second-most

The second-most sold and translated work after the Bible is The Imitation of Christ, written by Thomas à Kempis. Five to seven billion copies make the Bible the top seller of any book. Estimates on The Imitation, which was published in Latin, c. 1418-1427, are uncertain, but there are about 750 extant manuscripts, that is, copies made around the publishing date.

Thomas (1380-1471) was born in Kempen, Germany, ordained in 1413, and died in Zwolle, Netherlands, an old man of 91. The Amazon rating by 454 people is 4.7/5. The book is divided into four parts providing detailed instructions: “Helpful Counsels of the Spiritual Life”, “Directives for the Interior Life”, “On Interior Consolation”, and “On the Blessed Sacrament”. A paperback edition costs about $10.