In this episode, we dive into the mysterious, manipulative, and occasionally unhinged world of the New York Times Bestseller List, that shiny sticker every book seems to have, even the ones that read like rejected BuzzFeed headlines. What starts as casual airport doomscrolling quickly unravels into a full-blown investigation: Who actually decides this list? Why is the methodology secret? And is it really possible to buy your way onto it? (Short answer: lol yes.)

It's comedy commentary meets publishing nerdery, packed with quirky insights about how the book world really works, plus the kind of offbeat learning and lighthearted education that only comes from three people realising the entire system might be held together with vibes and Excel sheets from 1997. If you've ever wondered why every acquaintance suddenly claims to be a "bestselling author," this episode finally explains it, or at least makes you laugh through the confusion while we pretend to understand the NYT's secret sorting hat.

Important links:

1. What does #1 NYT Bestseller even mean - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oqE_3CQpQf4&list=PLR34x9VMByzz98U_IitcV338ayr6W8-YX&index=4

2. The quintessential Wikipedia page - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_New_York_Times_Best_Seller_list

3. NYT's 'secret methodology' - https://www.nytimes.com/books/best-sellers/methodology/

4. Another viewpoint on the NYT Bestseller list - https://www.novlr.org/the-reading-room/the-new-york-times-bestseller-lists-explained/

5. NYT Bestseller list explained - https://www.esquire.com/entertainment/books/a42189320/the-new-york-times-best-seller-lists-explained/

6. Some shady truths about the NYT Bestseller list - https://booklaunch.com/the-truth-about-the-new-york-times-and-wall-street-journal-bestseller-lists/

Don't Know, Do Care is the brainchild of Ashmita, Sandy, and Prakhar, three friends from different backgrounds and interests. Ashmita works in sustainability, Sandy's an entrepreneur (puke) who'd rather not be, and Prakhar works with Sandy and is just trying to make sense of it all. Three mildly confused friends, one weirdly specific topic each week. We don't know much, but we care just enough to talk about it for up to an hour each week. Don't Know, Do Care is produced by "Ghar Pe Productions", edited by Prakhar and Sandy, critiqued (thoroughly) by Ashmita, and enjoyed mostly by our friends. Thanks for giving us a listen!