Talk:List of best-selling books

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Updated numbers?

I was looking for updated numbers, and found an estimate for The Hobbit of 140 million. However, it doesn't cite where the estimate came from. Anyone have any thoughts on updated figures?

https://www.newsweek.com/best-selling-books-all-time-1628133 Catonsunday (talk) 00:16, 12 May 2022 (UTC)[reply]

I do not recommend using this source. This list is exactly the same as the best-selling books list on Wikipedia at the time of publication: September 2021. This leads me to believe that Newsweek lifted the list and the sales figures directly from Wikipedia itself. As per WP:CIRCULAR, sources that rely on Wikipedia for its information should not be used in Wikipedia itself because Wikipedia is user-generated. As for the 140 million sales figure for the Hobbit, that is close to what the sales figure for the book was at the time: 140.6 million. However, it was cited to the Statistic Brain Research Institute; a website of unknown reliability with no article on Wikipedia. The statistic was tagged as dubious on December 2021, and I ultimately replaced it with a statistic from sources of significantly higher reliability with this edit on March 2022. Lazman321 (talk) 00:58, 12 May 2022 (UTC)[reply]

Don Quixote half a bn. copies?

When and how has this book sold that many copies? Have some patriotic spaniards made that number up? 10 % of that would be rich tbh. It`s not even suitable as a school reading as it is too long. In the first 200 years after the first edition, books were a luxury and most people were (functional) lilliterates. Also, the book is only relevant in Europe an Latin America. The only reference given is to some ominous website. Please delete the entry. 84.58.26.5 (talk) 03:42, 24 July 2022 (UTC)[reply]

Done it myself. 84.58.26.5 (talk) 03:44, 24 July 2022 (UTC)[reply]

Not sure where in the world you are, but as someone who has taught most of his career in several different high schools and colleges, the book is used as an example of one of the first modern novels in translation in upper level English classes as well as in the expected Spanish classroom. It ties in well with European history courses, courses on medieval literature, the development of early modern Romance languages, connections to French tales of Roland, etc.

On a somewhat separate note, there are many editions of Don Quixote, just as there are of the Christian Bible. It is likely that these are grouped together (including modernized translations, etc.).

Since the high numbers seem to cause concern, I do find the explanation for not including religious texts in the tables followed by the claim that the Harry Potter books are the best-selling of all time to be lacking in NPOV character—better to create a separate chart for those than throw the count under the bus... especially since modern publishing records are easily reviewable and are quite high). If Don Quixote, printed over several hundred years can be included, why not other texts? eleuthero (talk) 04:26, 8 February 2023 (UTC)[reply]

Where is Geronimo Stilton?

I'm more than sure that until a few weeks ago the title was still in the list (as it should be), the more than 250 books of the series have sold over 180 million copies and have been translated into 50 languages, for the source I can say that this information is updated and written in literally every single book of the series and if you search "Geronimo Stilton copies sold" you'll find dozens of articles... 84.247.241.40 (talk) 14:12, 28 July 2022 (UTC)[reply]

Added it, good find! If you have any other finds, don't forget that Wikipedia is an encyclopedia that WP:ANYONECANEDIT, so be WP:BOLD and feel free to make those changes!--Cerebral726 (talk) 14:22, 28 July 2022 (UTC)[reply]

Most reading holy book of the world

Speak and talk 42.111.21.45 (talk) 19:21, 15 December 2022 (UTC)[reply]

Missing books

Robinson Crusoe and Pilgrim's Progress are both missing from the list. And both are said to be the second best selling books after the Bible in all of human history. I don't have the precise numbers but maybe someone with more knowledge can look in to this and add them to the lost where they belong? 213.83.133.98 (talk) 07:38, 27 December 2022 (UTC)[reply]