Top 10: Best-Selling Books Of All Time
By
Matthew SimpsonEntertainment Correspondent -
Every 2nd Wednesday
[url=javascript:mail_console()]
[/url]
PAGES: |
1 |
2 |
Say what you will about schools and firsthand experience, but books
really do teach us much of what we learn. For millennia, knowledge has
been passed on through the written word. Books, as we now know them,
have been around for a little less than 600 years, but they have
contributed not only to mass education, but mass entertainment. I don't
know if Johann Gutenberg, a goldsmith from Germany, was aware of the
impact he would have on the world by inventing the printing press.
Books stimulate the intellect and the imagination. They are an
important part of life and so we've decided to look into the ten
best-selling books of all time. You think you'll find classics from
Charles Dickens or William Shakespeare? The latest Harry Potter book?
Read on, you'll be surprised. Note that all sales figures are estimates
and cumulated from year to year. Also, though some books appear as a
new edition each year, they still count as the same and their numbers
are tabulated accordingly.
Number 10
Valley of the Dolls - 30 million
Author: Jacqueline Susann
Not be confused with Russ Meyer's campy film Beyond the Valley of the
Dolls , this novel, which was first published in 1966, was an instant
hit. The plot centers around three women vying to make it in showbiz,
who instead get plagued by sex, drugs and scandal. Pushing the
boundaries of the '60s, it's undeniably a trashy melodrama but it is
addictive and entertaining nonetheless.
Excerpt: "I don't need a woman on my arm every minute."
Number 9
In His Steps: What Would Jesus Do? - 30 million
Author: Rev. Charles Monroe Sheldon
Sheldon was an average American clergyman. However, it all changed when
he published this tome in 1896, bringing him phenomenal fame and
fortune. This discourse is about dilemmas and how we can use the Bible
in everyday life, boiling Christianity down to its very essence. What
Sheldon proposes is that we put ourselves in Jesus' shoes for every
decision we make, that it's the only way to really exercise
discipleship.
Excerpt: "I know that the hand of divine love in all this is leading me."
Number 8
A Message to Garcia - 40 million
Author: Elbert Hubbard
This 1899 short essay, clocking in at around 1,500 words, is about the
real hero of the Cuban War. At its core, it is a dissertation on labor
relations that still rings true today. It basically addresses workers
and preaches initiative. It achieved these staggering sales figures
mostly because companies would buy the book in bulk to distribute to
their employees.
Excerpt: "My heart goes out to the man who does his work when the 'boss' is away, as well as when he is home."
Number 7
Dr. Spock's Baby and Child Care - 50 million
Author: Dr. Benjamin Spock
No Vulcans or warp speed, but the same good sense though. In 1946,
pediatrician Spock penned this classic on how to raise children. Not
only was the book important in its own right, it was also somewhat
controversial considering a man wrote about what was traditionally
considered a woman's task. This is the source that generations of
parents have relied on when dealing with newborns and toddlers. It
covers a wide range of topics relating to childcare, from infancy to
early education.
Excerpt: "The fact is that child rearing is a long, hard job,
the rewards are not always immediately obvious, the work is often
undervalued, and parents are just as human and almost as vulnerable as
their children."
Number 6
The McGuffey Readers - 60 million
Author: William Holmes McGuffey
The numerous editions of this anthology of short stories for young
readers were quite popular when first printed in 1836, though they were
initially rather preachy. Not only were they a great learning tool but
they also contained valuable moral lessons. During the 19th century,
80% of all American schoolchildren used them. Some sources claim that
120 million copies were sold but it is believed that these figures are
bloated considering the U.S. population numbered around 10 million at
the time.
Excerpt: "The first object of the intelligent teacher, is to awaken the attention of his pupil."
Subject: Top Best Selling Books 
Mon Jul 02, 2007 9:53 pm
