Tim Spalding over at LibraryThing did some number crunching from the various book swap sites that are integrated with LibraryThing to find out what the Top Wanted and Unwanted books are.
Dan Brown not only took home the dubious honor of the book most people want to get out of their lives with the Da Vinci Code but he also secured the 2, 3, and 7 slot of the top twenty-five with his books Angels & Demons, Deception Point and Digital Fortress.
But the award for the most books on the list goes to John Grisham with an astounding 13 titles on the top twenty-five.
Granted the print runs for the books of both these author’s are in the millions making them more susceptible to disposal but it does reiterate the fleeting nature of the ‘popular’ book. Also, the resale value of these books is practically nil making them ripe for swapping and eventually recycling.
On the wanted side Michael Pollen’s The Ominvore’s Dilemma leads the pack with over 5,500 people desiring a copy.
Spalding notes “Perhaps the unwanted books represent who we are, and the wanted are who we want to be.”
Full list here