FROM THE EDITORS February 12, 2007 Issue

THIS CORNERSTONE OF WORLD LITERATURE GIVES US EVEN MORE THAN MANY MAY EXPECT. IT IS A PROVEN SOURCE OF INSPIRATION AND HEALING.

THE GOOD BOOK OUTSELLS HARRY POTTER

FOR LOVERS OF THE BIBLE, there was both good and disappointing news in recent reports in The Wall Street Journal (December 6, 2006) and The New Yorker (December 18, 2006).

The good news: This always dependable seller is in the midst of a boom. Christian bookstores enjoyed a 25 percent increase in sales from 2003-2005, and general-interest bookstores, such as Barnes and Noble, are giving more space to the Scriptures on their shelves. The Bible is the bestselling book of the year, year after year. A conservative estimate suggested that in 2005 Americans bought 25 million copies—twice as many as the most recent Harry Potter tale.

The disappointing news: Despite the boom, publishers are finding it increasingly difficult to create Bible that people will actually pick up and use. Also the evangelical drive to bring the Scriptures to the widest possible readership has produced some dubious marketing gimmicks. Bibles have sometimes tended to become personal accessories and fashion statements, as more and more buyers call for "a Bible that's really me."

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