So I tease the book last night, and today I decide to check the Amazon rank… and look what I find!
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Wow! I have no clue how many books that translates to as far as preorders go, but a rank of 2300 is pretty nice before the book is even out yet. Thanks everyone!
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Phil Plait, the creator of Bad Astronomy, is an astronomer, lecturer, and author. After ten years working on Hubble Space Telescope and six more working on astronomy education, he struck out on his own as a writer. He has written two books, dozens of magazine articles, and 12 bazillion blog articles. He is a skeptic, and fights misuses of science as well as praising the wonder of real science.
Contact me: The Bad Astronomer "at" gmail "dot" com
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"Reading this book is like getting punched in the face by Carl Sagan. Frightening, but oddly exhilarating."
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September 19th, 2008 at 2:15 pm
I’m impressed, it’s better than Karma Sutra.
September 19th, 2008 at 2:24 pm
You are welcome…
Get that piece into mail soon . I can’t wait for my copy.
September 19th, 2008 at 2:24 pm
Spoiler alert: The book is only for sale in advance order and it’s already at 2312? Good going, Phil.
Here’s a little explanation of the meaning of Amazons Ranking system,,,
http://www.dogearpublishing.net/Newsletter_Amazon-Sales-Rankings.aspx?gclid=CPGW_ajW6JUCFRpknAodQhW7fg
Gary 7
September 19th, 2008 at 2:30 pm
Even if I wasn’t a fan and I saw that book in the store I would pick it up for sure. Come death…. from the skies!
September 19th, 2008 at 2:41 pm
Gary, that’s interesting. Note that, like anything of this nature, the ranking is exponential, so that the numbers of copies sold goes up rapidly as rank goes down. 50% more sales will take you from 10,000 to 1000 in rank, but to get to less than 100 in rank you have to sell many, many more copies!
September 19th, 2008 at 2:47 pm
It’s moved up to number 2,251 as of 4:45PM Eastern.
September 19th, 2008 at 2:55 pm
You’re very welcome.
I love you, too, Phil (in a Wil-Wheaton-man-crush-kinda-way, to be sure).
Got your book on pre-order since July.
September 19th, 2008 at 2:58 pm
@Thomas Siefert:
Don’t worry, this will have the same effect as the Kama Sutra on Bablogees!
September 19th, 2008 at 3:03 pm
Hopefully, when it goes on sale Oct. 20th, sales will move him into the top 100. Wouldn’t that be a hoot? I plan on getting in my advance order as soon as my social security arrives. That’ll be one more for the PhD,,,
GAry 7
September 19th, 2008 at 3:03 pm
Um…Phil, don’t look what the #2 book is.
September 19th, 2008 at 3:12 pm
Oh yeah — I was one of the brainwashed masses who fell victim to the siren song of the “cover porn” you so teasingly shared and used the convenient link-thingy to place an order. Good work, man!
Can’t wait to actually get the book. Any word on touring to support the release?
September 19th, 2008 at 3:14 pm
It’s at 2215 now.
September 19th, 2008 at 3:23 pm
Cover looks great! Pre-ordered my copy today
September 19th, 2008 at 3:32 pm
Don’t just “order my copy today.” Order more than one.
Like the Browncoats did for Firefly and Serenity — buy a few for your loved ones for the holidays. Buy an extra one, and donate it to a local library.
Let’s make it Number 1 with a bullet!!
September 19th, 2008 at 3:37 pm
I preordered my copy months ago. Can’t wait until it’s been released and I can read it.
Excellent idea Kevin!
September 19th, 2008 at 3:38 pm
Sorry – only put on my wishlist (which isn’t actually public) so far. Will look into whacking some little old ladies on the head with a frozen chicken come pension day.
September 19th, 2008 at 3:41 pm
@Shoeshine Boy — No kidding!!! I think that book is miscatagorized…
September 19th, 2008 at 3:44 pm
I’m not pre-ordering it, but I am buying it as soon as it hits the bookstore, and I doubt I’m the only one, so just wait until it comes out!
You go Phil!
September 19th, 2008 at 4:43 pm
Well I pre-ordered mine about 3 weeks ago in my little ol’ bookstore in little old Jackson, WY and the clerk decided she was going to also.
September 19th, 2008 at 4:43 pm
Just pre-ordered my copy. And I added Bad Astronomy to the order as well. Maybe I can get them both signed at next year’s TAM.
September 19th, 2008 at 4:45 pm
Yep I pre-ordered it from Amazon UK today. Dont know whether that counts towards this rank? Looking forward to it!
Ordered Bad Astronomy while I was at it too. Decided to move it up a fair few places on my very long must read list. should be finished it by the time Death from the Skies arrives!
September 19th, 2008 at 4:51 pm
Phil, when you go on the road for your book tour please try to make a stop at Bill Maher’s show. Somebody needs to straighten out that dumbass and I think you’d be just the man. He, once again, reared his anti-science head and mouthed off some crap about the LHC while clearly not knowing what the hell he was talking about. I enjoy most of his political sheninagins, but he is full on woo-woo about scientific topics. Please stop by to show off your new book and slap some sense into that knucklehead. If you’d like to see the video of the New Rule: http://www.236.com/blog/w/bill_maher/new_rule_circle_jerk_8986.php
September 19th, 2008 at 5:05 pm
Hey Phil, now you’re at number 2 ‘Astrophysics & Space Science’, right above Richard Hoagland’s first book:P.
September 19th, 2008 at 5:41 pm
Good job Phil. Now you’re above “A Brief History of Time” by Hawking, although his book has been out much longer. Still…
Plus, Hoagland’s book has dropped to #4 in Astronomy. The further that thing gets pushed down, the better!
