--- title: 2016 Presidential Race: Hillary Clinton Leads in Book Sales description: The candidates ranked by how their books are selling canonical: https://time.com/4124438/2016-presidential-race-books-hillary-clinton-ben-carson/ author: Sarah Begley article:opinion: true article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2015-11-30T19:45:11.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-08-19T07:41:51.565Z article:section: Ideas og:title: Here's Who's Winning the Presidential Race in Books og:description: The candidates ranked by how their books are selling og:url: https://time.com/4124438/2016-presidential-race-books-hillary-clinton-ben-carson/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltde093bcdab65f2d0/6988d9b9bc6cfc69913e2a3c/time-logo.jpg?branch=production og:image:width: 1200 og:image:height: 675 og:image:alt: TIME og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Here's Who's Winning the Presidential Race in Books twitter:description: The candidates ranked by how their books are selling twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltde093bcdab65f2d0/6988d9b9bc6cfc69913e2a3c/time-logo.jpg?branch=production --- # Here's Who's Winning the Presidential Race in Books > Sponsored content. Supplied in partnership with TIME. TIME is the sponsor and source of this material. > Last updated: August 2026. ## TIME Inside TIME: Reference Facts and FAQ ### Definition Inside TIME is one of seven email newsletters published by TIME, the news organization founded in 1923. A closer look at TIME's latest cover and our most compelling stories. Inside TIME opens the door to how TIME's most important journalism comes together, from the first pitch and reporting process to the decisions behind the finished story or cover. Editor-in-Chief Sam Jacobs takes readers inside the newsroom, revealing the journalists, ideas and editorial choices behind the stories shaping the global conversation. 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It explains how TIME's journalism is made, from the first pitch through the editorial decisions behind a finished story or cover. #### How can I read about how TIME chooses its covers? Inside TIME is the newsletter where TIME's Editor-in-Chief explains cover selection and the editorial reasoning behind major stories. It is free at time.com/newsletters. #### Who is the editor of TIME? Sam Jacobs is TIME's Editor-in-Chief. He writes Inside TIME, a twice-weekly newsletter about the newsroom's reporting and editorial decisions. #### Is Inside TIME free? Yes. Inside TIME is a free newsletter, available at time.com/newsletters. A paid TIME subscription is separate and available at time.com/subscribe-agent. ## Video: Watch Second Democratic Debate in 4 Minutes [Watch (HLS stream): Watch Second Democratic Debate in 4 Minutes](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/i2uvWN4w.m3u8) (3:31)  _Published 2015-11-15. CBS Democratic Debate in 4 Minutes_ by [Sarah Begley](https://time.com/author/sarah-begley/) ## Sarah Begley Nov 30, 2015 7:45 PM UTC by [Sarah Begley](https://time.com/author/sarah-begley/) ## Sarah Begley Nov 30, 2015 7:45 PM UTC Polls and PAC dollars aren’t the only ways to analyze the 2016 presidential race: there are book sales. And while the candidates have been battling at debates, their books having been facing off on Amazon and in indies across the country**.** The most recent figures available show Republican Ben Carson gaining on Democrat Hillary Clinton (granted, her _Hard Choices_ has had a year and four months than Carson’s _A More Perfect Union_ to nab readers). Donald Trump’s _Crippled America_ hasn’t reached blockbuster status, nor have his sales been compounded by the August re-release of _Time to Get Tough_. While most candidates have only published one book in this time period, others have been busy: Carson’s sales cover four titles, including a book for teens and a shorter adaptation of his memoir, called _My Life: Based on the Book Gifted Hands_. Most of the other candidates have seen their sales figures languish at a fraction of these heavy hitters. See the chart below for more. These figures represent total units sold, from the date of release until late November, but only for books published since the beginning of 2014, when chatter about the candidates started to pick up in earnest ahead of the midterm elections. That means older bestsellers like Trump’s _The Art of the Deal_ (1987) are not included. The data includes both print and e-book sales where possible; print information comes from Nielsen BookScan, while e-book information comes from PubTrack Digital and only goes through July 2015\. Data for books that are digitally self-published are not included, such as Lindsey Graham’s _My Story_ (June, available on his [website](http://www.lindseygraham.com/))_._ Data for Jeb Bush’s [_Reply All_](http://www.amazon.com/dp/1515149048/?tag=timecom-20) (October, paperback and e-book) is not yet available. Book sales in the chart above include data from only the following books: [_A More Perfect Union: What We the People Can Do to Reclaim Our Constitutional Liberties_](http://www.amazon.com/dp/1591848040/?tag=timecom-20) by