What are the 25 Bestselling Books of ALL-Time?
by www.SixWise.com
Reading is excellent stress relief, provides support for your mental well-being, and can even increase your social skills.
"Reading develops a capacity for focused attention and imaginative growth that enriches both private and public life," says Dana Gioia, chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts.
That said, what constitutes a "good" book can vary widely from person to person -- and country to country. Here we've compiled a list of the 25 bestselling books of all time, worldwide.
Love to read and looking for even more food for thought? Check out this list of the 25 greatest novels of all time.
The 25 Bestselling Books of All Time
1. The Bible: Five to 6 billion copies have been sold around the world. The Bible has been translated into 2,400 languages, and translation is underway in another 1,600.
2. Quotations from Chairman Mao: Owning, reading and carrying this "Little Red Book" (as it's sometimes referred to), written by Mao Tse-Tung, was an unspoken requirement among Chinese citizens during the latter half of Mao's rule.
3. The Quran: "The Quran" means "the recitation" and is believed by Muslims to be the literal word of Allah.
4. Xinhua Zidian (The New China Character Dictionary): This is the best-selling Chinese dictionary and the world's most popular reference work.
5. The Book of Common Prayer: The Book of Common Prayer was the foundational prayer book of the Church of England and now of the Anglican Communion (aka The Episcopal Church in the United States).
6. Pilgrim's Progress: Published in the late 1600s, Pilgrim's Progress by John Bunyan is still in demand today. It tells the tale of of Christian, the Pilgrim, as he journeys to the Celestial City.
7. Foxe's Book of Martyrs (by John Foxe): An inspirational record of the protestant martyrs.
8. Book of Mormon: About 120 million copies have been sold.
9. Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (by J.K. Rowling): The first book in the now famous Harry Potter series (there are seven books in the series).
10. And Then There Were None (by Agatha Christie): Often considered the best mystery novel ever written, it tells the story of 10 strangers who are lured to Indian island by a mysterious host.
11. The Lord of the Rings (by J.R.R. Tolkien): This 1,216-page novel (usually published as three volumes) took 14 years to write.
12. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (by J.K. Rowling): The success of the Harry Potter series has made J.K. Rowling richer than the Queen of England!
13. The Da Vinci Code (by Dan Brown): The blockbuster mystery that questions some of the basic tenants of Christianity.
14. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (by J.K. Rowling): Sixty million copies of the second Harry Potter book in the series have been sold.
15. The Catcher in the Rye (by J.D. Salinger): The classic coming-of-age novel.
16. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (by J.K. Rowling): Book five in the series.
17. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (by J.K. Rowling): Book three in the series.
18. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (by J.K. Rowling): Book four in the series.
19. Watership Down (by Richard Adams): Since its initial publication in 1972, Watership Down has never been out of print.
20. Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ (by Lew Wallace): This book was the first fiction novel to ever be blessed by a pope.
21. Heidi's Years of Wandering and Learning (by Johanna Spyri): A children's book written in 1880, Heidi tells he story of a young orphan girl in Switzerland.
22. The Curse of Capistrano (The Mark of Zorro) (by Johnston McCulley): Prior to 1919 when it was published as a novella, The Curse of Capistrano appeared as five serialized installments in the magazine All-Story Weekly. It was later republished under the name The Mark of Zorro.
23. The Little Prince (by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry): The Little Prince has been translated into more than 160 languages.
24. The Common Sense Book of Baby and Child Care (by Dr. Benjamin Spock): Fifty million copies of this classic parenting book have been sold since it was first published in the 1940s.
25. The Alchemist (by Paulo Coelho): This enchanting story of a shepherd boy who dares to follow his dreams has been translated into 56 languages.
Recommended Reading
Reading Aloud to Kids: The 12 Benefits of Reading Books Out Loud to Children of All Ages
Want to Live Longer? Be Wealthier? And Happier? Here is the One PROVEN Secret: Reading!
The National Endowment for the Arts