusion as with many other works by the fundamentalist Christian movement? The authors’ verdict: people who can think the sovereign God plans these horrors and still loves us are “succumbing to a kind of spiritual Stockholm Syndrome” by never questioning their torturer. All of the survivors of God’s wrath seem to agree, “Man, I’m glad I’m going to Heaven, but why does God have to be such a nasty prick sometimes?” Brilliant…but it took Adams/Heath 12 books to figure that out?

There are some nifty lists in the back that provide an overview of bestselling books from 1993-2006, but that might be a reason why some may not read the book: it’s outdated by about 5 years. I knew it was fairly outdated when I bought it from a used book sale, but I was hoping to learn something from it nonetheless. Which I did.

So what were Adams/Heath’s final words of advice? Read things that may not be comfortable or familiar, and…read more tragedy. Tragedy doesn’t offer easy, platitudinal solutions that we’ve tried over and over again with the same results. Trends in reading suggest that readers want “simple, univocal reinforcements of hunches, rather than complex, challenging efforts to search for real answers.” Tragedy offers dilemmas in which we are psychologically ‘sucked in’ to searching for a subtly elusive answer, and this struggle stays with us long after reading a book without a satisfactory ending. Their finding is that “the most disturbing stories—whether books or films—stay with us the longest and push us to consider and reconsider the most.” The Road, Martin Eden, and Lord Of the Flies come to mind as great examples.

And a very helpful word of warning from Adams/Heath: be careful not to substitute reading for living, as so many do. Reading engages the brain AND the emotions, and can simulate the effects of adventures lived, but from the comfort and safety of the couch. The semblance of personal growth and change one feels as an after-effect to reading is almost powerful enough to offer the illusion you have lived through experiences that you have only heard about, and the counterfeit risks and sensations of suspense, exhilaration, romance or bravura may actually ward off those risks and opportunities for growth and expansion that reality has to offer. If we read more than we act, we face the very real hazard of “finding solace not in change itself, but in the comforting if short-lived experience of reading about it.”

Reader beware.
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Dec 11, 2009 kingshearte rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: non-fiction

We readers have many dirty little secrets - and our bestselling books are spilling them all. We can't resist conspiratorial crooks or the number 7. We have bought millions of books about cheese. And over a million of us read more than 50 nearly identical books every single year.

In Why We Read What We Read, Lisa Adams and John Heath take an insightful and often hilarious tour through nearly 200 bestselling books, ferreting out their persistent themes and determining what those say about what we b...more We readers have many dirty little secrets - and our bestselling books are spilling them all. We can't resist conspiratorial crooks or the number 7. We have bought millions of books about cheese. And over a million of us read more than 50 nearly identical books every single year.

In Why We Read What We Read, Lisa Adams and John Heath take an insightful and often hilarious tour through nearly 200 bestselling books, ferreting out their persistent themes and determining what those say about what we believe and how we relate to one another.

I really enjoyed this book, and I kind of wish the authors had a book blog or something. Hmm, maybe they do. I should see if I can find one, because this book literally had me chuckling out loud at times. I don't know that I really gained any huge insights into popular reading habits - nothing I didn't basically already know, anyway. Working in a bookstore, I'm well aware of how much people gravitate toward Nora Roberts, and John Grisham, and any number of other, well, beach reads, really. And there's really nothing wrong with many of these books. It's just kind of sad that so many people read that sort of thing exclusively, and never pick up any of the really great classics, like The Count of Monte Cristo, or The Picture of Dorian Grey, simply because they're too long, or their covers just aren't flashy enough. Furthermore, on the subject of John Grisham, for example, while I may eventually pick up one of his books, it just baffles me a little that, if you're the sort who reads only one or two books a year, why would you consistently choose essentially the same book? I've certainly been "guilty" of reading almost an entire author's canon, but never to the exclusion of everything else that's out there. But I think for some people, book shopping has become more like grocery shopping or something. Instead of coming in and browsing, and picking up something new that grabs their attention, people just come in, go straight to their prolific author of choice, and grab the newest one. Which is really too bad, because they're missing out on a lot of really great books. Probably some duds, too, and I guess if you're only going to read one or two books a year, sticking with your favourite author is one way to ensure that you'll enjoy all two of them, but it just seems so limiting.