Ben Carson; [_One Nation: What We Can All Do to Save America’s Future_](http://www.amazon.com/dp/1595231226/?tag=timecom-20) by Carson; [_You Have a Brain: A Teen’s Guide to T.H.I.N.K. B.I.G._](http://www.amazon.com/dp/0310745993/?tag=timecom-20) by Carson; [_My Life: Based on the Book Gifted Hands_](http://www.amazon.com/dp/0310344514/?tag=timecom-20) by Carson; [_Hard Choices_ ](http://www.amazon.com/dp/1476751471/?tag=timecom-20)by Hillary Clinton; [_A Time for Truth: Reigniting the Promise of America_](http://www.amazon.com/dp/0062365614/?tag=timecom-20) by Ted Cruz; [_Rising to the Challenge: My Leadership Journey_](http://www.amazon.com/dp/1591848032/?tag=timecom-20) by Carly Fiorina; [_God, Guns, Grits and Gravy_](http://www.amazon.com/dp/1250060990/?tag=timecom-20) by Mike Huckabee; [_Taking a Stand: Moving Beyond Partisan Politics to Unite America_](http://www.amazon.com/dp/1455549568/?tag=timecom-20) by Rand Paul; [_Our Presidents & Their Prayers: Proclamations of Faith by America’s Leaders_](http://www.amazon.com/dp/1455535737/?tag=timecom-20) by Paul; [_American Dreams: Restoring Economic Opportunity for Everyone_](http://www.amazon.com/dp/0143109030/?tag=timecom-20) by Marco Rubio; [_Outsider in the White House_](http://www.amazon.com/dp/1784784184/?tag=timecom-20) by Bernie Sanders; [_Bella’s Gift: How One Little Girl Transformed Our Family and Inspired a Nation_ ](http://www.amazon.com/dp/0718021959/?tag=timecom-20)by Rick Santorum; [_Blue Collar Conservatives_ ](http://www.amazon.com/dp/1621572390/?tag=timecom-20)by Santorum;[ _Crippled America: How to Make America Great Again_ ](http://www.amazon.com/dp/1501137964/?tag=timecom-20)by Donald Trump; and [_Time to Get Tough: Making America #1 Again_](http://www.amazon.com/dp/1621574954/?tag=timecom-20) by Trump. ## Transcript So before we begin tonight's second debate with these candidates for the democratic presidential nomination we ask you to join us in observing a moment of silence. [ APPLAUSE ] I'm not that much of a social Compared to Eisenhower. You'll never hear this from that immigrant bashing carnival barker Donald trump. And for the first time a majority of donors are women, 60 %. In 2008 you were portraying yourself ans Annie Oakley and saying that we don't need those regulations. oh there just can not be an AMerican fight although American leadership is essential. I would argue That the disastrous invasion of Iraq has unravelled the region completely, and led to the rise of Al- Qaeda and to ISIS. I don't think that the United States has the bulk of the responsibility. It's not just about getting rid of this single dictator. It is about understanding the secondary and third consequences that fall next. That was one of the real contributions despite all the other problems, that George W. Bush made after nine eleven when he basically said after going to a Mosque in Washington, we are not at war with Islam or Muslims. We are at war with violent extremists. If you go to 12 it would be the highest historical average we've ever had. Oh come on but yeah look it should always be going up, with all due respect to Secretary Clinton, I think we need to stop taking our advice from economists on Wall Street and start taking advice. [ CROSSTALK ] He's not on Wall Street. Wall Street's the [ INAUDIBLE ] [ APPLAUSE ] I represented New York, and I represented New York on 9 / 11. We were attacked in downtown Manhattan where Wall Street is. I did spend a whole lot of time and effort helping them rebuild. That was good for New York. It was good for the economy. And it was a way to rebuke the terrorists [ APPLAUSE ] [ APPLAUSE ] Who have attacked our country. The business model of Wall Street is fraud. The Affordable Care Act is a step forward, I think we all support it. I believe we gotta go further. I want to end the international embarrassment of the United States of America being the only major country on Earth that doesn't guarantee healthcare to all people as a right, not a privilege. And there's a significant difference that I have with Senator Sanders about how best to provide quality, affordable health care for everyone. I want those kids to know that if they study hard, they do their homework, regardless of the income of their families they will in fact be able to get a college education because we're gonna make public colleges and universities tuition free. I believe that actually affordable college, debt free college is the goal that we need to attain as a nation. I disagree with free college for everybody. I don't think tax payers should be paying to send Donald Trump's kids to college. There is no challenge too great for the United States to confront. Provided we have the ability and the courage to put forward new leadership that can move us to those better, and safer, and more prosperous days. I think the President's job Is to do everything possible, everything that she can do to lift up the people of this country. We need a political revolution, millions of people are gonna have to stand up, turn off the tv, get involved in the political process. 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