If the Bible best-selling book in history, what is the second best-selling?

by ithinkisee 9 Replies latest watchtower bible

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  ithinkisee

  Anyone know?

  -ithinkisee
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  luna2

  I didn't know...I thought it might be Guiness Book of World Records (#4), but a couple sites I checked out are saying that it's Mao's little red book.
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  blondie

  "Quotations From Chairman Mao Tse-Tung" (also known as "the little red book")

  (the second best-selling book after the Bible in the 19th century was Uncle Tom's Cabin)
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  JH

  How about the quoran?
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  stev

  http://www.adam.com.au/bstett/JwBooksCirculation.htm

  THE WORLD’S MOST POPULAR BOOKS

  B S

  (Investigator 79, 2001 July)

  The following is a list of books with the highest printings. It excludes newspapers, booklets, brochures, pamphlets and magazines. The list is based on information to hand and some of the figures are not the latest or final figures. The list omits various separate translations of the Bible and the lower end of the list probably also omits other books.
  
  

  The Bible (All versions) 1815-1999	3,880,000,000
  Quotations from the Works of Mao Tse-tung 1966-197	800,000,000
  Good News Bible 1976-1995	122,000,000
  The Highway Code (United Kingdom) 1931-1996	117,000,000
  The Truth that Leads to Eternal Life 1969/1981	108,000,000
  New World Translation (In whole or part) 1950s-2000	100,000,000
  American Spelling Book 1783 Noah Webster	100,000,000
  Automobile Association Handbook 1908-1991	98,000,000
  Guinness Book of Records 1955-1999	85,000,000
  The McGuffey Reader 1853-1879 William H McGuffey	60,000,000
  A Message to Garcia 1899 Elbert Hubbard	50,000,000
  Knowledge that Leads to Everlasting Life 1995	46,000,000
  The Living Bible	45,000,000
  Deutsche Bundespost 1993 (Initial print)	42,000,000
  You Can Live Forever in Paradise on Earth 1982/1989	42,000,000
  World Almanac 1868-1980s	40,000,000
  True Peace and Security 1986	37,000,000
  Your Erroneous Zones 1876 Wayne W Dyer	34,000,000
  In His Steps 1896 Rev. C M Sheldon	30,000,000
  To Kill A Mockingbird 1960 Harper Lee	30,000,000
  Gone With the Wind 1936 Margaret Mitchell	30,000,000
  Valley of the Dolls 1966 Jacqueline Susann	29,000,000
  The Diary of Anne Frank	25,000,000
  The Commonsense Book of Baby and Child Care 1946 Benjamin Spock	25,000,000
  Let God be True 1946/1952	19,000,000
  The Late Great Planet Earth 1970 H Lindsey	18,000,000
  American Red Cross First Aid Book	16,000,000
  Is the Bible Really the Word of God? 1969	15,000,000
  Roots 1976 A Haley	12,500,000
  From Paradise Lost to Paradise Regained 1958	12,000,000
  Sophie’s World 1996 J Gaardner & P Moller	12,000,000
  Life—How Did It Get Here? 1985	11,000,000
  The Bermuda Triangle 1975 Charles Berlitz	10,000,000
  What’s the World Coming To? D E Stanton	10,000,000
  Things In Which It Is Impossible For God To Lie 1965	10,000,000
  Member’s Handbook, Auto. Assoc. 1990-91 (Initial print)	6,000,000
  Worldwide Security Under the Prince of Peace 1986	6,000,000
  Divine Plan of the Ages 1886	6,000,000

  Notice how often the books of one sect – the Jehovah’s Witnesses – appear in the list. These are indicated by being underlined.
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  blondie

  Before 1990, JWs actually asked a specific price for their books. I think it ended at about 50 cents for a 192-page book (like the Truth book) in January and February 1990 which was cut-rate from the normal $1. The last time money is mentioned in connection with the publications is the March 1990 KM.

  Since 1990, JWs don't ask for money so any books "placed" since then don't seem to qualify as best-SELLING.

  Blondie
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  Elsewhere

  Yup.... just because a book is printed does not mean it is obtained by anyone or actually read.
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  bebu

  Yup.... just because a book is printed does not mean it is obtained by anyone or actually read.

  Absolutely. I think most people wouldn't recognize any of the titles of the WT books; they print and print and print... but very few read them. Wonderful for the environment... bebu
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  in a new york bethel minute

  so any books "placed" since then don't seem to qualify as best-SELLING

  haha is there a separate category for best-donated to book?
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  Thirdson

  
  I'm suprised that "Fly Fishing" by J.R. Hartley didn't make the list.

  That's a little joke that the older Brits might understand. Even so, I would bet that more people in Britain will know the fictional Mr. Hartley's fictional book than any of the of the WTS publications.

  Of the 100 million "truth" books, my guess is 50 million languished in book bags, turned yellow and were dumped. 45 million were sold and promptly put in the garbage can.

  3rd