Toronto Star bestsellers: Ozzy Osbourne's memoir ‘I Am Ozzy' gets a posthumous boost
Such is the case this week for 'I Am Ozzy,' the 2011 memoir that heavy metal star
Ozzy Osbourne
—
who died last week at age 76
— wrote with Chris Ayres about his journey from poverty in Birmingham, England, to rock 'n' roll stardom and excess. It comes in at No. 9 on the original non-fiction list.
In the book, Osbourne wrote: 'People ask me how come I'm still alive, and I don't know what to say. When I was growing up, if you'd have put me up against a wall with the other kids from my street and asked me which one of us was gonna make it to the age of sixty … I wouldn't have put money on me.'
Though he was known as the Prince of Darkness, my image of him, not being a heavy metal aficionado, will forever be the befuddled and funny patriarch of
reality TV series 'The Osbournes.'
Speaking of reality TV,
Scheana Shay
, a star of 11-season-and-counting juggernaut 'Vanderpump Rules,' is telling her side of
the show's juicy drama
in memoir 'My Good Side,' which joins the original non-fiction list at No. 5. According to the book blurb, Shay joined 'Vanderpump' as a pathway to an acting career and was instead turned into a reality TV villain.
TV is also having an impact on the children's and young adult list.
'The Summer I Turned Pretty,' the YA romance by
Jenny Han
that was made into a Prime Video series, rejoined the list around the same time the show's third season began streaming. It's now got company in Han's 'We'll Always Have Summer,' the third book in her 'Summer' trilogy. Meanwhile, 'We Were Liars' by
E. Lockhart
has spent the last few weeks on the list after Prime Video debuted a TV show based on the book in June.
ORIGINAL FICTION
1. One Golden Summer
, Carley Fortune, Viking (12)*
2. Not Quite Dead Yet
, Holly Jackson, Doubleday Canada (1)
3.
The Woman in Suite 11
, Ruth Ware, Simon & Schuster (3)
4. Atmosphere
, Taylor Jenkins Reid, Doubleday Canada (8)
5.
Don't Let Him In
, Lisa Jewell, Atria (5)
6.
My Friends,
Fredrik Backman, Simon & Schuster (13)
7. An Inside Job
, Daniel Silva, Harper (2)
8.
Every Summer After
, Carley Fortune, Viking (12)
9. The Housemaid
, Freida McFadden, Grand Central (39)
10.
Broken Country
, Clare Leslie Hall, Simon & Schuster (17)
ORIGINAL NON-FICTION
1. The Anxious Generation
, Jonathan Haidt, Penguin (56)
2.
The Idaho Four
, James Patterson, Vicky Ward, Little, Brown (2)
3.
One Day, Everyone Will Always Have Been Against This,
Omar El Akkad, McClelland & Stewart (21)
4.
Anatomy of a Cover-Up
, Paul Palango, Random House Canada (7)
5. My Good Side
, Scheana Shay, Grand Central (1)
6.
The Serviceberry,
Robin Wall Kimmerer, Scribner (35)
7. Braiding Sweetgrass
, Robin Wall Kimmerer, Milkweed (156)
8.
Everything Is Tuberculosis
, John Green (8)
9. I Am Ozzy
, Ozzy Osbourne, Chris Ayres, Grand Central (1)
10. A Spy in the Family
, Paul Henderson, David Gardiner, HarperCollins Canada (4)
CANADIAN FICTION
1. One Golden Summer
, Carley Fortune, Viking
2. Every Summer After
, Carley Fortune, Viking
3.
Finding Flora
, Elinor Florence, Simon & Schuster
4.
A Most Puzzling Murder
, Bianca Marais, Mira
5. Meet Me at the Lake
, Carley Fortune, Viking
6. This Summer Will Be Different
, Carley Fortune, Viking
7. The Handmaid's Tale
, Margaret Atwood, McClelland & Stewart
8.
Everyone Here Is Lying
, Shari Lapena, Seal
9. The Retirement Plan
, Sue Hincenbergs, Harper Avenue
10. I Hope You Remember
, Josie Balka, Simon & Schuster
CANADIAN NON-FICTION
1.
Value(s),
Mark Carney, Signal
2.
