Despite all the harsh reviews and anger directed at the tarnished coach, people still want to read Joe Posnanski’s Paterno.
The book hit No. 1 on the New York Times’ bestseller list this week for hardcover non-fiction.
Obviously, the book has generated plenty of buzz, always an essential element in sales. Posnanski also made high-profile appearances on the Today Show and Costas Tonight.
Does the ranking provide Posnanski with an element of vindication? Perhaps.
Still, the legacy of the book will loom larger than sales. Ultimately, that is what means the most to Posnanski and any other author.
All in all, it has to be very bittersweet for Posnanski.
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Given the uproar over the book, Posnanski is making limited appearances. However, he will be returning to Penn State on Sept. 14.
From the Penn State Center for Sports Journalism:
The John Curley Center for Sports Journalism presents a free public session with sports writer Joe Posnanski, author of the recently released “Paterno.”
Malcolm Moran, the Knight Chair in Sports Journalism and society and director of the Curley Center will moderate the session, which will include time for questions from the audience.
The discussion is Posnanski’s only scheduled appearance in the State College area. A book signing will follow the hour-long session.
Interesting, because last week Amazon listed the book near the bottom of its Top 100 sellers, and Nielson Bookscan does not list it in its top ten as of this morning…I’ve read stories about ways publishers manipulate the NY Times best seller list, but usually it means an aggressive publisher, and I haven’t seen much effort by Simon and Schuster, though their efforts may be too subtle for me to note…