A series of test cases to measure the quality of the content recommendations algorithm.

The passing rate at the bottom is a general indicator of the algo’s recall rate (~75% passing is considered good enough).

Test Name Status Notes
The Drop Off” should recommend “The Raincoat
You may also be interested in: To the Woman at the United Airlines Check-in Desk at Newark (2019) – Nick Laird and Tracy K. Smith The Raincoat (2019) – Ada Limón and Tracy K. Smith How to Be Depressed (2020) – Matthew Sitman Self Portrait with Woman on the Subway (2022) – Hayan Charara and Ada Limón For the Woman on Main Street Stopping to Pull Up Her Pantyhose (2020) – Kristene Kaye Brown and Tracy K. Smith i woke up and the day caught me (2021) – Kara Jackson and Tracy K. Smith Power (2020) – Maureen McLane How (2023) – Heid E. Erdrich and Major Jackson This conversation will change how you think about trauma (2021) – Bessel van der Kolk and Ezra Klein The Son (2020) – Ben LernerOr A Random Item from the Library...
Pass ✅ of 10
Arts of Living on a Damaged Planet” should recommend “Timefulness
You may also be interested in: Model Organism (2021) – Emmett FitzGerald A Short History of Nearly Everything (2003) – Bill Bryson The animals that may exist in a million years (2021) – Mandy Nguyen Under a White Sky: The Nature of the Future (2021) – Elizabeth Kolbert How Mosquitoes Changed Everything (2019) – Brooke Jarvis This Ciliate Is About to Die (2020) Material World: A Global Family Portrait (1994) – Peter Menzel The Idea of Nature in America (2008) – Leo Marx Mother Earth Mother Board (1996) – Neal Stephenson Living at the End of Our World (2021) – Daniel Sharrell, Dorothy Fortenberry, Sam Adler-Bell, and Matthew SitmanOr A Random Item from the Library...
FAIL ❌ of 10
Baraka” should recommend “Repetition
You may also be interested in: How to Hold the Heavy Weight of Now (2022) – Dana Levin and Ada Limón John Muir, A Dream, A Waterfall, A Mountain Ash (2022) – Robert Hass and Ada Limón Beautiful Adornment of the Earth (1906) – Mipham Rinpoche Into the Woods (1989) – Stephen Sondheim Culture in Change: Akha People of Northern Laos (2004) – Martin Gronemeyer and Rachel Clarke A Weird, Wonderful Conversation (2022) – Kim Stanley Robinson and Ezra Klein The Widows of Everest (2021) – 101 East Locations for Cultivating Samādhi (2000) – Longchen Rabjam Cindy Comes to Hear Me Read (2019) – Jill McDonough and Tracy K. Smith The Wheel (2012) – SOHNOr A Random Item from the Library...
FAIL ❌ of 10
Sapiens” should recommend “The World Until Yesterday
You may also be interested in: Some Other Sign that People Do Not Totally Regret Life (2012) – Sean Cole Behind the Beautiful Forevers: Life, Death, and Hope in a Mumbai Undercity (2012) – Katherine Boo Under a White Sky: The Nature of the Future (2021) – Elizabeth Kolbert A Short History of Nearly Everything (2003) – Bill Bryson Introduction to Anthropology (2022) – Jennifer Hasty, David G. Lewis, and Marjorie M. Snipes Should Trees Have Standing: Toward Legal Rights for Natural Objects (1972) – Christopher D. Stone The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948) – The United Nations Buzz Buzz Buzz (2020) – Michelle Nijhuis How to Hold the Heavy Weight of Now (2022) – Dana Levin and Ada Limón The Art of Being Human: A Textbook for Cultural Anthropology (2018) – Michael WeschOr A Random Item from the Library...
FAIL ❌ of 10
Citizen” should recommend “Carlos Doesn’t Remember
You may also be interested in: 1619 (2019) – Nikole Hannah-Jones Notes of a Native Son (1955) – James Baldwin Just Us: An American Conversation (2020) – Claudia Rankine Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies (1997) – Jared Diamond Talking While Black (2022) – Emanuele Berry and Chana Joffe-Walt Snp 3.9: The Discourse to Vāseṭṭha (2018) Carlos Doesn’t Remember (2016) – Malcolm Gladwell The Raincoat (2019) – Ada Limón and Tracy K. Smith Every Mourning (2022) – Michael Kleber-Diggs and Ada Limón List of Things to Say Instead of “I’m Fine” (2022) – Marlin M. Jenkins and Shira ErlichmanOr A Random Item from the Library...
Pass ✅ of 10
Just Us” should recommend “1619
You may also be interested in: Citizen: An American Lyric (2014) – Claudia Rankine 1619 (2019) – Nikole Hannah-Jones Notes of a Native Son (1955) – James Baldwin Talking While Black (2022) – Emanuele Berry and Chana Joffe-Walt Into the Woods (1989) – Stephen Sondheim The Trojan Horse Affair (2022) – Brian Reed and Hamza Syed The Personal is Political (1969) – Carol Hanisch A Radical Approach to Conflict, Communication and Change (2021) – Sarah Schulman The Revolutionary Thoreau (2020) – R. H. Lossin Buddhism and Blackness (2020) – Valerie Brown and Sigal SamuelOr A Random Item from the Library...
Pass ✅ of 10
Lao Buddhist Women” should recommend “The Traffic in Hierarchy
You may also be interested in: Fulfilling Buddha’s Vision (2021) – Warangkana Chomchuen Mahāpajāpatī’s Going Forth in the Madhyama-āgama (2011) – Bhikkhu Anālayo Social Inequalities and the Promotion of Women in Buddhism in Thailand (2018) – Manuel Litalien Lives of Early Buddhist Nuns (Interview) (2020) – Alice Collett A Voice for Nepali Nuns (2018) – Ani Choying Drolma Love, Unknowing, and Female Filth: The Buddhist Discourse of Birth as a Vector of Social Change for Monastic Women in Premodern South Asia (2021) – Amy Langenberg Tilling the Fields of Merit: The Institutionalization of Feminine Enlightenment in Tibet’s First Khenmo Program (2020) – Jue Liang and Andrew S. Taylor Birth in Buddhism (Interview) (2018) – Amy Langenberg Coming Into Our Own: Discipline, Agency and Inquiry Amidst the Renascent Theravada Bhikkhuni Sangha/s (2017) – Ayya Tathālokā We Love Our Nuns: Affective Dimensions of the Sri Lankan Bhikkhunī Revival (2014) – Susanne MrozikOr A Random Item from the Library...
