Jordan Peterson's book is a bestseller — except where it matters most
Since it was
published on Jan. 23, Peterson’s
12 Rules for Life: An Antidote to Chaos has soared to the top of the charts. This week it tops
the Star’s non-fiction list and other lists across Canada.
Readers in the United States seem to like him, too. It’s the No. 4 best-selling book in the U.S. overall, according to Publishers Weekly. It’s No. 1 on Amazon. It’s No. 2 on the Washington Post’s non-fiction list. It’s No. 4 on USA Today’s overall list.
We received an email from Books Editor Pamela Paul, who wrote: “Per the Bestsellers team, we do not include books published in Canada only. Hope that helps!”
Being Canadian didn’t seem to be an issue for another book that made the Times’ lists: The Hidden Life of Trees by Peter Wohlleben, from Vancouver-based publisher Greystone Books. So we went back to the Times for clarification.
The Times doesn’t say specifically where the numbers come from: “Rankings reflect unit sales reported on a confidential basis by vendors offering a wide range of general interest titles.” It cites “thousands of diverse selling locations” and mentions independent book stores, chains of varying sizes, ebook sellers, and more.