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Dave Eggers' The Wild Things is available for preorder, in regular hardcover and
limited-edition fur-covered.

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AMAZON.COM'S
RECOMMENDATION
ALGORITHM APPLIED
TO LIFE EVENTS.

BY MARIBETH MOONEY

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Customers who just got fired also had this happen:

The commencement of a vigorous job search

An abundance of time to travel

An unappreciated talent for heavy drinking and sleeping until noon

The stealing of condiments and toilet paper from the neighborhood diner

What do customers ultimately do after this experience?

Make appointments with headhunters

Renew their passports

Get out of their pajamas before 9 p.m.

Community service due to incriminating surveillance footage

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Customers who had just broken up with their boyfriends also had this happen:

A discovery of newfound freedom

An appreciation for having loved and lost

An intense desire for ice cream, vodka, and revenge

A charge of stalking and a subsequent warrant for their arrest

What do customers ultimately do after this experience?

Go out and have fun with girlfriends

Take up a new hobby

A series of 12-step programs

One to three with good behavior

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Customers who had just been asked to be bridesmaids for the ninth time also had this happen:

A deepening of their friendship bond

A belief that a soulmate really does exist for all

A sudden fear of harming oneself and others

An overnight stay for psychiatric evaluation

What do customers ultimately do after this experience?

Excitedly plan a shower and a bachelorette party

Try on dresses and shoes

Two milligrams of Xanax twice a day

Shun sharp objects, line-dancing, and calligraphers

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OTHER McSWEENEY'S FEATURES:

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Amazon.com's Recommendation Algorithm Applied to Life Events By Maribeth Mooney
Quién Es Caliente? Getting Your RateMyProfessors.com Chili Pepper By John Warner
Vegan Hikers Lost on Meatball Mountain Turn to Cannibalism By David Henne
Benjy Compson Seeks Directions to Waffle House By Jimmy Chen
Yogi Berra Is Deeper Than You Thought By Rosser Clark

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Memories of Amanda Davis




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