The world’s first bestseller list, which was based purely on sales figures, had been published in an American magazine as long ago as 1895. Quantity, not quality, is the decisive factor in a bestseller list. As time went on, the bestseller lists were increasingly diversified, and now there are lists for fiction and nonfiction, for hardcover and paperback.
Looking at a perpetual bestseller list, unsurprisingly religious writings are right at the top in terms of sales figures; with two to three million copies sold, the Bible is right at the top, closely followed by the book “Words of Chairman Mao Tse-tung” and the Koran. However, which famous novels have actually been sold the most and are quite likely to be on your own bookshelf? Stay tuned as we will take a look at the 10 best seller books of all time.
Paulo Coelho’s book has also sold 65 million copies. Coelho is one of the ten most widely read authors in the world. “The Alchemist” first came out in 1988 and – after some initial difficulties – turned out to be a huge success. This book tells the story of Santiago, an Andalusian shepherd on his way to Egypt to recover a treasure. During his journey, he meets many spiritual people and learns through deep conversations that he does not have to look for a treasure, but that it is already inside him.