Books: One World, One Cookbook

Sales of Wendell Willkie’s One World, fastest-selling book* in U.S. publishing history, were recently (and temporarily) topped in St. Louis — and by a cookbook. Author of the topper is St. Louis’ Irma von Starkloff Rombauer. Title of her bestseller: The Joy of Cooking (Bobbs-Merrill, $2.50).

Mrs. Rombauer’s 2-lb. 5-oz. culinary click (TIME, July 12) is sold on a money-back guarantee (“Try any dozen recipes”). So far only two cookbooks have been re turned. Of their dissatisfied buyers, Bobbs-Merrill’s President D. L. Chambers commented curtly: “They didn’t follow instructions.”

As a writer, Mrs. Rombauer got off to a late start. She was 52 and a widow when she wrote her first cookbook. It began in a small way when she made up a list of recipes for her children, who were about to be married. “I realized,” says Mrs. Rombauer, “they didn’t know how to poach an egg.” This sudden realization turned into a privately printed book that sold 3,000, copies, assured many an egg of perfect poaching. Mrs. Rombauer’s expert, explicit manner of writing recipes is nearly baffle-proof. Of the various edi tions, over 12,000 have been sold in St. Louis alone.

Encouragement has come to her from far & wide. One eloping bride telegraphed her family: AM MARRIED. ORDER ANNOUNCEMENTS. SEND ME A ROMBAUER COOKBOOK AT ONCE. One man gazed fondly at Mrs. Rombauer, announced, “At last I can eat spinach.” A firm Rombauer fan is Mrs. Leon Henderson, wife of one of the New Deal’s best-fed figures. Once the Hendersons had kitchen trouble. Nothing “seemed to work out right” until one day Mr. Henderson brought The Joy of Cooking home. Since then, the Hendersons have eaten well. Mrs. Henderson believes that Author Rombauer has “really done something for the women of America.”

Recently Wendell Willkie was also a recipient of a copy of The Joy of Cooking, autographed by Mrs. Rombauer. Its inscription: “With sincere apologies for my success.” Author Rombauer has just got around to buying One World.

* Total sales in four months: 1,200,000.