The obligatory “Pelosi’s book sales in the toilet” post
posted at 11:54 am on August 7, 2008 by Allahpundit
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Go on and take a hit off that schadenfreude pipe. You know you want to.
The most powerful woman in the history of American politics is suffering a humiliating defeat at the nation’s bookstores, sales figures show.
In her first week at market, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi sold just 2,737 copies of her book KNOW YOUR POWER, according to NIELSEN BOOKSCAN.
The DOUBLEDAY release was launched with a full media push, featuring high profile interviews on TODAYTHEVIEWTHISWEEK…
“The speaker was pre-occupied with house business last week,” a source close to Pelosi explained Thursday morning. “She has now turned her focus to promoting this extraordinary book… doing local signings and speeches. I think we’ll see an uptick.”
Thank goodness there’s no urgent legislative business this month that might distract her from the task of hitting five figures in sales. How to explain this failure of Pelosi-esque proportions? I think it’s the title. The description at Amazon makes it sound like a fairly standard political autobiography, which you’d think would sell well no matter how poorly written it might be given basic public curiosity about the first woman Speaker. The title makes it sound like a self-help paean to “actualization” with all the stomach-churning New Age connotations that might imply. (No wonder the boss is having so much fun with it.) It’s so mindlessly “positive,” in fact, that I’m surprised it hasn’t turned up in an Obama speech yet. Maybe he’s saving it for the convention.
Exit question: Why are hundreds of negative reviews of the book disappearing from Amazon? Conservative critics suggest it’s no accident but reviews of non-political books have been known to disappear too. See also the update here. In all likelihood the deleted comments were rants about Pelosi herself and not the book — which stands to reason. After all, no one’s read it.
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I wouldn’t be able to stand the test of endurance and even read one page.
Grafted on August 7, 2008 at 11:57 AM
Her head’s in the toilet, why shouldn’t her book be?
TooTall on August 7, 2008 at 11:58 AM
We’ve heard of coffee table books, this is the first toliet book.
Each page is made of Charmin.
Read it on the can and when you’re finished, recycle the pages immediately.
Brilliant, Nancy.
NoDonkey on August 7, 2008 at 12:00 PM
Advertise the book as toilet paper,………………… that should help with sales.
Seven Percent Solution on August 7, 2008 at 12:00 PM
……. great minds.
Seven Percent Solution on August 7, 2008 at 12:01 PM
Blink…Blink…Blink…what?
elduende on August 7, 2008 at 12:01 PM
She’s biding her time until the obligatory ‘Oprah’ appearance to hawk her
bookscreed…sales will rocketnotashamed on August 7, 2008 at 12:03 PM
No need to read it – takes too long, and we’ve heard the BS before anyway. Just get on with the recycling.
Rick on August 7, 2008 at 12:03 PM
Puff, puff, pass, baby.
Dr.Cwac.Cwac on August 7, 2008 at 12:04 PM
Get yourself and your democrat minions back to DC and get to work!
Lunkinator on August 7, 2008 at 12:04 PM
“I think we’ll see an uptick.”
Oooooohhhhhh……! That sounds exciting. Maybe after a month of book signings she’ll sell 3,000 copies. That’s only about 250 more. You can do it, Nanny. You go girl!
Cody1991 on August 7, 2008 at 12:06 PM
How does printing books save the planet? How many innocent trees were murdered to print this dribble? Did she at least buy some carbon offsets from the Goracle?
Dr.Cwac.Cwac on August 7, 2008 at 12:06 PM
The RNC should have clips of her with the bugged eyes and that lovely voice of hers in every ad in a contested congressional race. “A vote for my opponent is a vote for Pelosi”. She’s just awful and many of my democrat friends and acquaintances agree. They can’t stand her either.
D0WNT0WN on August 7, 2008 at 12:06 PM
“For the Children” is just a Democrat codephrase for “aren’t I wonderful and don’t you want to give me all your money and power over your life?”
EJDolbow on August 7, 2008 at 12:07 PM
I am not interest in hearing anything this woman has to say…except “I quit!”
HawaiiLwyr on August 7, 2008 at 12:07 PM
I can usually tell a book’s success by how many requests are made for it through the county library system.
Tori Spelling’s book: 109
Maria Shriver’s book: 21
Nancy Pelosi’s book: 2
MB007 on August 7, 2008 at 12:08 PM
Rush should have a good time with this today. lolololololol :-))
Cody1991 on August 7, 2008 at 12:08 PM
Who’s bogartin’ that book review?