FAIL ❌ of 10
The Oral Transmission of Early Buddhist Literature” should recommend “Oral Dimensions of Pāli Discourses
You may also be interested in: The Historical Authenticity of Early Buddhist Literature: A Critical Evaluation (2006) – Alexander Wynne Early Buddhism: A Conversation with Kalupahana (1991) – Richard K. Payne and David J. Kalupahana In Search of the Real Buddha (2019) – Peter Harvey Hoary Past and Hazy Memory: On the History of Early Buddhist Texts (2006) – Oskar von Hinüber The Authenticity of the Early Buddhist Texts (2014) – Bhante Sujato and Ajahn Brahmali The Mātikās: Memorization, Mindfulness and the List (1992) – Rupert Gethin When the Little Buddhas are no more: Vinaya transformations in the early 4th century BC (2020) – Alexander Wynne Arahants, Bodhisattvas, and Buddhas (2010) – Bhikkhu Bodhi Buddhist Sites of Western India in the Aftermath of the Sātavāhana-Kśaharāta War: Dynastic Geographies and Patterns of Patronage, Renewal, and Abandonment (2018) – David Efurd Cosmology and Meditation: From the Aggañña-Sutta to the Mahāyāna (1997) – Rupert GethinOr A Random Item from the Library...
FAIL ❌ of 10
Mindfulness in Plain English” should recommend “How to Meditate
You may also be interested in: The Noble Eightfold Path: The Way to the End of Suffering (1984) – Bhikkhu Bodhi Surrender Yourself to the Present Moment (2004) – Thích Nhất Hạnh The Miracle of Mindfulness (1975) – Thích Nhất Hạnh Being Nobody, Going Nowhere: Meditations on the Buddhist Path (1987) – Ayya Khema How to Meditate: A Beginner’s Guide to Peace (2009) – Bhante Yuttadhammo Zen Mind, Beginner’s Mind (1970) – Shunryū Suzuki Roshi Becoming Your Own Therapist (1998) – Thubten Yeshe How Meditation Can Reshape Our Brains (2011) – Sara Lazar A Special Teaching on Mindfulness (2018) – Bhante Gunaratana Happiness (2016) – Ven Hong CiOr A Random Item from the Library...
Pass ✅ of 10
How to Meditate” should recommend “Instructions to Insight Meditation
You may also be interested in: The Miracle of Mindfulness (1975) – Thích Nhất Hạnh Mindfulness in Plain English (1991) – Bhante Gunaratana Why Meditate? (2009) – Bhante Yuttadhammo The Noble Eightfold Path: The Way to the End of Suffering (1984) – Bhikkhu Bodhi Instructions to Insight Meditation (2010) – Mahāsi Sayadaw Comprehensive Practice (2011) – Bhante Yuttadhammo Surrender Yourself to the Present Moment (2004) – Thích Nhất Hạnh A Second Life Meditation (2013) – Bhante Yuttadhammo What is Meditation? (2010) – Bhante Yuttadhammo Being Nobody, Going Nowhere: Meditations on the Buddhist Path (1987) – Ayya KhemaOr A Random Item from the Library...
Pass ✅ of 10
What Work Is” should recommend “You Can Have It
You may also be interested in: Men Explain Things to Me (2008) – Rebecca Solnit You Can Have It (1991) – Philip Levine Thich Nhat Hanh’s Interbeing: Fourteen Guidelines for Engaged Buddhism (2009) – William Edelglass A Task for Mindfulness: Facing Climate Change (2019) – Bhikkhu Anālayo AN 8.80: Grounds for Laziness (2018) Nine Considerations and Criteria For Benefiting Beings (2009) – Patrul Rinpoche Snp 3.9: The Discourse to Vāseṭṭha (2018) Purity of Heart (2006) – Ajahn Geoff Ṭhānissaro Out of the Ordinary (2021) – Bhante Shravasti Dhammika How to Cultivate Concentration (2018) – Mipham RinpocheOr A Random Item from the Library...
Pass ✅ of 10
Rebirth and the In-between State in Early Buddhism” should recommend “When Does Human Life Begin?
You may also be interested in: An Interview with Dr. Jim Tucker (2014) – Dr. Jim Tucker, Ajahn Brahmali, and Bhante Sujato The Buddha’s Teaching As It Is (1981) – Bhikkhu Bodhi Have you come here to die? (2004) – Ajahn Brahm Rebirth and the West (2019) – Bhikkhu Anālayo Dependent Origination (2002) – Ajahn Brahm MN 38: The Greater Craving-Destruction Discourse (2011) SN 47.14: Ukkacelā Sutta (2018) Greater Discourse on the Simile of the Elephant’s Footprint (2017) – Bhante Yuttadhammo The Mystique of the Abhidhamma (2010) – Bhante Sujato How Early Buddhism differs from Theravada: A Checklist (2022) – Bhante SujatoOr A Random Item from the Library...
FAIL ❌ of 10
On Ordaining and Renunciation” should recommend “Going Forth
You may also be interested in: A Garland For the Bhikkhunis of Perth (2010) – Jacqueline Kramer AN 6.25 Paṭhamasamaya Sutta: Proper Occasions (2018) Temple Life (2015) – Haseo Tsutomu The Monk in the Pāli Vinaya: Priest or Wedding Guest? (1995) – Richard Gombrich Twelve and a Half Crippled Verses (2020) – Lama Zhang Tsöndrü Drakpa Going Forth (2010) – Bhante Yuttadhammo MA 80: The Rough Cloth (2020) Shedding Skins (2019) – Scott Tussa Going Forth (2001) – Ajahn Viradhammo Old Pillar, New Possibilites: What the Revival of the Bhikkhuni Sangha Contributes to Thai Women and Society (2009) – Nissara HorayanguraOr A Random Item from the Library...
