# bizarre amazon book recommendations



## Wisteria Clematis (Oct 29, 2008)

At loose ends and not sure what I feel like reading so I checked amazon's book recommendations to see what's new. There were a dozen or more really weird suggestions in categories I have no interest in at all (like home repair, diet books, etc.) and in each case the 'why did we recommend this' line said 'because you browsed this title previously.' What?! Checked my browsing history (in case someone else was using my account somehow) but absolutely none of these strange books was listed in it. What's going on with amazon? Have any of you been getting unusual book recommendations recently There may be little gremlins in the software who have a strange sense of humor.


----------



## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

It happens now and again. For a while there was a cookbook that just kept popping up no matter how many times people said they weren't interested and cleared their browsing history. Some ascribed nefarious motives, but I always figured it was a glitch. 

Anyway, I don't worry about it. I do periodically go though what I've browsed and delete anything that was a one-off -- I tend to have lots of those because I look at books from here for moderation purposes sometimes that I have ZERO interest in purchasing. And that does skew results. Or I looked at several pairs of jeans, decided what to buy, and they just keep showing them to me. But --- I don't need jeans now, 'cause I already bought 'em. 

On my kindles, I have the special offers set to base the reccos on my previous borrows or purchases, so 'browsings' don't come into it. The setting is deep in -- Device Options/Personalize your kindle/Advanced Options/Special Offers


----------



## Betsy the Quilter (Oct 27, 2008)

Ann in Arlington said:


> On my kindles, I have the special offers set to base the reccos on my previous borrows or purchases, so 'browsings' don't come into it. The setting is deep in -- Device Options/Personalize your kindle/Advanced Options/Special Offers


Good tip! Though on my Kindle, it says:



> *Special Offers Recommendations*
> Display personalized offers based on items you've _browsed_ or purchased. On|Off


(Italics mine.). So it looks to me like browsing is still in play?

Betsy


----------



## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

Betsy the Quilter said:


> Good tip! Though on my Kindle, it says:
> (Italics mine.). So it looks to me like browsing is still in play?
> 
> Betsy


You're right -- haven't had my caffeine yet. 

Still, it certainly only includes books, and not jeans . . . and might only include what's been browsed on the device. Not sure, but I certainly haven't seen anything too weird lately, when I've bothered to notice at all.


----------



## Betsy the Quilter (Oct 27, 2008)

Ann in Arlington said:


> You're right -- haven't had my caffeine yet.
> 
> Still, it certainly only includes books, and not jeans . . . and might only include what's been browsed on the device. Not sure, but I certainly haven't seen anything too weird lately, when I've bothered to notice at all.


I have that selected (and had before you mentioned it--still thought it was a good tip!) but I got a mattress ad today. And I haven't browsed for mattresses on Amazon EVER as far as I know. And it's the first "non-book" SO I've had in ages.

Betsy


----------

