Tuesday 12 August 2008

The Squink

I think that Amazon's automated system for making book recommendations has hit a new low with this one, which just dropped into my inbox...


"Dear Amazon.com Customer,

As someone who has purchased or rated books by Geoffrey Chaucer, you might like to know that The Squink (Dingles Leveled Readers - Fiction Chapter Books and Classics) is now available."

Can anybody explain how you get from Chaucer to this in one easy move?

8 comments:

Richard Havers said...

Easy! Geraldine McCaughrean, who wrote The Squink has previously written a children's version of the Canterbury Tales.

Uncle Dick Madeley said...

Ah!!!! Thank you, Richard. I understand it now.

Still, it demonstrates the utter pointlessness of Amazon's system of recommendations. It's as though they don't even know that I'm still working my way up to the Dingles Leveled Readers series.

Richard Havers said...

Sir Dick, I totally agree. Recently I had one of those emails offering me a tent! I showed it to Mrs. H. who was convinced I must have bought a Camping Gaz stove or some similar piece of equipment. She herself is allergic to camping.

Uncle Dick Madeley said...

You know they'll hound you until you do buy a tent. I suggest you to buy one now, along with the cream coloured shorts, thermos flask and waterproofs.

Richard Havers said...

I only need the tent!

Swearing Mother said...

Richards! Don't buy that tent! Amazon will only try to entice you to buy tent pegs, and heaven knows where that will lead.

I shudder to think.

Black Cat said...

Dear Richard (Madeley, that is, there seems to be a plethora of Richards in these comments (well, two anyway)!), you make me glad I've never bought anything from Amazon, though you have to admire their automated database - or not.

I saw that comment about "faux intellectual". Sheesh! The guy obviously has a "faux" sense of humour... erm, I mean none at all, "faux" or otherwise! (I hate that word anyway, what's wrong with good old English "false"?) I felt your pain and am glad the Great Caped Frysader was able to soothe the troubled soul...

Lastly, and by no means least, thank you for your very kind comment. I was feeling very low and then I got news that a blogging family I read had lost their beautiful three month-old daughter very suddenly. I am okay. I just hate to think what they're going through...

Love you and Judy. I'll miss you when you go up into the stratosphere! :) xxx

Black Cat said...

P.S. Sorry that was so long.