Pass ✅ of 10
PTSD in the Slaughterhouse” should recommend “You Can Have It
You may also be interested in: Ten Unwholesome Actions (2000) – Ajahn Suchart MN 41: The Brahmins of Sālā (2009) The Green Pill (2018) – Melanie Joy The Five Precepts: The Buddhist Golden Rule (1912) – Somdet Vajirañāṇavarorasa Ten Ways to Make Merit (2000) – Ajahn Suchart My Mind to Me a Kingdom Is (1988) – Sir Edward Dyer Buddhist Approach to Economics (2008) – Ajahn Jayasaro You Can Have It (1991) – Philip Levine AN 4.62: Freedom from Debt (2005) – Kamala Masters Everyman’s Ethics: Four Discourses of the Buddha (1959) – Ven Nārada MahātheraOr A Random Item from the Library...
Pass ✅ of 10
Behave” should recommend “Just Think
You may also be interested in: Just Think: The challenges of the disengaged mind (2014) – Timothy D. Wilson and others Depression (2009) – Robert M. Sapolsky The Power of Cutting Off and Letting Go (2018) – Br Phap Dung A Short History of Nearly Everything (2003) – Bill Bryson Serotonin (Exploded) (2021) – girl in red and Hrishikesh Hirway This Ciliate Is About to Die (2020) Burden of Proof (2018) – Malcolm Gladwell MN 20: Vitakkasaṇṭhāna Sutta (The Relaxation of Thoughts) (1997) Selections from John Dewey’s Experience and Nature (2000) – Glen Pate Citizen: An American Lyric (2014) – Claudia RankineOr A Random Item from the Library...
Pass ✅ of 10
Feasibility of a mindfulness-based intervention to address youth issues in Vietnam” should recommend “A First-Person Account of Using Mindfulness as a Therapeutic Tool in the Palestinian Territories
You may also be interested in: A First-Person Account of Using Mindfulness as a Therapeutic Tool in the Palestinian Territories (2010) – Alessandra Pigni Thoughts on Practice and Why We Do It (2013) – Pascal Auclair Mindfulness in Plain English (1991) – Bhante Gunaratana Why Meditate? (2009) – Bhante Yuttadhammo Have you come here to die? (2004) – Ajahn Brahm Comprehensive Practice (2011) – Bhante Yuttadhammo What is Meditation? (2010) – Bhante Yuttadhammo Chan Practitioners as Agents of Social Change (2020) – Rebecca S. K. Li Surrender Yourself to the Present Moment (2004) – Thích Nhất Hạnh Difficult Attachments (2009) – Bhante YuttadhammoOr A Random Item from the Library...
Pass ✅ of 10
In Search of Schrödinger’s Cat” should recommend “A Brief History of Time
You may also be interested in: Michael Faraday’s The Chemical History of a Candle (2016) – Alex Black, Don DeCoste, and Bill Hammack A Brief History of Time: From the Big Bang to Black Holes (1988) – Stephen Hawking The Map of Particle Physics (2021) – Dominic Walliman Navy UFO Videos (2020) – Mick West A Short History of Nearly Everything (2003) – Bill Bryson Is the Future Predetermined? (2020) – Space Time Why Don’t Animals Have Wheels? (2012) – Michael Stevens The First Scientist (2023) – Carlo Rovelli Experiments on the Sense of Being Stared At: The Elimination of Possible Artefacts (2001) – Rupert Sheldrake This Ciliate Is About to Die (2020)Or A Random Item from the Library...
Pass ✅ of 10
Venerated Objects and Symbols of Early Buddhism” should recommend “The Lotus as a Symbol in the Pali Tradition
You may also be interested in: The Symbolism of the Early Stūpa (1984) – Peter Harvey In Search of the Real Buddha (2019) – Peter Harvey The Lotus as a Symbol in the Pali Tradition (1980) – Carl Olson Early Buddhism: A Conversation with Kalupahana (1991) – Richard K. Payne and David J. Kalupahana Vv 1.1: Paṭhama Pīṭha Sutta (2020) SN 35.238: The Simile of the Vipers (2018) Common Buddhist Text: Guidance and Insight from the Buddha (2015) The Buddhist Wheel Symbol (1969) – T. B. Karunaratne Arahants, Bodhisattvas, and Buddhas (2010) – Bhikkhu Bodhi Heirs to the Dhamma (2012) – Bhante YuttadhammoOr A Random Item from the Library...
Pass ✅ of 10
Altruism in Classical Buddhism” should recommend “The Cultivation of Virtue in Buddhist Ethics
You may also be interested in: The Cultivation of Virtue in Buddhist Ethics (2013) – Charles Fink Ethics in Indian and Tibetan Buddhism (2017) – Charles Goodman Aspects of Early Buddhist Sociological Thought (1998) – Ven Pategama Gnanarama AN 8.40 Duccarita Vipāka Sutta: The Results of Misconduct (2012) The Monk in the Pāli Vinaya: Priest or Wedding Guest? (1995) – Richard Gombrich Goodness (2009) – Bhante Yuttadhammo On deeds of war both bright and dark (2022) – Bhante Sujato Origins of Buddhism (2003) – Ajahn Brahm Iti 76 Sukha Patthanā Sutta: Aspiring for Happiness (2001) MN 41: The Brahmins of Sālā (2009)Or A Random Item from the Library...
Pass ✅ of 10
Against the Defilements” should recommend “Kammaṭṭhāna
You may also be interested in: Beyond Birth: An Autobiography (2022) – Ajahn Suchart Living in Peace: A Conversation with Laypeople from India (2017) – Ajahn Suchart Kammaṭṭhāna: The Basis of Practice (1994) – Luangta Maha Boowa Morality (2020) – Bhante Yuttadhammo Aspects of Early Buddhist Sociological Thought (1998) – Ven Pategama Gnanarama MN 39: Mahā Assapura Sutta (The Greater Discourse at Assapura) (2008) A Life of Inner Quality (1989) – Luangta Maha Boowa MN 2 Annotated (2016) – Bhante Suddhāso Buddha’s Lost Children (2006) – Mark Verkerk Effects of mindful-attention and compassion meditation training on amygdala response to emotional stimuli in an ordinary, non-meditative state (2012) – Gaëlle Desbordes and othersOr A Random Item from the Library...