Rhinoboy on August 7, 2008 at 12:08 PM
“Pelosi’s book sales in the toilet”
No more need be said..
jake-the-goose on August 7, 2008 at 12:09 PM
I’d rather her write books than laws.
Chuck Schick on August 7, 2008 at 12:09 PM
Obviously we need a Fairness Doctrine to force Americans to buy these types of books.
Spirit of 1776 on August 7, 2008 at 12:09 PM
Remember folks, bring drillbits to the book signings.
It’s liberal. The people have spoken. No one wants to read/listen to this crap. That’s why Air America tanked. That’s why if she (somehow) manages to keep the majority in the House, she’ll suppress votes on drilling, but more importantly, she’ll suppress votes on Pence’s Broadcaster Freedom Act.
Dr.Cwac.Cwac on August 7, 2008 at 12:09 PM
I noticed that, too. Everyone in America thinks its a terrible book, and 160-some (when I went there) people said so, but now it’s 65 reviews. I agree with the “most of them were just anti-Pelosi,” given that a)she didn’t give them much of a text to work with, apparently, and b)I read a few of them before this whole fiasco.
But then, I can go to If Democrats Had Any Brains… and find, among other Nobel-worthy thoughts:
Amazon: Woman si, Warrior no.
emailnuevo on August 7, 2008 at 12:09 PM
Sorry. Dribble = drivel
Damn spellchecker!
Dr.Cwac.Cwac on August 7, 2008 at 12:11 PM
I’m waiting for Allahpundit’s book.
JammieWearingFool on August 7, 2008 at 12:13 PM
Americans have plenty of dishonest leftwing BS coming at us already. It’s coming at us from all directions. Give us something we don’t have already Nancy. She might as well be selling empty used plastic containers. We have enough, thank you.
RBMN on August 7, 2008 at 12:14 PM
More apt title: “Know Your Limitations”
(Thanks to Dirty Harry)
krakatoa on August 7, 2008 at 12:14 PM
Bet I know what every single voter in a certain San Francisco congressional district is getting for Christmas this year!
highhopes on August 7, 2008 at 12:15 PM
Yes, they are deleting negative reviews because perhaps not all the reviewers read the book. But just take a look at Sean Hannity’s book, with 471 1 star reviews out of 1600, with tags like: propaganda, liar, and fascist crap. Ann Coulter’s recent book has 136 1 star reviews out of 350 or so, with tags like: horrible, transgender authors, and transexuals on crack. Is Amazon extending the same courtesy to these authors to give them more stars? Uh, no. Amazon has even deleted the tags given to Pelosi’s book. Are you going to tell me that ‘transexuals on crack’ is an appropriate tag?
Amazon’s rating system is worthless and broken anyway. You can review a product or movie before it even comes out. There are 5 star ratings with comments like: “I can’t wait for this to come out! It’s gonna be awesome!” Wow, that’s pretty accurate and informative.
arteest on August 7, 2008 at 12:15 PM
I believe that Nelson summarizes best:
juanito on August 7, 2008 at 12:16 PM
Understand she has sold some 2,700 copies of her book and is jetting around the country trying to sell it. I wonder how many gallons of jet fuel per book that comes too. And this woman wants to save the planet, oh please!
Engrpat on August 7, 2008 at 12:21 PM
Only 2700 copies in its first week?
Oof.
LimeyGeek on August 7, 2008 at 12:21 PM
Why would anybody care what a total failure has to share?
ballz2wallz on August 7, 2008 at 12:22 PM
I can see it now! “The Man Behind The Paper Bag: A Memoir”
Heck, I’d buy it!
MB007 on August 7, 2008 at 12:23 PM
This reminds me of the occasion when her opponent Mother Sheehan had a book signing and nobody showed up.
JammieWearingFool on August 7, 2008 at 12:27 PM
What? The Rants or the Book?
Kini on August 7, 2008 at 12:28 PM
Once again, America has spoken, Nancy, and by the lack of your book sales and other irritating factors, we the people believe that you are a liberal idiot.
Travis1 on August 7, 2008 at 12:29 PM
Sorry Allah but schadenfreude doesn’t apply here. Schadenfreude is feeling good over someone’s bad luck, like if they fell down the stairs or got injured in an accident by no fault of their own. But sometimes people get what they deserve and it’s OK to feel good about that.
