No Harry Potter, no Stephen King - and only one novel (albeit a brilliant one):
Number 10
Valley of the Dolls - 30 million
Author: Jacqueline Susann 1966
Number 9
In His Steps: What Would Jesus Do? - 30 million
Author: Rev. Charles Monroe Sheldon 1896
Number 8
A Message to Garcia - 40 million
Author: Elbert Hubbard 1899
Number 7
Dr. Spock's Baby and Child Care - 50 million
Author: Dr. Benjamin Spock 1946
Number 6
The McGuffey Readers - 60 million
Author: William Holmes McGuffey 1836-
Number 5
The World Almanac and Book of Facts - 73.5 million
Author: World Almanac Books 1868-
Number 4
Guinness World Records - 94 million
Author: Various 1955-
Number 3
The American Spelling Book - 100 million
Author: Noah Webster 1793-
Number 2
Quotations From Chairman Mao Tse-Tung - 900 million
Author: Mao Tse-Tung 1966
Number 1
The Holy Bible - 6 billion
Author: Various First Published 1450
― andy, Tuesday, 13 January 2004 17:41 (twenty-two years ago)
The almanac shouldn't count, since it's a different book every year.
― miloauckerman (miloauckerman), Tuesday, 13 January 2004 18:09 (twenty-two years ago)
There's quite a jump between Noal Webster and Chairman Mao. Maybe forcing people to buy books helps sales.
― andy, Tuesday, 13 January 2004 18:16 (twenty-two years ago)
Does
Quotations From Chairman Mao Tse-Tung count? I mean, wasn't it DECREED that all must own this book?
I mean, why not the
VCR Manual series?
― Luigi Vampa (Horace Mann), Tuesday, 13 January 2004 18:18 (twenty-two years ago)
What am I *not* getting from 'Valley of the Dolls'? I reread it and it still does nothing for me.
― Spencer Chow (spencermfi), Tuesday, 13 January 2004 18:29 (twenty-two years ago)
How bold to read it in the first place. For cover art I prefer the sheer craziness of
The Love Machine.
― Ned Raggett (Ned), Wednesday, 14 January 2004 02:45 (twenty-two years ago)
is that Dr. Spock as in Leonard Nimoy? It can't be. There's no way 50 million Trekies have had children. They just are the type of people who find mates.
― A Nairn (moretap), Wednesday, 14 January 2004 05:00 (twenty-two years ago)
I love how the bible is up there with Chairman Mao and the Guiness Book of Records. Says it all really.
― Trayce (trayce), Wednesday, 14 January 2004 06:01 (twenty-two years ago)
ned, i just checked out 'the love machine' from the library because of the space-age lady on the spine. it was ok. the art was better than the book.
― colette (a2lette), Wednesday, 14 January 2004 14:46 (twenty-two years ago)
the bible is not really "up there" with the Chairman and Roy Castle though is it. I mean it's over 5 billion sales in front. Being the collected fragments linking mankind to a supposedly all-powerful deity with the power to consign the apparently immortal soul to eternal damnation unless a strict set of moral and ethical codes contained therein are adhered to, certainly keeps sales up.
― @lex K (Alex K), Wednesday, 14 January 2004 14:54 (twenty-two years ago)
eleven years pass...
I think the Bible's imputed 'sales' have been hugely inflated by including billions of copies that were printed for free distribution among the heathen.
― Aimless, Monday, 23 November 2015 18:56 (ten years ago)
I've personally indulged in that 'buy one really expensive Bible, get a free weekend in a hotel room' promotion countless times.
― Say Goodbye To That Blood (Old Lunch), Monday, 23 November 2015 19:02 (ten years ago)