Pass ✅ of 10
The Buddhist Wheel Symbol” should recommend “Venerated Objects and Symbols of Early Buddhism
You may also be interested in: Without and Within: Questions and Answers on the Teachings of Theravāda Buddhism (2013) – Ajahn Jayasaro Narratives of Buddhist Relics and Images (2019) – Stephen C. Berkwitz Common Buddhist Text: Guidance and Insight from the Buddha (2015) Venerated Objects and Symbols of Early Buddhism (1990) – Peter Harvey The Lotus as a Symbol in the Pali Tradition (1980) – Carl Olson The Footprint of the Buddha (2009) – Patricia Welch Introduction to Buddhist Art (2018) – Doug Smith MN 33: The Longer Discourse on the Cowherd (2018) The Buddha on the Alter of Drepung Loseling Monastery (2020) – Dadul Namgyal Saving Buddhism: The Impermanence of Religion in Colonial Burma (2014) – Alicia TurnerOr A Random Item from the Library...
Pass ✅ of 10
Understanding the Chinese Buddhist Temple” should recommend “Popular Deities of Chinese Buddhism
You may also be interested in: The Art of Making Buddha Statues: Cause and Condition (2018) – Dharma Realm Buddhist Association Chinese Pure Land Buddhism (2019) – Charles B. Jones Popular Deities of Chinese Buddhism (1985) – Kuan Ming The (Chinese) Buddhist Liturgy (1993) Footprints in the Snow: The Autobiography of a Chinese Buddhist Monk (2008) – Master Sheng-Yen Drums and Bells (2013) – Qing De Monastery Buddha Beads (2012) – Master Sheng-Yen Map of the Taisho (2015) The Sūtra of the Heart of Transcendent Wisdom: A Tibetan Heart Sūtra Liturgy (2019) Embodying Compassion in Buddhist Art: Image, Pilgrimage, Practice (2015) – Karen LucicOr A Random Item from the Library...
Pass ✅ of 10
The Connected Discourses of the Buddha” should recommend “Linked Discourses
You may also be interested in: Transcendental Dependent Arising (1980) – Bhikkhu Bodhi In the Buddha’s Words: An Anthology of Discourses from the Pali Canon (2004) – Bhikkhu Bodhi Saṃyutta Nikāya: An Anthology I (1981) – John D. Ireland Saṃyutta Nikāya: An Anthology III (1984) – Maurice Walshe Selections from the Majjhima Nikāya (2018) – Bhikkhu Ñāṇamoli Thera and Bhikkhu Bodhi SN 12.65: The City (1997) The Buddhist Path to Liberation: An Analysis of the Listing of Stages (1984) – Roderick S. Bucknell Linked Discourses (2019) – Bhante Sujato SN 55.5: The Sāriputta Sutta (2020) SN 22.86: Anuradha Sutta (2006) – Joseph GoldsteinOr A Random Item from the Library...
Pass ✅ of 10
The Numerical Discourses of the Buddha” should recommend “The Numbered Discourses
You may also be interested in: A Thematic Guide to the Numerical Discourses (2019) – Bhikkhu Bodhi Aṅguttara Nikāya Anthology (2007) – Ven. Nyanaponika Thera and Bhikkhu Bodhi Selections from the Majjhima Nikāya (2018) – Bhikkhu Ñāṇamoli Thera and Bhikkhu Bodhi The Numbered Discourses (2019) – Bhante Sujato The Buddha’s Teaching As It Is (1981) – Bhikkhu Bodhi Anguttara Nikaya Course (2016) – Bhikkhu Bodhi The Connected Discourses of the Buddha: A Translation of the Saṃyutta Nikāya (2000) – Bhikkhu Bodhi Where’s that sutta? (1985) – Laurence Khantipalo Mills AN 10.54: Serenity (2012) Saṃyutta Nikāya: An Anthology III (1984) – Maurice WalsheOr A Random Item from the Library...
Pass ✅ of 10
The Buddhist Layman” should recommend “A Simple Guide to Life
You may also be interested in: The Cushion or the World? (2013) – Bhikkhu Cintita A Simple Guide to Life (1994) – Robert Bogoda Thich Nhat Hanh’s Interbeing: Fourteen Guidelines for Engaged Buddhism (2009) – William Edelglass Buddhism and Sex (1975) – Maurice Walshe Lay Buddhist Practice: The Shrine Room, Uposatha Day, Rains Residence (1974) – Laurence Khantipalo Mills Bridging the Two Vehicles (2016) – Bhikkhu Bodhi The Two Most Important Things (2013) – Ayya Santussikā Bhikkhunī Pennies From the Pure Land: Practicing the Dharma, Hanging Out, and Raising Funds for the Oldest Buddhist Temple Outside Asia (2022) – Jeff Wilson Mary Foster: Patron of Buddhism (2019) – Bhante Shravasti Dhammika Excellent Intention: A Simple Nyungné Ritual (2019) – Jigme LingpaOr A Random Item from the Library...
Pass ✅ of 10
Buddhist Hybrid English” should recommend “A Philological Approach to Buddhism
You may also be interested in: caveat lector: the next 125 years of the Pāli Text Society (2007) – Margaret Cone A Philological Approach to Buddhism (1997) – K. R. Norman Reshaping Timelessness: Paradigm Shifts in the Interpretation of Buddhist Meditation (2017) – Florin Deleanu Pāli Script Converter (2019) On Translating from Pāli (1982) – K. R. Norman Councils as Ideas and Events in the Theravāda (1992) – Charles Hallisey Three Sūtras from the Samyuktāgama Concerning Emptiness (1993) – Étienne Lamotte Bodhi and Arahattaphala: From Early Buddhism to Early Mahāyāna (1981) – Karel Werner Buddhist Ethics and the Bodhicaryāvatāra (2021) – Jay Garfield Modern Japanese Buddhology: Its History and Problematics (1984) – Minoru KiyotaOr A Random Item from the Library...
