Dreamy Sales of Jung Book Stir Analysis
By MOTOKO RICH
From the Books Section of the New York Times
Published: December 24, 2009

The most recent news from the New York Times reports the unexpected volume of sales of C.G. Jung's just published Red Book.

This month the book reached as high as No. 18 on the New York Times hardcover nonfiction extended best-seller list. Of course the sales of “The Red Book” — 13,000, according to Nielsen BookScan, which tracks about 70 percent of retail sales — are tiny compared to the millions of copies of Mr. Brown’s “Lost Symbol” or Ms. Palin’s “Going Rogue” that have sold. But “The Red Book,” originally handwritten in ornate calligraphy and illustrated with intricate tempera paintings, all reproduced in Norton’s 15.4-inch by 11.6-inch volume, has proven to booksellers that books — printed on paper and embracing deep thinking — can sell, and sell well, even at a premium price.