And then of course, there are the religion and self help books, and all that fun stuff, and it's with those books that this book really helped me, I think. I don't really read much of that type of book, so I don't really know anything about most of them. But of course, people are buying it. In droves. So this books reviews of some of them have given me at least a clue as to what's inside some of them. Did you know, for example, that pretty much every time a woman opens her mouth, she's telling you that while she knows you love her, she would appreciate your re-affirming that, and also, she would really like a hug? See, now that I realize this, I don't have to read Men are form Mars, Women are from Venus. Which is a good thing, because, based on the above and other samples of the "wisdom" contained in that book? Ug. Apparently, according to most of the top-selling relationship self-help books, I'm pretty much doomed to an ultimately unhappy marriage, because I'm sorry, but I'm not going to bow to the traditional gender roles. I will not stay home to cook, clean, and raise babies so my husband can go out, earn money, and feel like a studly stud. I might even - gasp! - occasionally question him on something. I'm a terrible wife, I know. Gag me.

Anyway, fantastic read, although I don't know if someone who didn't work in books would get quite as much out of it as a bookseller does. But I'd say it's a very worthwhile read for anyone who does work with books.
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Nov 17, 2012 Shonna Froebel rated it 4 of 5 stars

This is an interesting read about reading. The authors looked at a number of bestseller lists for a ten year period and then looked at books by category and/or genre to see what it told them.
Some groupings were interesting such as good and evil in political nonfiction and adventure novels; and diet wealth and inspiration. The looked at commonalities between the popular books, trends, and what it said about American society.
The last chapter: Deciphering Da Code looked at the phenomenally popular...more

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Apr 08, 2008 Marie rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: nonfiction

Interesting book about why people are drawn to best-selling fiction and nonfiction. The authors tackle romances, religious and spiritual books (e.g., the Left Behind series and New Age bestsellers), literary fiction, and even The Da Vinci Code! The authors are big fans of The Time Traveler's Wife and Reading Lolita in Tehran, as bestsellers that stand out from the crowd as excellent works.

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Jan 29, 2012 Kirsti rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: anger, business, essays, humor, nonfiction

An informally written, sometimes snarky investigation of which books become bestsellers in the United States and why. Some of Adams's and Heath's opinions and conclusions:

* Americans tend to read books that confirm rather than challenge their beliefs, whether those beliefs involve politics, religion, business, science, or romance.

* Self-help books can be an addiction. Reading about the possibility of improving our physical health, spiritual health, or general outlook on life can make us feel goo...more

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Dec 18, 2007 Meg rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: every bookseller ever

Shelves: 52booksin52weeks-07-08

OH MAN. This book is awesome, and snarky, and awesomely snarky. It's like the authors live in my brain when I want to snark at customers.

I wish I had taken notes. That's how much I love this book. I am seriously debating asking our marketing manager to try and book the authors for a presentation and signing.

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Dec 24, 2009 Lisa rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: nonfiction-library-science

(Non-Fiction) I am so glad I read this book on a bus to the ALA Conference in Chicago, so I could discuss this book with my dear friend and fellow-book lover Hannah. The authors warn us that they are "deliously oppinionated." This is what I loved about this book. They are hilarious, superbly witty, and insightful. One one of my favorite parts of the book is the observation that Americans buy a lot of marriage books, particularly the best-seller Men Are From Mars, Women Are From Venus. However, t...more

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Apr 17, 2010 Melissa rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: nonfiction

I absolutely LOVED this book! I wholeheartedly recommend it to anyone who enjoys reading and is curious about how certain books make the bestsellers lists -- why others would choose to read them. Not only does this book abound with fascinating cultural insights, but also, it is peppered with the authors' witty and laugh-out-loud funny remarks.

