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Bestselling Books of All Times: What They Teach Us About History, Culture, and Humanity



This page includes a list of the 25 best-selling books of all-time as well as the 25 best-selling book series of all-time. Best-selling books are ranked by number of copies sold, not my personal ratings.




bestselling books of all times




Also, it is worth noting that some religious and political books such as The Bible, Quran, and Quotations from Chairman Mao are believed to have more than a billion copies each in existence. However, sales numbers for these books are nearly impossible to track because many are given away by churches or governments. Additionally, these books have often been printed by a wide range of publishers over centuries, many of them unreported. For these reasons, major religious and political texts are not listed here, but we can all agree that they are among the top selling books of all-time.1


This page provides lists of best-selling individual books and book series to date and in any language. "Best-selling" refers to the estimated number of copies sold of each book, rather than the number of books printed or currently owned. Comics and textbooks are not included in this list. The books are listed according to the highest sales estimate as reported in reliable, independent sources. This list is incomplete because there are many books, such as The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas,[1] Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes,[2] and The Lord of the Rings[3] (which has been sold as both a trilogy of books, The Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers, and Return of the King, and as a single issue) by J. R. R. Tolkien, that lack comprehensive sales figures.


Having sold more than 500 million copies worldwide,[10][11][12] Harry Potter by J. K. Rowling is the best-selling book series in history. The first novel in the series, Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, has sold in excess of 120 million copies,[13] making it one of the best-selling books of all time. As of June 2017, the series has been translated into 80 languages,[14] placing Harry Potter among history's most translated literary works. The last four books in the series consecutively set records as the fastest-selling books of all time, where the final installment, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, sold roughly fifteen million copies worldwide within twenty-four hours of its release.[15][16] With twelve million books printed in the first US run, it also holds the record for the highest initial print run for any book in history.[17][18]


The book has remained in the top slot in the UK bestseller lists for the 16th week running. The second and third books, Fifty Shades Darker and Fifty Shades Freed, are also selling fast, with UK sales of 3.6m and 3.2m respectively. Combined UK sales for the trilogy are in excess of 12m copies, with rights to the book sold around the world and published in languages including Albanian, Chinese, Russian, Serbian and Vietnamese.


But is it right? Proving sales across platforms independently is very difficult as there are so many outlets. Nielsen Bookscan, which collects the retail sales information from point of sale systems in more than 31,500 bookshops around the world, does not provide collated sales across e-books and physical books, which means we' are reliant on publishers.


But considering the Fifty Shades books have only just been published, they are already a powerful force. Fifty Shades itself has sold 3,758,936 copies, with the two follow-ups, Fifty Shades Darker and Fifty Shades Freed selling over two million copies each. This is how the big series compare:


Perhaps the most popular novel you've never heard of, She: A History of Adventure follows a professor and his colleague on a journey prompted by a shard of ancient pottery. While She is sometimes credited for a progressive view of women for its time, it also enforces ideas of racial superiority.


One of the most frequently discussed coming-of-age books of all time, The Catcher in the Rye centers on a disillusioned teenager named Holden Caulfield, who's been a hero to many a reader who also sees the hypocrisy in "adult" society.


This Swiss children's book is about a young girl who goes to live with her grandfather after her parents pass away. It's been adapted several times over the years, first in a movie starring Shirley Temple.


If you're a fan of the Robert Langdon books, you should also check out this mystery thriller by Italian author Umberto Eco. It deals with similar themes and puzzles and is even more steeped in antiquity, as it's set in the 14th century.


Though no exact start date is known, modern book printing is over 1,000 years old. In 2010, Google Books estimated that nearly 130 million books had been published, with now over 2 million new books published each year. Such competition means only a few great reads have sold tens or hundreds of millions of copies, topping the charts as some of the bestselling books of all time.


In a story that famously begins "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times," Dr. Manette has just spent 18 years as a political prisoner, finally released to be with his daughter, Lucie, in London. Set at the height of the Reign of Terror during the French Revolution, two very different men vie for Lucie's heart in this dark story known for its masterful cast of characters, social commentary on the French Revolution, and violent dramatizations.


In this gripping and action-packed conclusion to the best-selling Harry Potter series, Harry faces more danger than all the other books combined as he searches for the answers that might defeat Voldemort once and for all. As the books progressively prepared readers for darkness and danger, this book concludes with messages of bravery, loyalty, and family in an epic, final story to satisfy those gripped by Harry's journey since 1997.


Told from the perspective of the horse, "Black Beauty" is a memoir-style fictional classic about a colt's search for a happy home after his first owners are forced to sell him. Despite the hardships he faces, Black Beauty has an unbreakable will to survive and a hope that he will once again find humans who offer kindness and compassion. This is a tender and morally driven novel that encourages empathy for others and care for animals. Through his story of setbacks and triumphs, Black Beauty teaches readers that goodness can prevail even in the darkest times.


"You Can Heal Your Life" is one of the top-selling self-help books of all time, aiming to empower readers to change their lives by changing the way they think. Louise L. Hay uses elements of psychology and spirituality to encourage the reconstruction of thoughts, attitudes, and language as a means of improving readers' emotional, mental, and even physical health. This book has spurred some controversy, as the author has claimed that some illnesses are psychosomatic, such as migraines and AIDS.


This delightful picture book has been adored by young readers and nostalgically cherished since 1902. The first in a series of children's books by Beatrix Potter, "The Tale of Peter Rabbit" is about a mischievous little rabbit who finds trouble in McGregor's vegetable garden despite a warning from his mother. This is a simple and adorable story that teaches children the importance of listening to their parents.


In this nonfiction astronomy book, Carl Sagan outlines 14 billion years of cosmic evolution that led to the creation of life on Earth as we know it. Dubbed one of the 88 books that shaped America by the Library of Congress, the book's 13 highly illustrated chapters explain immense concepts of chemistry, biology, astronomy, and anthropology in a palatable and mesmerizing way. "Cosmos" is based on Carl Sagan's 13-part television series from 1980.


When I first started reading adult fiction, one of the first places I went for book recommendations was the New York Times Fiction Best Sellers. I wanted to know what books were the most widely read, and start with those.


At the top of the best-selling self-help books list sits this classic by Napoleon Hill. Hill interviewed highly successful business moguls of his time and identified key laws and habits that drive success. Among these were desire, faith, persistence, and the suppression of doubt and negativity. It remains a classic.


With a focus on financial success, this self-improvement book by Robert T. Kiyosaki highlights the importance of financial literacy. In attaining financial wealth and understanding investments as a strategy to wealth, one readily gains success. It is one of the best self-improvement books out there, especially for those seeking career and life security.


Perhaps the only fable among the best-selling self-help books on the list, this one by Spencer Johnson attained notoriety quickly. The tale describes four common reactions of people dealing with change in their work and their lives. And as a fable, it invites the reader to relate to these reactions and learn from them.


If quality of life and personal satisfaction is your goal, this book offers a strategy to achieve just that. Through affirmations and visualizations, Norman Vincent Peale demonstrates in his book how positive thinking can be cultivated. It has remained one of the most popular self-improvement books since its release in 1952.


While the very first original motivational book has sold millions, the series of these books represent an exponential reach of self-help messages. Primarily a book to help others find happiness through inspiration and hope, it consists of 101 brief stories. Through this book, Jack Canfield and Mark Victor Hansen introduce a unique way of inspiring people to find their own happiness in life.


Regardless of which one of these best-selling self-help books you choose to read, you can be reassured that their message will be a powerful one. And in the process, you will be inspired to be that much bolder in the next steps you take in life.


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