Pass ✅ of 10
Tracing Thought Through Things” should recommend “The Authenticity of the Early Buddhist Texts
You may also be interested in: The Oldest Known Pali Texts, 5–6th century: Results of the Cambridge Symposium on the Pyu Golden Pali Text from Śrī Kṣetra, 18–19 April 1995 (1995) – Janice Stargardt On the Very Idea of the Pali Canon (1990) – Steven Collins Ancestral Stupas of Shwedagon (2010) – U Win Maung (Tampawaddy) Tuṇḍilovāda: An Allegedly Non-Canonical Sutta (1990) – Charles Hallisey That the True Dhamma Might Last a Long Time: Readings Selected by King Asoka (1993) – Ajahn Geoff Ṭhānissaro Hoary Past and Hazy Memory: On the History of Early Buddhist Texts (2006) – Oskar von Hinüber The Authenticity of the Early Buddhist Texts (2014) – Bhante Sujato and Ajahn Brahmali Last Days of the Buddha: The Mahāparinibbāna Sutta (1964) – Sister Vajirā and Francis Story The Dawn of Abhidharma (2014) – Bhikkhu Anālayo A Philological Approach to Buddhism (1997) – K. R. NormanOr A Random Item from the Library...
Pass ✅ of 10
The Authenticity of the Early Buddhist Texts” should recommend “Hoary Past and Hazy Memory
You may also be interested in: Early Buddhist Texts (2013) – Bhante Sujato and Ajahn Brahmali SuttaCentral (2007) – Bhante Sujato Early Buddhist Wisdom (2013) – Bhante Sujato and Ajahn Brahmali The Historical Authenticity of Early Buddhist Literature: A Critical Evaluation (2006) – Alexander Wynne Hoary Past and Hazy Memory: On the History of Early Buddhist Texts (2006) – Oskar von Hinüber Early Buddhism: A Conversation with Kalupahana (1991) – Richard K. Payne and David J. Kalupahana The Chinese Āgamas vis-a-vis the Sarvāstivāda Tradition (1993) – Chandra Shekhar Prasad The Oral Transmission of Early Buddhist Literature (2004) – Alexander Wynne The Buddha’s Truly Praiseworthy Qualities: According to the Mahāsakuludāyi-sutta and Its Chinese Parallel (2009) – Bhikkhu Anālayo The Historical Turn: How Chinese Buddhist Travelogues Changed Western Perception of Buddhism (2018) – Max DeegOr A Random Item from the Library...
Pass ✅ of 10
Buzz Buzz Buzz” should recommend “Should Trees Have Standing
You may also be interested in: Bhramarotpītādharaḥ: Bees in Classical India (2009) – Klaus Karttunen Beautiful Adornment of the Earth (1906) – Mipham Rinpoche Locations for Cultivating Samādhi (2000) – Longchen Rabjam Are well-intended Buddhist practices an under-appreciated threat to global aquatic biodiversity? (2019) – Mark Everard, Adrian C. Pinder, Rajeev Raghavan, and Gaurav Kataria Should Trees Have Standing: Toward Legal Rights for Natural Objects (1972) – Christopher D. Stone Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind (2011) – Yuval Noah Harari All Your Yesterdays: Extraordinary Visions of Extinct Life from a New Generation of Palaeoartists (2012) The Heaven of Solitude (2013) – Nyala Pema Dündul The Green Pill (2018) – Melanie Joy Buddhism and environmental protection (2013) – Master Sheng-YenOr A Random Item from the Library...
Pass ✅ of 10
Twenty-three percent of women report sexual assault in college” should recommend “Sexual Consent
You may also be interested in: The Widows of Everest (2021) – 101 East Someday I’ll Love Ocean Vuong (2015) – Ocean Vuong Sexual Consent (2019) – Milena Popova Cindy Comes to Hear Me Read (2019) – Jill McDonough and Tracy K. Smith A Short History of Nearly Everything (2003) – Bill Bryson How to Hold the Heavy Weight of Now (2022) – Dana Levin and Ada Limón International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) (2001) – The World Health Organization The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948) – The United Nations Introduction to Anthropology (2022) – Jennifer Hasty, David G. Lewis, and Marjorie M. Snipes Men Explain Things to Me (2008) – Rebecca SolnitOr A Random Item from the Library...
Pass ✅ of 10
Sexual Consent” should recommend “What Every Body is Saying
You may also be interested in: Buddhism and Sex (1975) – Maurice Walshe What Every Body is Saying: An Ex-FBI Agent’s Guide to Speed-Reading People (2008) – Joe Navarro Dealing with Difficult People (2008) – Ajahn Brahm The Exposition of Non-Conflict: MN 139 (1979) – Bhikkhu Ñāṇamoli Thera Everyman’s Ethics: Four Discourses of the Buddha (1959) – Ven Nārada Mahāthera Transcending Five Fears (2013) – Ayya Santussikā Bhikkhunī On Love (2010) – Ajahn Jayasaro My Mind to Me a Kingdom Is (1988) – Sir Edward Dyer Extramarital affairs (2012) – Master Sheng-Yen The Five Precepts: The Buddhist Golden Rule (1912) – Somdet VajirañāṇavarorasaOr A Random Item from the Library...
Pass ✅ of 10
Can Killing a Living Being Ever Be an Act of Compassion?” should recommend “The Trolley Car Dilemma
You may also be interested in: War and Peace (2014) – Bhikkhu Bodhi and Ajahn Geoff Ṭhānissaro On deeds of war both bright and dark (2022) – Bhante Sujato The Trolley Car Dilemma: The Early Buddhist Answer and Resulting Insights (2014) – Ven Pandita Ten Ways to Make Merit (2000) – Ajahn Suchart Cosmology and Meditation: From the Aggañña-Sutta to the Mahāyāna (1997) – Rupert Gethin Putting Cruelty First (1982) – Judith Shklar Ten Unwholesome Actions (2000) – Ajahn Suchart The Cessation of Suffering and Buddhist Axiology (2015) – Daniel Breyer The Global Refugee Crisis and the Gift of Fearlessness (2019) – Christina A. Kilby The Mātikās: Memorization, Mindfulness and the List (1992) – Rupert GethinOr A Random Item from the Library...
Pass ✅ of 10
The Historical Authenticity of Early Buddhist Literature” should recommend “The Authenticity of the Early Buddhist Texts
You may also be interested in: Hoary Past and Hazy Memory: On the History of Early Buddhist Texts (2006) – Oskar von Hinüber The Oral Transmission of Early Buddhist Literature (2004) – Alexander Wynne The Authenticity of the Early Buddhist Texts (2014) – Bhante Sujato and Ajahn Brahmali The Mātikās: Memorization, Mindfulness and the List (1992) – Rupert Gethin Early Buddhism: A Conversation with Kalupahana (1991) – Richard K. Payne and David J. Kalupahana Buddha and the Political Events of His Times (2016) – Alexander Berzin A Reader’s Guide to the Pāli Suttas (2019) – Bhante Sujato Nuns, Laywomen, Donors, Goddesses: Female Roles in Early Indian Buddhism (2001) – Peter Skilling Dhammapada Introduction (2008) – Gil Fronsdal In Search of the Real Buddha (2019) – Peter HarveyOr A Random Item from the Library...