An EXCELLENT book. Not to mention, a very fun read. The main question the book seeks to answer: "What do American reading habits -- or at least our book-bu...more

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Dec 11, 2007 Kelley rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: nonfiction

Interesting to consider trends in our reading and how that relates to cultural, economic, and entertainment trends.

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Dec 12, 2009 Sarah rated it 3 of 5 stars

An exploration of modern-day bestsellers, the themes they explore, and why people are drawn to them over and over again.

Pretty interesting, and I agree with most of what is suggested in this study. I really enjoyed reading this (books about books - I certainly am a library student). I liked how they split things up by genre and analyzed that way - it made sense and helped organize their theories. My only problem with this book is that it needed a better editor. There were a number of times when...more

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Sep 12, 2010 Ken rated it 5 of 5 stars

An "Existentialism" kind of analysis of book reading. Don't be surprised if you have a feeling of "nihilism" after the brutal dissection of what we read and why.

Or simply read it for its delightfulness and humour.

Not as dry and academic like the ones by Harold Bloom or David Denby

PS: too bad SF is not subjected to analysis :-) not sure if it's because it's not the authors' forte or because of the too-varied themes in Science Fiction. Here's a challenge for Ms Adams and Mr Heath....include SF in...more

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Jul 05, 2012 Tracey rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: libraryread-tcpl, pop-sociology

Picked this up from the library based on the title/description & Marianne's 3 star review. This book is pretty much as advertised - the authors explore the best seller lists from the past decade or so, grouping books by genre and sharing their thoughts on each grouping.

There's many amusing digressions along the way (such as the proliferation of pantsuits described in a Higgins Clark mystery) and no small amount of snark, as you might expect from two academic types. I was pleasantly surprise...more Picked this up from the library based on the title/description & Marianne's 3 star review. This book is pretty much as advertised - the authors explore the best seller lists from the past decade or so, grouping books by genre and sharing their thoughts on each grouping.

There's many amusing digressions along the way (such as the proliferation of pantsuits described in a Higgins Clark mystery) and no small amount of snark, as you might expect from two academic types. I was pleasantly surprised to see how even-handed the section on political books was; they found faults with both the conservative and liberal pundits; stating that they're more interested in placing blame on the other side than providing a thoughtful examination of the situation and/or a solution: "Empathy, not just for 'sinners' but also for those who disagree with one's definition of 'sin' is completely absent from the political books."

In fact, Adams and Heath believe a lot of what we read serves to reinforce our current set of beliefs, versus doing what good literature should, which is to present alternative viewpoints and challenge our mindset. "An American can easily make it through every single minute of a busy life without ever honestly confronting difference, without being challenged to defend a point of view..." Not quite sure I agree with that... but then again, I'm a bit of an outlier, I suppose.

Adams and Hart had some interesting insights on the the self-help and spirituality sections as well - dedicating considerable time to an analysis of the Left Behind series, and its focus on faith vs reason. They set their sights on the New Age genre as well, commenting that "Not everybody has the stamina to defend a locust-happy God."
Moving on to fiction - they examined the thriller genre, commenting along the way on the likes of Stephen King, who "picks his heroes from among the masses; they're not so much diamonds in the rough as chunks of colorful gravel". The DaVinci Code also gets quite a bit of attention - whether you agreed with Dan Brown's theories or not, you were reading his stuff!

They also came to rather a depressing conclusion about the romance genre - that women were reading these books (which ALWAYS have a happy ending) as an escape from their own lives: "Romance novels must be taken seriously for the therapeutic role they perform... but it's awfully sad, no way around it, when a book provides more sustenance than a mate. And it's sadder still to learn that we love to read about love because we have so little of it." I guess that means I'm pretty satisfied with my romantic relationship, because I don't care for this genre.

