Books are like Packets of Cereal at the End of a Supermarket Aisle

The Observer's book critic Tim Adams writes on Scott Pack, the head buyer of Waterstone's, a British book chain.

...where once you could trust that the books in the window or on the tables were the ones that the manager thought were the best or most interesting in his or her shop, now they are generally the ones which make the least risky bestsellers and for which publishers are prepared to support most with marketing spend.

My first response to this article was 'duh, I already know about market forces' but then I realised that there is a strong belief that 'good' bookshops improve life quality by sharing good books. The article only makes sense in terms of its violation of that. Waterstone's pushing of books where the publisher pays for the promotion is shocking only if you believe bookstores exist for the public good. Of course, this is just like cereal manufacturers paying to put their brand at the end of supermarket aisles.

The punchline in the last paragraph is worth the read.