What Is the Amazon Associates Program?
The Amazon Associates Program lets websites earn a small commission when visitors click an outbound link to Amazon and then make a purchase. The commission is paid by Amazon out of their margin — it doesn't change the price you pay. Commission rates vary by product category; books typically earn around 4.5% of the purchase price.
Many websites participate in this program, and the U.S. Federal Trade Commission requires us to clearly disclose our participation. This page satisfies that requirement.
Where Affiliate Links Appear
You'll find Amazon affiliate links primarily in these places on the site:
- The Library — our curated reading list. Most book recommendations link to Amazon with affiliate parameters.
- Recommended reading callouts within historical profiles, glossary entries, and other long-form content.
- Specific topical pages, such as recommended reading lists tied to themes in our coverage (for example, books about Reconstruction or constitutional law textbooks).
- Newsletter issues, where individual book recommendations may carry an affiliate parameter.
Links elsewhere on the site — to historical archives, primary sources, official government pages, news outlets, or third-party sites that are not Amazon — are not affiliate links. We have no financial relationship with any other linked party.
How We Choose What to Recommend
Our editorial standards are simple: we recommend books we believe are worth reading. Recommendation lists prioritize accuracy, depth, and quality of scholarship — not commission rates. A more expensive book does not get preferential placement.
When possible, we point readers to multiple options at different price points, including used copies and library availability — we want readers to actually read the books, not just generate a commission. If a book is freely available as a public-domain text or through a library service, we mention that too.
What Happens When You Click
When you click an Amazon affiliate link on our site, you're redirected to Amazon's website with a tracking parameter attached to the URL. This parameter tells Amazon that you arrived via our site. If you go on to make a purchase — of the linked product or of anything else during the same shopping session — Amazon may credit our affiliate account with a small commission.
We do not see your purchase details. Amazon provides only aggregate, anonymized reports about referrals, click volume, and total commissions earned. Your privacy on Amazon's platform is governed by Amazon's own privacy policy, not ours.
What This Means For You
- You pay no extra. Amazon's prices are the same whether you arrive via an affiliate link or directly.
- You're not obligated. You can copy any book title from our site and search for it on Amazon directly, at any other retailer, or at your local library. There's no penalty.
- You're not tracked by us. We don't see what you bought, when you bought it, or anything else about your visit to Amazon.
- You support the project when you do choose to use an affiliate link. It's a small, meaningful way to help keep the site free and ad-free.
Other Considerations
The Grand Experiment is independent. No publisher, author, advocacy group, or political organization pays us for placement or coverage. Book recommendations are unpaid editorial choices.
We do not display advertising banners, run sponsored content, or accept paid product placements. Affiliate commissions on book sales are currently the only revenue source for the project, and they support hosting costs, newsletter delivery, and the time it takes to produce the work.
Questions
If anything here is unclear — or if you spot a link that's affiliated but not properly disclosed, or non-affiliated but appears to be — email us at hello@grandexperiment1600.com. We take disclosure seriously.