There's a lot of food for thought in this book; however, I'm not sure I agree with all of their conclusions. I'd be interested in reading an updated version at some point, as the political scene has only gotten more divisive since the 2008 elections.
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Jun 10, 2008 Jenny rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: non-fiction

Not a riveting read, but interesting nonetheless; and some chapters were more engaging than others. Across the board - romances, memoirs, religious and New Age, self-help and diet, political, literary, fiction and non-fiction - we as Americans seem to desire quick and easy fixes, reiteration and reinforcement of beliefs we already hold, and, above all, happy endings. We're not big fans of tragedy (bad things can happen, as long as everything turns out OK in the end), we don't like to consider ot...more

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Nov 17, 2007 Chelsea rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: booksandwords, socialcommentary, non-fiction, 2007

An interesting concept (what do the books we as a society buy say about us?), but not very enlightening. I'd have to say that you can't really determine much about our society by the books we buy, and that's not a bad thing.*

The authors were clearly enamored with Azar Nifisi, who wrote Reading Lolita In Tehran, but they were relatively upfront about using her ideas and words to form at least part of their theory. They were unimpressed by basically all political books, focusing mostly on the cont...more

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Nov 01, 2007 Kristen rated it 4 of 5 stars

Let me first add the subtitle that is on the cover, "A Delightfully Opinionated Journey through Contemporary Bestsellers." So, that is what it is. The quote from the Library Journal sums it up quite nicely "Insightful conclusions regarding the common thematic threads that resonate with American readers." I first heard of this book on an NPR program with the authors and I found the discussion interesting, as they talked about Harry Potter, Da Vinci Code and the "Oprah Book club." Admittedly, I've...more Let me first add the subtitle that is on the cover, "A Delightfully Opinionated Journey through Contemporary Bestsellers." So, that is what it is. The quote from the Library Journal sums it up quite nicely "Insightful conclusions regarding the common thematic threads that resonate with American readers." I first heard of this book on an NPR program with the authors and I found the discussion interesting, as they talked about Harry Potter, Da Vinci Code and the "Oprah Book club." Admittedly, I've read a good number of these bestsellers and enjoyed many, but still, I can't help but agree with their conclusions (the "whys"). As they say it, "our reading habits undermine the process of gaining genuine insight into the world and ourselves."
The "what's" of what we read got into a lot of the quotes from books and plot synopsis, which I could have done without sometimes (particularly the chapter on romance novels). But it was just fascinating to try to figure out why some books are just so popular and why we, as a society, are pulled into the same junk again and again. Some of the main points are how reluctant we are to read about things we don't agree with, to see a different point of view or perspective. We like books that are neat, easy, and end happily. It's disappointing to realize where we are as a society, or at least the ones that buy books. And it bears self-reflection, why do I read what I read? What does it say about me? (don't answer that). And of course not all bestsellers are junk - but a lot of them seem to be (esp. when you add in all the romance novels that are always so marketable). And maybe a lot of people just have to jump in and see what all the hype is about (hopefully?). But, I suppose this book reiterates what most of us think we know already, that just because something is popular, doesn't mean it's good. And yet, somehow, we are sucked in over and over.

More questions I have: What makes a book a good piece of literature and not just a bestseller? What would the criteria be? (and would any of us agree?) How do you define a classic?
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Oct 18, 2008 Robin rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: for-grown-ups, non-fic

In this book, the authors explore the titles on the Publisher's Weekly bestseller lists over a period of ten years. Looking for trends and reasons, they group these books into the following general types: Diet, Wealth, and Inspiration; Good and Evil; Love, Romance, and Relationships; Religion and Spirituality; Reading for Redemption. There are a lot of great genres not represented here, but that's because they weren't present on the bestseller lists.

Their conclusions here are a bit sad. Based on...more

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Feb 02, 2009 Pauline rated it 4 of 5 stars

I bought this for a very well read sister, who won't be seeing it until I have finished it first!

The authors are book lovers and smart alecs who now teach literature and writing.