September 19th, 2008 at 5:50 pm
Cha Ching! Bought it. The rank is now shown as #753. (amazon.ca)
It had better be good.
September 19th, 2008 at 6:12 pm
We love you too, Phil!
Well, in a professional sort of way.
Anyway, soon as your book is available, I’m getting it. It’ll go nicely with “Bad Astronomy” and “Death by Black Hole”.
September 19th, 2008 at 6:19 pm
I’m ordering mine through the little bookstore here in Squamish. They can have it in as soon as it’s out.
September 19th, 2008 at 7:16 pm
Sales rank update: (It has moved a lot)
Overall :1113 in books
#2 in Astrophysics
#6 in Physics
September 19th, 2008 at 7:54 pm
Hoagland’s turd wrapped in paper has sat well inside the 1000 ranking of Amazon for the better part of the year, and is only now starting to drop back. Quite unbelievable really.
September 19th, 2008 at 8:04 pm
Pre-ordered mine today too.
Go get ‘em Phil! W00T!
Rich in Charlottesville
September 19th, 2008 at 8:42 pm
When is it going to hit stores in Australia …. or is it going to ? I’ll just wait till I see it on the shelf. I am a random ‘go to the store and browse’ book buyer. Just finished reading ‘The Mind of God’ by Paul Davies … was interesting. Now I need some ‘Death from the Skies’ to take my brain out of ‘deep thought’ mode.
September 19th, 2008 at 8:59 pm
Phil – don’t underestimate the power of Dragoncon. You might not have caught the Cruxshadows show – your loss if you didn’t – but they’ve reached the Top 5 on Billboard’s Dance charts three years in a row after playing Dragoncon. An indie band. An indie goth band. They dumped Beyonce out of #1 last year.
So bring copies next year. One skillful mention at a meeting of the Skeptrack with that big crowd… you know. And keep linking to it here!
September 19th, 2008 at 9:15 pm
Rank now #65 in Astronomy.
September 19th, 2008 at 9:36 pm
Wow! Up to #2 now in Astronomy!
September 19th, 2008 at 9:39 pm
My bad…..
Looking at wrong page… 967 in sales of all books, #2 on a page listing Astronomy books!
September 19th, 2008 at 9:58 pm
quasidog, I mentioned this on another thread but if price is a factor order it from Amazon in the US – AU$33 delivered for the hardcover and that is factoring in the recent slippage in the Oz dollar. Otherwise I reckon it would be a special order in Oz and hardcovers can be as much as AU$50 – $60. Unless you have a nice independent shop you want to give your money to go Amazon.
September 19th, 2008 at 10:24 pm
Currently at #996!
September 20th, 2008 at 12:43 am
Just ordered all the christmas presents
Estimated delivery date is mid-November
September 20th, 2008 at 12:48 am
Just pre-ordered on Amazon.com and it is currently sitting at #816 in books, #2 in both of the Astronomy categories and #4 in Physics.
September 20th, 2008 at 4:10 am
Broke under a thousand!
Amazon.com Sales Rank: #720 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)
#1 in Books > Professional & Technical > Professional Science > Astronomy > Astrophysics & Space Science
#1 in Books > Science > Astronomy > Astrophysics & Space Science
#3 in Books > Science > Physics
September 20th, 2008 at 5:14 am
Just ordered it via my trusted bookstore.
But do you have a clue why it will be delivered to Germany not until November? *wonder*
Anyway, I can’t wait!
September 20th, 2008 at 6:20 am
Hey Phil,
I ordered it from the Canadian Amazon site. It’s currently sitting at rank 198 overall there and #1 in Astrophysics:
http://www.amazon.ca/exec/obidos/ASIN/0670019976/
September 20th, 2008 at 8:07 am
This is BABomb of sorst!
Yeah rank 759, (1,1,3)
September 20th, 2008 at 10:19 am
Thanks for the reminder, Phil! Pre-ordered mine today!
September 20th, 2008 at 10:34 am
[...] BA Blog: Why I love my BABloggees Quote: [...]
September 20th, 2008 at 5:22 pm
The Anti-Phil Plait book: Averting Death From the Skies: http://www.amazon.com/Popular-Mechanics-Magazine-Averting-Death/dp/B000GF1S0A/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1221952799&sr=8-4
Make sure that they are not shipped in the same package!
September 20th, 2008 at 6:00 pm
Well I finally treated myself and preordered this as well as a new copy of Bad Astronomy (a friend insists he has given it back to me but I know he is lying, I just have to turn the Spanish Inquisition loose on him, he won’t expect that, they never do
) and Ben Goldacre’s Bad Science (a must read for all BA fans). Not bad £25 ($45) for all three with free delivery. I will probably get a few more as presents closer to the midwinter cash cow festival as it will save my friends from permanently ‘borrowing’ mine.
As of 200809210050BST it ranks on Amazon.co.uk @
#3.994 in books
#1 in Astrophysics
#1 in Aeronautics & Aerospace
#3 in Astronomy.
September 21st, 2008 at 3:56 am
It’s #630 on Amazon US right now
September 21st, 2008 at 10:48 am
Deleted posts. Oh, the shame of it. (Hanging his head….)
September 21st, 2008 at 2:50 pm
So, now I can wait until this book appears on ThePirateBay? Right?
Just kidding. I’ve preordered it few minutes ago.
September 22nd, 2008 at 4:36 pm
Any chance of this being released as an eBook. I’m really trying to cut down on paper books and love being able to carry around a couple hundred books at a time on my reader.