Pass ✅ of 10
Did the Buddha Exist” should recommend “In Search of the Real Buddha
You may also be interested in: The Life of the Buddha (1972) – Bhikkhu Ñāṇamoli Thera Footprints in the Dust: The Life of the Buddha from the Most Ancient Sources (2022) – Bhante Shravasti Dhammika Original Versions of Some Entries for the Encyclopedia of Buddhism (2013) – Peter Harvey The Oral Transmission of Early Buddhist Literature (2004) – Alexander Wynne The Buddha as a Teacher (2020) – Bhante Shravasti Dhammika In Search of the Real Buddha (2019) – Peter Harvey Buddha: True Genius (2013) – Ajahn Brahmali The Buddha You Never Knew (2015) – Bhante Shravasti Dhammika The Historical Authenticity of Early Buddhist Literature: A Critical Evaluation (2006) – Alexander Wynne SN 22.86: Anuradha Sutta (2006) – Joseph GoldsteinOr A Random Item from the Library...
Pass ✅ of 10
Giving money away makes us happy. Then why do so few of us do it?” should recommend “Are We Morally Obligated to Meditate?
You may also be interested in: How to Love Your Problems (2017) – Robina Courtin Generosity First (2003) – Ajahn Geoff Ṭhānissaro Buddhist Life, Buddhist Path (2015) – Bhikkhu Cintita Putting Cruelty First (1982) – Judith Shklar Are We Morally Obligated to Meditate? (2020) – Samuel Sigal Buddhism and Modernity (1997) – Douglas Powers (Snp 1.8) Karaniya Metta Sutta: The Buddha’s Words on Loving-Kindness (2004) Without and Within: Questions and Answers on the Teachings of Theravāda Buddhism (2013) – Ajahn Jayasaro Happiness (2016) – Ven Hong Ci Morality (2020) – Bhante YuttadhammoOr A Random Item from the Library...
Pass ✅ of 10
Kids These Days” should recommend “Debt
You may also be interested in: Bill Gates tweeted out a chart and sparked a huge debate about global poverty (2019) – Dylan Matthews Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies (1997) – Jared Diamond The Revolutionary Thoreau (2020) – R. H. Lossin On the Phenomenon of Bullshit Jobs: A Work Rant (2013) – David Graeber Material World: A Global Family Portrait (1994) – Peter Menzel Debt: The First 5000 Years (2011) – David Graeber Why Do We Work So Much? (2021) – James Suzman and Ezra Klein Under a White Sky: The Nature of the Future (2021) – Elizabeth Kolbert School Among Glaciers (2004) – Dorji Wangchuk Bullshit Jobs (2018) – David GraeberOr A Random Item from the Library...
Pass ✅ of 10
MN 44” should recommend “Chos sbyin gyi mdo
You may also be interested in: MN 140 Dhātu-Vibhaṅga Sutta: The Exposition of the Elements (2009) MN 44: Culavedalla Sutta Study (2009) – Ajahn Brahm MN 43: The Great Classification (2018) MN 105: Sunakkhatta (2018) Chos sbyin gyi mdo: Bhikkhunī Dhammadinnā Proves Her Wisdom (2011) – Bhikkhu Anālayo MN 141: Analysis of the Truths (2018) MN 62: Mahārāhulovāda Sutta (2020) MN 29: The Greater Discourse on the Simile of the Heartwood (2009) Snp 5.10: The Questions of Kappa (2006) – Ajahn Sucitto MN 26: Ariyapariyesanā Sutta (The Noble Search) (2009)Or A Random Item from the Library...
Pass ✅ of 10
Teardrops of Time” should recommend “I Lost You
You may also be interested in: Buddhist on Death Row (2021) – The History Hour I Lost You (1980) – Angkarn Kalayanapong Why Adults Lose the ‘Beginner’s Mind’ (2021) – Alison Gopnik and Ezra Klein Why Do We Work So Much? (2021) – James Suzman and Ezra Klein Until the End of Time: Mind, Matter, and Our Search for Meaning (2020) – Brian Greene Night-Time and Refugees: Evidence from the Thai-Myanmar Border (2015) – Pia Jolliffe The Argument Against Colonizing Space (2020) – Daniel Deudney and Michael Robinson Creatures of Cain (2019) – Erika Milam The most important book I’ve read this year (2020) – Kim Stanley Robinson and Ezra Klein AN 4.29 Dhammapada Sutta: Dhamma Factors (2012)Or A Random Item from the Library...
Pass ✅ of 10
The Renouncing Royals of Videha” should recommend “The Story of the Horse-King and the Merchant Siṃhala, in Buddhist Texts
You may also be interested in: Nuns, Laywomen, Donors, Goddesses: Female Roles in Early Indian Buddhism (2001) – Peter Skilling Evolving Portrayals of Sāriputta and Moggallāna: Psychic Potency vis-à-vis Wisdom and Concentration (2021) – Tse-fu Kuan Apsarases: The Buddhist Conversion of the Nymphs of Heaven (2005) – Linda Covill Evil Creatures (2014) – Bhante Sujato The Karma-vibhaṅga: The Analysis of Deeds (2020) Brahmā’s Invitation: the Ariyapariyesanā-sutta in the Light of its Madhyama-āgama Parallel (2011) – Bhikkhu Anālayo Arahants, Bodhisattvas, and Buddhas (2010) – Bhikkhu Bodhi Politics of the Buddha’s Genitals (2017) – Bhante Sujato MN 50: The Rebuke of Māra (2018) Far From the Madding Strife for Hollow Pleasures: Meditation and Liberation in the Śrāvakabhūmi (2012) – Florin DeleanuOr A Random Item from the Library...