Pelosi’s book failure is not “bad luck,” she had total control over it’s content. She wrote an inane book full of liberal claptrap and no one’s buying it. That’s her fault because she’s a devoted leftist and schadenfreude does not apply no matter how people feel about it.
Maxx on August 7, 2008 at 12:30 PM
The tage for this book on the amazon site included marxism, socialism, fairy tale and crazy. And the twenty or so reviews I read were very negative. The stuff they pulled must have been really nasty.
snaggletoothie on August 7, 2008 at 12:31 PM
Just out of curiosity, does anybody find these reviews helpful? The only instance where I read one that was worthwhile it was a review of a cookbook, written by a professional chef who knew how to write a review. Most times the reviews seem to be superficial comments oftentimes knocking off stars for lack of pictures or too small print.
highhopes on August 7, 2008 at 12:34 PM
heheh “toilet book” I love it!
becki51758 on August 7, 2008 at 12:35 PM
This is hardly surprising. Books sell best when aimed at a literate audience.
Perhaps most of the people interested are awaiting the book on tape; let somebody else do the reading for them.
RDuke on August 7, 2008 at 12:35 PM
Never happen. I’m lucky I can come up with three sentences for every post.
Allahpundit on August 7, 2008 at 12:38 PM
FAIL
CP on August 7, 2008 at 12:39 PM
Amazon is deleting negative reviews for this book because they OVER BOUGHT and they are stuck with non-returnable stock.
I pity the editor at Doubleday who paid Pelosi a million bucks for this lead balloon.
Urban Infidel on August 7, 2008 at 12:39 PM
2700.
Let’s see, one each for the Democratic staffers on the Hill.
Now who’s left?
MarkTheGreat on August 7, 2008 at 12:40 PM
Maybe Comrade Speaker Pelosi ought to re-release the book with a more catchy new title, such as “Dare To Be Smugly Platitudinous” or “We Know What’s Best For YouCondescendingly Yours” or “Bay Area Politics Are Normal, It’s the Rest of America That’s Unhinged”.
DavePa on August 7, 2008 at 12:40 PM
I’d help her out, but my plumbing is still trying to cope with remnants of the direct word of Allah.
RedWinged Blackbird on August 7, 2008 at 12:41 PM
She should have titled the book………..
Seven Percent Solution on August 7, 2008 at 12:43 PM
Maybe the title should be “Know You’re Powerless”
Stephen Macklin on August 7, 2008 at 12:43 PM
I just read that the Satanic Church had its first headquarters in San Francisco. It’s all staring to make sense how she keeps getting elected.
Hening on August 7, 2008 at 12:43 PM
(Via Insty) Looks like she wasn’t even allowed to get a big juicy advance because she’s in Congress. Ha ha!
baldilocks on August 7, 2008 at 12:47 PM
Who the hell wants to read anything by Pelosi?
freevillage on August 7, 2008 at 12:48 PM
DNC is going to help her out on that, that’s what they have always been doing (on Bush bashing books, inner circle exposes, etc.)
Sir Napsalot on August 7, 2008 at 12:48 PM
Apparently, the 9% of the American people who think the 110th congress is doing a good job aren’t readers.
Whoever would have guessed?
Infidoll on August 7, 2008 at 12:48 PM
It turns out the American book-buyers figured out, what we always knew, that the first femme-Speaker is an ineffective bore/dullard.
Entelechy on August 7, 2008 at 12:49 PM
You were right, Allah. I feel much better now.
Infidoll on August 7, 2008 at 12:49 PM
Or maybe it’s sheer economics. In these hard times, folks needing fresh birdcage liner can buy a copy of the NY Times for 75¢, so why spend $10 for birdcage liner in book form.
DavePa on August 7, 2008 at 12:49 PM
House Nancy Pelosi sold just 2,737 copies of her book KNOW YOUR POWER, according to NIELSEN BOOKSCAN.
Glad to see there is only 2737 REALLY REALLY REALLY stupid people in the United States….so far….
Dale in Atlanta on August 7, 2008 at 12:49 PM
All I have to say is AhhhhhhhhhHaaaaa. Dumbass.
Geronimo on August 7, 2008 at 12:50 PM
Schadenfreude is indifferent to this one, and didn’t buy the book either.
