Sex Sells: Top Out-of-Print Books in America
On April 26, Bookfinder.com released its 13th annual report of the 100 most coveted out-of-print books in the United States. The online book price comparison tool uses extensive search data to compile the list, and 2015 revealed some surprises. Notable absences from the lineup include The Jerusalem Bible, illustrated by Salvador Dali, and A Treasury of Great Recipes, by Vincent and Mary Price. These two titles had been regulars on the list, however, they are now back in print. "Both of these titles are proof that out-of-print does not mean out of mind," said Bookfinder's public relations specialist Scott Laming.
The Jerusalem Bible. Source: Wikimedia Commons.
Sex, art, and guns remain popular topics, though the order of desirability has shifted. Madonna's Sex was toppled from its number one perch last year, but it regained considerable ground. Read on to find out if her erotic biography is back on top, as well as what other books people wanted most in 2015.
Below are Bookfinder's top ten:
10. Mastering Atmosphere & Mood in Watercolor, by Joseph Zbukvic; International Artist Publishing, 2002. Collected as a coffee table book and also used an instructional guide.
9. Halloween, by Curtis Richards; Bantam; New York, NY, 1979. Richards' novelization of John Carpenter's creepy motion picture.
8. Permaculture: A Designers' Manual, by Bill Mollison; Island Press, 1990. Out of print since 1990 in the U.S., this book has been republished in Australia and remains the top resource for permaculture study.
7. The Vision and Beyond: Prophecies Fulfilled and Still to Come, by David R. Wilkerson; World Challenge Publications, 2003. Adamant that we are living in "the beginnings of sorrows," Wilkerson illustrates how mankind is racing towards the end days.
6. Finding the Winning Edge, by Bill Walsh; Sports Pub, 1998. San Francisco 49ers 3-time Superbowl winning coach chronicles how he molded a struggling team into the stuff of legend.
5. Alla Prima: Everything I Know About Painting, by Richard Schmid; Stove Prairie Press, 1999. A comprehensive manual on oil painting by one of America's greatest living realists.
4. Promise Me Tomorrow, by Nora Roberts; Pocket Books, 1984. Considered by fans to be Roberts' worst book, this mass-market paperback remains highly coveted by collectors.
3. Unintended Consequences, by John Ross; Accurate Press, 1996. A novel on gun culture in the United States.
2. Rage, by Stephen King (as Richard Bachman); Signet, 1977. King's first book published under his pseudonym.
1. Sex, by Madonna; Warner Books, 1992. This spiral-bound biography earned Madonna her nickname, "Queen of the Obscene."
Sex. Source: Wikimedia Commons.
See the full list here.