One Day, Everyone Will Always Have Been Against This,
Omar El Akkad, McClelland & Stewart
3.
Outsider
, Brett Popplewell, HarperCollins Canada
4.
Anatomy of a Cover-Up
, Paul Palango, Random House Canada
5.
Lessons From Cats for Surviving Fascism
, Stewart Reynolds, Grand Central
6.
Murder, Madness and Mayhem
, Mike Browne, HarperCollins Canada
7. The Knowing
, Tanya Talaga, HarperCollins Canada
8. The Massey Murder
, Charlotte Gray, HarperCollins Canada
9. A History of Canada in Ten Maps
, Adam Shoalts, Penguin Canada
10. Empire of Deception
, Dean Jobb, HarperCollins Canada
CHILDREN AND YOUNG ADULT
1.
Sunrise on the Reaping,
Suzanne Collins, Scholastic
2.
The Summer I Turned Pretty
, Jenny Han, Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
3. Red Queen
, Victoria Aveyard, HarperCollins
4. A Study in Drowning
, Ava Reid, HarperCollins
5. We Were Liars
, E. Lockhart, Ember
6. The Enemy's Daughter
, Melissa Poett, Quill Tree
7. We'll Always Have Summer
, Jenny Han, Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing
8. Karen's Ghost (Baby-Sitters Little Sister #11)
, D.K. Yingst, Ann M. Martin, Graphix
9.
Love You Forever
, Robert Munsch, Sheila McGraw, Firefly
10.
Binding 13,
Chloe Walsh, Bloom
SELF-IMPROVEMENT
1. The Let Them Theory
, Mel Robbins, Sawyer Robbins, Hay House
2. The Mountain Is You
, Brianna Wiest, Thought Catalog
3. The Body Keeps the Score
, Bessel van der Kolk, Penguin
4. The 48 Laws of Power
, Robert Greene, Joost Elffers, Penguin
5. 101 Essays That Will Change the Way You Think
, Brianna Wiest, Thought Catalog
6. Think and Grow Rich
, Napoleon Hill, TarcherPerigee
7. We Can Do Hard Things
, Glennon Doyle, Abby Wambach, Amanda Doyle, Dial
8. The Life That's Waiting
, Brianna Wiest, Thought Catalog
9. Rich Dad Poor Dad
, Robert T. Kiyosaki, Plata
10. Attached
, Amir Levine, Rachel Heller, TarcherPerigee
*
Weeks on list
The bestseller lists are compiled by Toronto Star Newspapers Limited from information provided by BookNet Canada's national sales tracking service, BNC SalesData.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Business Upturn
7 minutes ago
- Business Upturn
How Rhonda Byrne turned belief into a billion-dollar business model in the United States
Rhonda Byrne is best known in the United States as the visionary behind The Secret , the self-help juggernaut that reignited America's obsession with the Law of Attraction. But beneath the glittering surface of her message— ask, believe, receive —lies a sophisticated commercial framework that turned a single idea into a multi-platform empire. This article explores the Rhonda Byrne business model, focusing specifically on how she monetised belief in the U.S. market through publishing, media, licensing, and digital strategies. With a sharp focus on monetisation mechanics rather than metaphysics, this article maps out how a spiritual concept evolved into a billion-dollar American business. The rise of Rhonda Byrne and The Secret 's influence on American consumer habits When The Secret first hit American bookshelves in 2006, few anticipated the cultural firestorm it would ignite. Based on New Thought philosophies and the age-old concept of manifestation, Byrne's brand of positivity offered something uniquely American: a promise that personal desire, if focused correctly, could translate into financial success, romantic relationships, or even health. The book's appeal was amplified by the Oprah effect—Byrne was featured twice on The Oprah Winfrey Show , instantly turning The Secret into a household name. But this was not merely a stroke of luck. Byrne's team had a meticulously prepared U.S. strategy: targeted marketing, viral DVD sales, and syndication-ready messaging that aligned perfectly with American consumer psychology, particularly in the post-9/11 era of anxiety and economic uncertainty. From self-publishing to global licensing: The monetisation of belief Initially self-published in DVD format in Australia, The Secret took a calculated leap into the U.S. through Byrne's independent media company, Prime Time Productions. This allowed full control over production and distribution—critical for maximising early profits and leveraging licensing rights. Once the product gained traction, Byrne negotiated with Simon & Schuster for U.S. book distribution, securing lucrative royalty terms while retaining key international rights. The licensing deals exploded from there: translated editions, branded journals, calendars, mobile apps, audio books, and classroom curricula. Byrne tapped into a global appetite, but it was U.S. licensing