Entelechy on August 7, 2008 at 12:50 PM
There appears to be a developing pattern. Left wing books and movies are not selling. Wonder why?
GarandFan on August 7, 2008 at 12:52 PM
Waiting for a new Democratic Convention buying “guideline” in 5, 4, 3, ….
Dusty on August 7, 2008 at 12:52 PM
Eh, for all the “first woman Speaker” hype, Pelosi isn’t very well know and many who are aware of her are not impressed.
What’s interesting about a woman who was raised in a political family, married a rich man and parlayed her connections and fundraising abilities into ingratiation with the Democratic Party machine? What kind of advice could she impart to the women of America – ride Daddy’s coattails, golddig and kiss a lot of butts?
Gilda on August 7, 2008 at 12:56 PM
We should start an AP-retirement-fund, for every time you make us smile, or laugh. Even the pennies would add up to a hefty sum by the time you retire. What a dude you are.
p.s. your book writes itself, every day.
Entelechy on August 7, 2008 at 12:56 PM
This was my favorite 5-star review (has since been purged):
jdpaz on August 7, 2008 at 12:57 PM
Craig’s wide stance can hold down the pages while he addresses more pressing needs.
Are Pelosi’s sales being in the toilet more or less of an affront than the phoney claims about the Koran’s fate?
onlineanalyst on August 7, 2008 at 12:58 PM
I notice she’s not getting the press she used to when it was vogue to say the war was a failure.
Rogue Traveler on August 7, 2008 at 12:59 PM
I can’t get over the stupid title “Know Your Power”.
Une femme fatale our Nancy is not.
Entelechy on August 7, 2008 at 1:01 PM
Yet, only 2,737 copies sold. I guess she’s now responded to everyone who asked — personally.
Blacksheep on August 7, 2008 at 1:01 PM
Well, someone needs to write “The Beta Male Manifesto: Please Don’t Hurt Me.”
Slublog on August 7, 2008 at 1:02 PM
The publisher should include a $25 gasoline card with each book.
Cicero43 on August 7, 2008 at 1:02 PM
I think it’s common practice to remove reviews if they are mainly ad hominem AND written by people who obviously haven’t read the book in question. Both criteria are likely being met in spades, and I have no problem with Amazon chucking them in the bin. That said, they should probably do the same thing for the opposite situation. Are there raves written by people who also clearly have not read the book? To me, that’s just as asinine.
Kensington on August 7, 2008 at 1:04 PM
Only if the book costs $20 or less.
Rogue Traveler on August 7, 2008 at 1:05 PM
So that’s what was clogging my bowl.
madmonkphotog on August 7, 2008 at 1:05 PM
I don’t think so. The Obama camp w/b smart not to touch it. Her way to “power” isn’t a positive one, and not at all what she writes about, and definitely not a good example for girls or feminism. It’s an old method one.
- Two, her rich husband
- One, how she got to get him, and her activities before that, which an incurious media have not explored, or not written about, yet
Entelechy on August 7, 2008 at 1:06 PM
Should clarify, the media might be curious, but with an agenda, for the time being.
Entelechy on August 7, 2008 at 1:07 PM
Here’s how I use them:
If the review is for a toy (I buy toys for my nieces and nephews), then the odds seem likely that the reviews will be unfettered by unclear motivations.
If the review is for a musician, I used to worry that the reviews were mainly done by fanatical admirer only (who else would bother?) and would therefore be unreliable, but then I realized that there’s merit in taking note of how many fanatical admirers a musician has. The more they have, the more likely it seems to me that there might be something good there.
If the reviews are for DVDs, I generally look for things like poor quality hardware, double-sided disks or (in the case of TV shows) whether music has been replaced or edits have been made. That’s the most helpful information to me.
Finally, if the reviews are for political books, fuggadebout it.
Kensington on August 7, 2008 at 1:09 PM
Will “free” copies of this tome be given to participatns in the Dem convention? Delegates can sit on their copies to get a more elevated view of OhBumer, or they can deflect the eye-blinding glow of his aura when he ascends the throne.
onlineanalyst on August 7, 2008 at 1:10 PM
The publisher should include a $25 gasoline card with each book.
Cicero43 on August 7, 2008 at 1:02 PM –
Best suggestion yet.
Only 2700 copies have been sold?
