Bush Sells 220,000 Books on the First Day

Not bad for an out-of-work former politician:

Former President George W. Bush's memoir "Decision Points" sold at least 220,000 copies through its first day of release, with more than 20 percent generated by e-book purchases.

Random House Inc. announced Wednesday that opening-day sales, which include preorders and represent 95 percent of accounts reporting, was the publisher's highest for nonfiction since former President Clinton's "My Life" debuted with 400,000 in 2004. Bush's book came out Tuesday with an announced first printing of 1.5 million copies, the same as Clinton's did.

Random House said that e-sales were 50,000 so far, a number unthinkable when "My Life" was published.

"It shows the digital market's rapid growth," said spokesman David Drake of the Crown Publishing Group, a Random House division.

If you'd like to get yours, click on the link in the box above.