|
|
| Best Selling Books of All-Time |  | | Best selling books worldwide ranked by estimated number of copies sold |
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
2
|
|
Quotations from Chairman Mao Zedong
(Mao Zedong) 900 million copies
Quotations from Chairman Mao Zedong, better known in the West as The Little Red Book, has been published by the Government of the People's Republic of China since April 1964. As its title implies, it is a collection of quotations excerpted from Mao Zedong's past speeches and publications.
|
|
|
|
|
3
|
|
Xinhua Zidian
400 million copies
The Xinhuá zědian is the most popular modern Chinese language reference work. Supported by the Linguistics Institute of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, it has become the standard dictionary for Simplified Chinese characters and pinyin romanization.
The first edition was published in 1953 by the People's Education Press, under the editorial supervision of Chinese linguist and lexicographer Wi Jiŕngong.
|
|
|
|
|
4
|
|
The Lord of the Rings
(JRR Tolkien) over 200 million copies
The Lord of the Rings is an epic high fantasy novel written by J. R. R. Tolkien. The story began as a sequel to Tolkien's earlier fantasy book The Hobbit and soon developed into a much larger story. It was written in stages between 1937 and 1949, with much of it being written during World War II.
|
|
|
|
|
5
|
|
Qur'an
(Prophet Muhammad) 200 million copies
The Qur'an , is the central religious text of Islam. Muslims believe the Qur'an to be the literal word of God as revealed to Muhammad, over a period of twenty-three years by the angel Gabriel and regard it as God's final revelation to humankind.
|
|
|
|
|
6
|
|
McGuffey Readers
(William Holmes McGuffey) 130 million copies
Two of the best known school books in the history of American education were the 18th century New England Primer and the 19th century McGuffey Readers. Of the two, McGuffey's was more popular and widely used. It is estimated that at least 120 million copies of McGuffey's Readers were sold between 1836 and 1960, placing its sales in a category with the Bible and Webster's Dictionary.
|
|
|
|
|
7
|
|
American Spelling Book
(Noah Webster) 100 million copies
The American Spelling Book, orignialy published in 1788, was a book written by Noah Webster which served as a textbook for spelling and language for generations of American grade school students.
|
|
|
|
|
8
|
|
Guinness World Records
94 million copies
Guinness World Records, known until 2000 as The Guinness Book of Records is a reference book published annually, containing an internationally recognized collection of world records, both human achievements and the extreme of the natural world. The book itself holds a world record, as the best-selling copyrighted series.
|
|
|
|
|
9
|
|
Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone
(J.K. Rowling) 87 million copies
Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone is the first volume in a planned series of seven books written by British author J. K. Rowling, and featuring Harry Potter, a young wizard. The book was first published on 26 June 1997 by Bloomsbury in London, and has also been made into a film of the same name.
|
|
|
|
|
10
|
|
World Almanac
(Wold Almanac Books) 73 million copies
|
|
|
|
|
|