My, my…all that expense, all that jet fuel, all those admin costs…oh, well, pretty typical for a liberal. Spend $2500 to get $23.95 back. (oops, Amazon is offering it for $16.29, now…) But, if it saves just one person, it will be worth it!! /s
coldwarrior on August 7, 2008 at 1:11 PM
2737? Didn’t realize the extended Pelosi/D’Alesandro family was that large.
Wethal on August 7, 2008 at 1:14 PM
Ah,… do you have something to share along that line? I’m certainly not opposed to learning more about her life as a maiden. Perhaps that has something to do with the title of her book.
a capella on August 7, 2008 at 1:16 PM
You have no idea, Gilda, how literal you are.
Slublog, you are brutal :)
Entelechy on August 7, 2008 at 1:16 PM
Brutal? Nay…self-aware. :-D
Slublog on August 7, 2008 at 1:17 PM
And that was only two, of which one is more of a fragment.
The Monster on August 7, 2008 at 1:18 PM
I wouldn’t even use it for toilet paper.
Nahanni on August 7, 2008 at 1:18 PM
Re: Pelosi’s book…
Somehow, I cannot envision a major motion picture where the hero of the film stands on a sandy and rocky ridge as the enemy retreats in front of him, shouting in delight “Pelosi, you magnificent bastard, I read your book!!!”
No. Just doesn’t seem to come to mind…
coldwarrior on August 7, 2008 at 1:19 PM
a capella, I’m saving these things for my book.
Slublog, retirement collection in the works for you too :)
Entelechy on August 7, 2008 at 1:19 PM
I hope the publisher of her book as a recycling plan in place to dispose of all those unsold books. I know at least half of them will end up in San Francisco public schools as Textbooks.
Egfrow on August 7, 2008 at 1:21 PM
Mirror, mirror on the wall
Who’s the biggest miserable failure of them all…..
As the mirror cracks into a thousand pieces, a faint voice says, “Drill you moron”
Rovin on August 7, 2008 at 1:21 PM
No doubt. She needs to step down and give this job to someone who is qualified.
bridgetown on August 7, 2008 at 1:23 PM
Dr.Cwac.Cwac, I thought you probably meant “drivel”, but the more I think about it, the more “dribble” sort of captures the pustulent essence of this literary work. Brilliant typo!
drunyan8315 on August 7, 2008 at 1:24 PM
I’ll just repeat my comment from this morning’s Headlines:
hillbillyjim on August 7, 2008 at 1:24 PM
Not to mention that she was anointed by her dying mentor who previously held her seat, and she was elected in one of the most liberal districts in the US. She regularly gets 80% of the vote and has not participated in a debate since her first go at the seat in the mid 80’s. She didn’t have to do much work to get or keep her position these last 20 years, so how much weight do her words of advice on overcoming ANYTHING carry?
arteest on August 7, 2008 at 1:27 PM
She was in Philly yesterday. As I recall, KYW (all-news radio) reported it between the traffic report and the Jersey Shore/Pocono weather report.
Wethal on August 7, 2008 at 1:27 PM
Well, I don’t know much about the types of reviews that generally disappear from Amazon. But I’m inclined to give them the benefit of the doubt, at least initially.
Ever browsed for a book on Israel recently? How about race relations or politics? The reviews are almost always distorted by trolls who viscerally disagree with the author and haven’t bothered to read the book.
Nancy Pelosi’s book has 1.5 stars at the moment — how many of the reviewers do you suppose actually read the book? My money says not one.
Now, being more than miffed at Ms. Pelosi at the moment, I don’t really mind. But I would prefer that reviewers give liberal-minded books the same courtesy that I’d expect when I’m looking for a purchase of my own.
Perhaps the reviews on such controversial books should be restricted to the folks that bought the book from Amazon.
steinwaytony on August 7, 2008 at 1:31 PM
straight to the Remainders and Cut outs bins. Look for this one with a big bright sticker, $4.99, on the racks at the front of Borders and Barnes and Nobel.
Mallard T. Drake on August 7, 2008 at 1:31 PM
Yeah. I know.
Dr.Cwac.Cwac on August 7, 2008 at 1:32 PM
the tags on the product page make me LOL.
p0s3r on August 7, 2008 at 1:39 PM
Maybe Harry Reid, the talking cadaver, will write a book too. It is still not determined if he can write, but he would be the only person more stupid than she is to try.
volsense on August 7, 2008 at 1:57 PM
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