FAIL ❌ of 10
The Politics of Tourism in Asia” should recommend “Battling the Buddha of Love
You may also be interested in: Battling the Buddha of Love: A Cultural Biography of the Greatest Statue Never Built (2018) – Jessica Marie Falcone Architects of Buddhist Leisure: Socially Disengaged Buddhism in Asia’s Museums, Monuments, and Amusement Parks (2017) – Justin Thomas McDaniel Under the Gaze of the Buddha Mega-Statue: Commodification and Humanistic Buddhism at Fo Guang Shan (2020) – Edward Irons Buddhist Pilgrimage (2002) – Chan Khoon San The Navel of the Earth: The History and Significance of Bodh Gaya (1996) – Bhante Shravasti Dhammika Heirs to the Dhamma (2012) – Bhante Yuttadhammo Where Are You Going: A Pilgrimage on Foot to the Buddhist Holy Places (2005) – Ajahn Sucitto and Nick Scott Corporate Nature: An Insider’s Ethnography of Global Conservation (2022) – Sarah Milne Social Inequalities and the Promotion of Women in Buddhism in Thailand (2018) – Manuel Litalien Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies (1997) – Jared DiamondOr A Random Item from the Library...
Pass ✅ of 10
Venerated Objects and Symbols of Early Buddhism” should recommend “The Lotus as a Symbol in the Pali Tradition
You may also be interested in: The Symbolism of the Early Stūpa (1984) – Peter Harvey In Search of the Real Buddha (2019) – Peter Harvey The Lotus as a Symbol in the Pali Tradition (1980) – Carl Olson Vv 1.1: Paṭhama Pīṭha Sutta (2020) Early Buddhism: A Conversation with Kalupahana (1991) – Richard K. Payne and David J. Kalupahana SN 35.238: The Simile of the Vipers (2018) Heirs to the Dhamma (2012) – Bhante Yuttadhammo Arahants, Bodhisattvas, and Buddhas (2010) – Bhikkhu Bodhi The Buddhist Wheel Symbol (1969) – T. B. Karunaratne Bridging the Two Vehicles (2016) – Bhikkhu BodhiOr A Random Item from the Library...
Pass ✅ of 10
The Authenticity of the Early Buddhist Texts” should recommend “Early Buddhist Texts
You may also be interested in: Early Buddhist Texts (2013) – Bhante Sujato and Ajahn Brahmali SuttaCentral (2007) – Bhante Sujato Early Buddhist Wisdom (2013) – Bhante Sujato and Ajahn Brahmali Hoary Past and Hazy Memory: On the History of Early Buddhist Texts (2006) – Oskar von Hinüber The Historical Authenticity of Early Buddhist Literature: A Critical Evaluation (2006) – Alexander Wynne The Chinese Āgamas vis-a-vis the Sarvāstivāda Tradition (1993) – Chandra Shekhar Prasad Early Buddhism: A Conversation with Kalupahana (1991) – Richard K. Payne and David J. Kalupahana Politics of the Buddha’s Genitals (2017) – Bhante Sujato The Oral Transmission of Early Buddhist Literature (2004) – Alexander Wynne The Buddha’s Truly Praiseworthy Qualities: According to the Mahāsakuludāyi-sutta and Its Chinese Parallel (2009) – Bhikkhu AnālayoOr A Random Item from the Library...
Pass ✅ of 10
In Search of the Real Buddha” should recommend “Early Buddhism
You may also be interested in: Early Buddhism: A Conversation with Kalupahana (1991) – Richard K. Payne and David J. Kalupahana Arahants, Bodhisattvas, and Buddhas (2010) – Bhikkhu Bodhi Biography of Shakyamuni Buddha (2013) – Ven Master Hsing Yun The Symbolism of the Early Stūpa (1984) – Peter Harvey The Buddha You Never Knew (2015) – Bhante Shravasti Dhammika The Buddha as a Teacher (2020) – Bhante Shravasti Dhammika SN 35.238: The Simile of the Vipers (2018) Original Versions of Some Entries for the Encyclopedia of Buddhism (2013) – Peter Harvey Venerated Objects and Symbols of Early Buddhism (1990) – Peter Harvey A Culture of Awakening (2014) – Bhikkhu CintitaOr A Random Item from the Library...
Pass ✅ of 10
Birth of the Global Insight Meditation Movement” should recommend “Saving Buddhism
You may also be interested in: Saving Buddhism: The Impermanence of Religion in Colonial Burma (2014) – Alicia Turner Anti-Catholicism and Protestant Reformism in the History of Western Imagery of the Buddhist Monk: Some Roots of the Modernist Monk (2011) – Laura Harrington Where are the Women Monastics? (2012) – Susan Pembroke Living Buddhist Masters (1977) – Jack Kornfield Bridging the Two Vehicles (2016) – Bhikkhu Bodhi Buddhism Beyond Modernity (2019) – Ann Gleig The Many Voices of Buddhaghosa: The Commentator and Our Times (2019) – Oscar Carrera Buddhism and Science (2001) – Ajahn Brahm Mary Foster: Patron of Buddhism (2019) – Bhante Shravasti Dhammika Virtual Orientalism (2013) – Jane Naomi IwamuraOr A Random Item from the Library...
Pass ✅ of 10
A Philological Approach to Buddhism” should recommend “Buddhist Hybrid English
You may also be interested in: Buddhist Hybrid English: Some Notes on Philology and Hermeneutics for Buddhologists (1981) – Paul J. Griffiths Theravāda Buddhism and Brahmanical Hinduism: Brahmanical Terms in a Buddhist Guise (1992) – K. R. Norman Hoary Past and Hazy Memory: On the History of Early Buddhist Texts (2006) – Oskar von Hinüber The Four Noble Truths (1982) – K. R. Norman Studying Buddhist Scripture (2018) – Charles Hallisey The Origin of Pāli and its Position among the Indo-European Languages (1988) – K. R. Norman Reading Faithfully (2011) The Dawn of Abhidharma (2014) – Bhikkhu Anālayo The Mass Suicide of Monks in Discourse and Vinaya Literature (2014) – Bhikkhu Anālayo The Historical Authenticity of Early Buddhist Literature: A Critical Evaluation (2006) – Alexander WynneOr A Random Item from the Library...
