Ranking the best books is one of our main tasks. It should be not just lists of books on a topic, but the real best books. "Best" is a very subjective concept. To get objective book ratings, we calculate a score for each book (from 1 to 5) using a special formula - this score determines whether the book will get on the rating page and what place it will take.
Factors that are taken into account in the formula
The rating for each book is calculated automatically. Every factor has a different weight, and together they shape the book’s final score on our site.
1. Rating and number of ratings on GoodReads
Today, Goodreads is the site with the most objective book ratings and reviews.
For example, the book Atomic Habits has a rating of 4.34 based on 1,001,243 reader reviews.
2. Recommendations from well-known people
Obviously, if a book is recommended by successful people, it’s worth paying attention to. Every verified recommendation is included in our formula and helps boost the book’s rating. You can explore all recommendations in the Experts section. We gather them from official social media pages, interviews, podcasts, and publications on trusted platforms such as Wikipedia, Forbes, CNN, The New York Times, and others.
3. Search demand on Google
The monthly search volume in Google. For example, the book Atomic Habits has a global search volume of 556,000 per month (according to Ahrefs).
The final ratings are checked by a book expert - Roman Yakovenko.