Girl on the Train. Fifty Shades. The Goldfinch. Why do some books capture the whole world’s attention?

In The Bestseller Code, Archer and Jockers boldly claim that not only can mega-hits be explained and identified - but they’ve built the algorithm to prove it. Using cutting-edge text mining techniques, they have developed a model that analyses theme, plot, style and character to explain why some books resonate more than others with readers.

Provocative, entertaining, and ground-breaking, The Bestseller Code explores the hidden patterns at work in the biggest hits and, more importantly, the real reasons we love to read.