Pass ✅ of 10
Outpost Buddhism” should recommend “He’s Still Neutral
You may also be interested in: He’s Still Neutral (2019) – Phoebe Judge An Inquiring Mind’s Journey Into Wisdom, Compassion, Freedom and Silence (2004) – Bhante Kovida Happiness (2016) – Ven Hong Ci Virtual Orientalism (2013) – Jane Naomi Iwamura Anti-Catholicism and Protestant Reformism in the History of Western Imagery of the Buddhist Monk: Some Roots of the Modernist Monk (2011) – Laura Harrington Anagārika Munindra and the Historical Context of the Vipassanā Movement (2006) – C. Robert Pryor The First Yellow Robes in the West (2019) – Bhante Shravasti Dhammika The Art of Making Buddha Statues: Cause and Condition (2018) – Dharma Realm Buddhist Association Pennies From the Pure Land: Practicing the Dharma, Hanging Out, and Raising Funds for the Oldest Buddhist Temple Outside Asia (2022) – Jeff Wilson Mary Foster: Patron of Buddhism (2019) – Bhante Shravasti DhammikaOr A Random Item from the Library...
Pass ✅ of 10
Piranesi” should recommend “No One Belongs Here More than You
You may also be interested in: Full Moon (2021) – Elinor Wylie and Ada Limón Ducks: Two Years in the Oil Sands (2022) – Kate Beaton No One Belongs Here More than You (2007) – Miranda July A Year Dot (2020) – dg nanouk okpik and Jenny Xie The Cheese and the Worms: The Cosmos of a Sixteenth-Century Miller (1980) – Carlo Ginzburg A Thousand Cardinals (2022) – Julian Randall and Ada Limón To Offer Sweet Fruit to the Ghost (2021) – John Paul Martinez and Ada Limón To be of use (2020) – Marge Piercy and Tracy K. Smith Klara and the Sun: A Novel (2021) – Kazuo Ishiguro Basic Needs (2020) – Vanessa Jimenez Gabb and Tracy K. SmithOr A Random Item from the Library...
Pass ✅ of 10
Writing Yasodhara and the Buddha” should recommend “Did the Buddha Really Have a Wife and Son?
You may also be interested in: Did the Buddha Really Have a Wife and Son? (2018) – Matthew Gindin Learning to Listen to the Voices Only You Hear (2022) – Ruth Ozeki and Ezra Klein What a Poetic Mind Can Teach Us About How to Live (2023) – Jane Hirshfield A Weird, Wonderful Conversation (2022) – Kim Stanley Robinson and Ezra Klein The Meaning of Life in Asian and Western Thought (2022) – Leah Kalmanson The Life of the Buddha (1972) – Bhikkhu Ñāṇamoli Thera MN 87: Piyajātika Sutta (2009) Storied Companions: Trauma, Cancer, and Finding Guides for Living in Buddhist Narratives (2022) – Karen Derris In the Forest of the Blind: The Eurasian Journey of Faxian’s Record of Buddhist Kingdoms (2022) – Matthew W. King Contemplative, Existential Psychotherapy and Dzogchen (2023) – Ken BradfordOr A Random Item from the Library...
Pass ✅ of 10
Rewriting Buddhism” should recommend “On the Very Idea of the Pali Canon
You may also be interested in: Nibbānasutta: An Allegedly Non-Canonical Sutta on Nibbāna as a Great City (1993) – Charles Hallisey The Many Voices of Buddhaghosa: The Commentator and Our Times (2019) – Oscar Carrera Saving Buddhism: The Impermanence of Religion in Colonial Burma (2014) – Alicia Turner Learning to Read Buddhist Texts (2021) – Maria Heim Angkor Wat (2022) – Piphal Heng, Ashley Thompson, Simon Warrack, and Melvin Bragg Until Nirvana’s Time: Buddhist Songs from Cambodia (2022) – Trent Walker Crossing to the Farthest Shore: How Pāli Jātakas Launch the Buddhist Image of the Boat onto the Open Seas (2012) – Sarah Shaw A Pāli Cosmopolis: Sri Lanka and the Theravāda Buddhist ecumene c. 500–1500 (2017) – Tilman Frasch Dhammapuja (2018) – Mark Tutton Ancient Sri Lanka through the Eyes of a Chinese Monk (2009) – Bhante Shravasti DhammikaOr A Random Item from the Library...
FAIL ❌ of 10
The Chithurst Story” should recommend “The Buddha Comes to Sussex
You may also be interested in: The Buddha Comes to Sussex (1979) – David Thompson Virtual Orientalism (2013) – Jane Naomi Iwamura A Culture of Awakening (2014) – Bhikkhu Cintita Western Buddhist Perceptions of Monasticism (2009) – Brooke Schedneck The Lotus and the Lion: Buddhism and the British Empire (2008) – J. Jeffrey Franklin Stillness Flowing: The Life and Teachings of Ajahn Chah (2017) – Ajahn Jayasaro The Mindful Way (1977) Cultural Buddhism (2013) – Bhante Yuttadhammo An American Buddhist Abbess (2015) – Ven Thubten Chodron Understanding Young Buddhists: Living Out Ethical Journeys (2017) – Andrew Kam-Tuck Yip and Sarah-Jane PageOr A Random Item from the Library...
Pass ✅ of 10
The Kalmyks” should recommend “Buryatian Buddhists
You may also be interested in: Europe’s First Buddhist Temple (2009) – Bhante Shravasti Dhammika Mary Foster: Patron of Buddhism (2019) – Bhante Shravasti Dhammika The First Yellow Robes in the West (2019) – Bhante Shravasti Dhammika James Prinsep and the Discovery of King Asoka (2012) – Bhante Shravasti Dhammika Encounters with Buddhism (1990) – Bhante Shravasti Dhammika Buryatian Buddhists (1995) – Chris Clark Debates on Atheism, Quietism, and Sodomy: the Initial Reception of Buddhism in Europe (2005) – Jürgen Offermanns Review of Peoples of the Buddhist World (2013) – Bhante Shravasti Dhammika The Lotus and the Lion: Buddhism and the British Empire (2008) – J. Jeffrey Franklin Anti-Catholicism and Protestant Reformism in the History of Western Imagery of the Buddhist Monk: Some Roots of the Modernist Monk (2011) – Laura HarringtonOr A Random Item from the Library...
Pass ✅ of 10
Totals: 43 Pass and 8 Failed 510 total recommendations