Although I'm not always a bestseller chaser, this book does provide a funny opinion through contemporary bestsellers with American readers.

It is very funny and not some sedated reading so far!

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Jul 11, 2010 Alan rated it 3 of 5 stars

I tend to like books about books, and this one was fun. Adams categorizes recent best-sellers into fun groupings, and covers what it is about these areas (religious, weight-loss, celebrity, etc ... ) that make them popular categories.

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May 07, 2008 Kit rated it 4 of 5 stars

Both really funny and kind of depressing, this look at what bestsellers have in common (hint: they're kind of stupid) intends to explain what they say about us as a reading public (hint: we're kind of stupid). The big conclusions don't hold up very well, but the middle-level analysis is really interesting. Adams and Heath actually read a scary number of bestsellers and grouped them by themes (so self-help relationship books are in the same chapter as romance novels, and Harry Potter is in the sa...more

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Aug 11, 2011 Ketan Shah added it

A great book for anyone who loves reading. The title just about says it all. I especially enjoyed the chapters that dealt with the idea of good and evil in novels,and with the chapter on religious and spiritual books.

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May 12, 2008 Nikki rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: non-fiction

The authors read or at least skimmed the Publishers Weekly bestseller lists for about the past 15 years and drew conclusions about American readers from their reading. I tended to agree with most of them, although I must admit that the "literary novel" category was the only one in which I'd read more than a handful of the books. The mysteries I read are not by Mary Higgins Clark or James Patterson, and I haven't even read The Da Vinci Code! The authors have a good sense of humor and brought me q...more

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Aug 23, 2011 Lqferreira rated it 5 of 5 stars

Great book. A little outdated but presents a very insightful analysis of the american bestsellers in the last 15 years.

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May 04, 2009 Jeanne rated it 3 of 5 stars

Recommended to Jeanne by: Linda Knorr

Shelves: books-about-books-or-their-authors, nonfiction

The rest of this book's title is "A Delightfully Opinionated Journey Through Bestsellers." So true!

Adams and Heath cover self-help, religious, romantic, tragic, and good vs. evil bestsellers. They even explore the popularity of the ghastly (yet bestselling) novel, The Da Vinci Code.

I like how they break down the bestsellers and their themes, and their assessment of bestselling books reinforced one of my beliefs--a book's bestseller status has nothing to do with the quality of writing. I've neve...more

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Jul 27, 2009 Melissa rated it 4 of 5 stars

Hmmm, my ISBN comes from a paperback edition.

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Jun 25, 2008 Dfunky1 rated it 2 of 5 stars

Sociologically speaking this book is interesting, but in terms of readability it's just so-so. The humor is strained and of the groan rather than chuckle variety. Thus, you're constantly reminded throughout the text that the authors believe themselves to be uber-witty. Sometimes, in fact, it seems that Adams and Heath go for the easy joke instead of seeking insight into American values through a study of the books we read. This is especially demonstrated in the titles and subtitles of sections o...more

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Mar 28, 2009 Jaime rated it 5 of 5 stars

Interesting and funny book breaking down the bestseller lists of the last 16 years.

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Sep 14, 2008 Patty rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2008, american-literature, non-fiction, essays, books-and-reading, readers-advisory

I am not sorry that I read this book - I found much of it very interesting. However, since the authors are very opinionated, I really wanted to talk to them. I found myself having arguments with them in my head. I did not agree with them throughout the section on romance, but thought they were utterly brilliant in the section on spirituality. I don't think you could read this book without having some serious opinions of your own. Try it and see what you think!

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Feb 14, 2011 Deborah rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: library, non-fiction, more-like-this, reviews

I liked this a lot more than I expected to. It is very entertaining and a quick read. I would like to read more of their opinions on books.

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“Every day, we pay lip service to democratic values and then again and again make undemocratic choices in the marketplace. Bestsellers are bestsellers because we buy them: nothing more.” — 1 person liked it

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