Dummies Turns 30

The first “For Dummies” book was published 30 years ago

The popular “For Dummies” book series, which has helped millions of people around the world learn new skills and understand new topics, is celebrating its 30th anniversary. The Dummies franchise, published by Wiley (NYSE: JW-A), started with a single book three decades ago and has grown into one of the best-known learning brands in the world.

With the tagline “Learning Made Easy,” Dummies books are dedicated to taking a not-so-serious approach to serious stuff, tackling complex concepts and making them easy to understand. Written by experts in a fun, friendly style, the books help readers become more knowledgeable and more confident in applying what they know.

“The For Dummies brand has been so successful because it has made complex and challenging topics approachable,” said Matt Leavy, Wiley Executive Vice President and General Manager of Academic & Professional Learning. “We’ve all had topics or skills where we've felt overwhelmed in the learning process, and Dummies has helped us feel less intimidated, with a little fun, levity, and learning along the way.”

History of Dummies Books

The very first For Dummies book, DOS For Dummies, was published in November 1991. The book and the concept quickly became popular, leading to the publication of two more titles—PCs For Dummies and Macs For Dummies—in July 1992. Three more books followed later that year: Wordperfect For Dummies, Windows For Dummies, and Excel For Dummies. Thirty new titles were then released in 1993, and 80 more came out in 1994.

While the initial books dealt with computer-related skills, the series soon branched out to other topics. The first non-tech-related book was Personal Finance For Dummies in March 1994.

Overall, more than 6,000 titles have been published in the U.S. since that first book in 1991, generating hundreds of millions of dollars in total sales. Typically, between 150 and 200 or more new books are published each year.

The top-selling book? Various editions of Windows For Dummies were the top sellers for the first decades, with Windows 98 For Dummies, 2^nd Edition topping the list as the all-time best seller. In recent years, sales have shifted more toward study and investing topics, with ASVAB For Dummies and Investing All-in-One For Dummies being the latest big-selling titles.

Dummies Reflects Culture

Dummies book sales trends often reflect cultural events and changes. Recently, for example, sales of Chess For Dummies unexpectedly surged. Why? Turns out it was due to the popularity of the Netflix series The Queen’s Gambit. This past year, the GameStop short squeeze situation spurred resurgent sales of Stock Investing For Dummies. And Zoom For Dummies became an instant best-seller when the COVID-19 pandemic took hold, forcing many people to work from home.

What’s Next?

What’s next for the franchise? Wiley recently debuted a revamped Dummies website designed to better deliver useful information to knowledge-seekers. And new titles continue to be produced. Coming out soon are NFTs For Dummies, First Ladies For Dummies, Algebra I All-in-One For Dummies, and an all-new entry in the most popular line of titles, Windows 11 For Dummies.

“We have to constantly keep up with what’s happening and expand our offerings into new topics and skill areas,” said Leavy. “In recent years, we’ve seen topics such as cryptocurrency and blockchain emerge. There’s no telling what’s on the horizon, but our For Dummies content will be there to help us all better understand it.”

About Wiley

Wiley is a global leader in research and education, unlocking human potential by enabling discovery, powering education, and shaping workforces. For over 200 years, Wiley has fueled the world’s knowledge ecosystem. Today, our high-impact content, platforms, and services help researchers, learners, institutions, and corporations achieve their goals in an ever-changing world. Visit us at Wiley.com, like us on Facebook, and follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn.

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