revenue—aided by Barnes & Noble deals and mass retail presence at Target, Walmart, and Amazon—that constituted the lion's share of initial earnings. She transformed a philosophical idea into an intellectual property portfolio. How The Secret was marketed as an American lifestyle product Rather than promoting The Secret as an esoteric text, Byrne positioned it as a lifestyle framework—accessible, digestible, and highly brandable. In the U.S., this meant aligning the brand with wellness, personal finance, self-empowerment, and productivity. Promotional materials often mirrored the aesthetics of life coaching and motivational content, appealing to the same demographic that consumed Tony Robbins seminars or Suze Orman books. The visual branding—sleek maroon tones, parchment-style fonts, and antique script—gave the illusion of ancient wisdom while being entirely repackaged for a modern American market. Byrne's U.S. strategy drew heavily on emotional branding, tapping into personal agency and aspirational living, two core pillars of American consumer culture. The spiritual economy and targeted wellness branding in the U.S. In America, the spirituality industry is less about doctrine and more about utility. Byrne's brilliance lay in her ability to reframe Law of Attraction as a toolset, not a belief system. This resonated especially with Millennials and Gen Xers looking for secular spirituality. Her products were marketed not through churches or religious circuits, but through wellness expos, YouTube testimonials, and self-help influencer networks. Additionally, the U.S. version of The Secret movement attracted an audience of women between the ages of 25 and 50—predominantly middle-class, self-motivated, and interested in holistic health, business success, and personal transformation. Byrne effectively monetised U.S. wellness branding trends decades ahead of today's meditation app and coaching subscription booms. The business backbone of the Rhonda Byrne empire Beyond the initial success of The Secret , Byrne expanded her brand into a multi-product business ecosystem. While many associate her only with books and DVDs, the full business structure involves real estate holdings, streaming services, limited-edition releases, and private publishing contracts—all orchestrated under her corporate entities registered across the U.S., U.K., and Australia. Two decades later, the Rhonda Byrne business model has evolved into a long-term revenue machine powered by repackaged content, re-releases, and evergreen messaging that continues to sell to new audiences. Product diversification: Beyond books and documentaries Byrne didn't stop with The Secret . Follow-ups like The Power , The Magic , and Hero were timed strategically for holiday seasons in the U.S., often bundled with journals, vision boards, or guided affirmations. These books were not standalone projects; they functioned as modular expansions of the same core message, enabling customers to buy into a continuity marketing loop. By 2020, Netflix premiered The Secret: Dare to Dream , a feature-length film starring Katie Holmes. The movie wasn't just content—it was an elaborate content marketing tool reinforcing the brand's legitimacy for a younger, more digitally native U.S. audience. Every product served a dual purpose: revenue and lead generation for future sales. U.S. publishing deals and royalty structures behind the scenes While Byrne retains much creative and brand control, her partnership with Simon & Schuster in the U.S. has been pivotal. Unlike typical first-time authors, Byrne reportedly negotiated above-industry royalties, sometimes as high as 25% on hardcover sales. Add to that the back-end licensing of audiobook rights through Audible and streaming rights via Netflix, and Byrne's U.S. royalty stack is deeply diversified. Also crucial: republication rights. Her business entities license older works in repackaged forms—gift editions, e-book bundles, and anniversary releases—ensuring long-tail profitability from existing content libraries. Her team leverages these deals across major American book fairs and online marketplaces, particularly Amazon and Apple Books. The role of exclusive distribution in building brand scarcity Unlike many self-help authors who flood multiple platforms, Byrne's strategy emphasized selective exclusivity. For instance, early editions of her DVDs were only available via the official The Secret website or specific American retailers. This helped build a sense of rarity and desire—similar to luxury fashion drops or limited edition sneakers. This scarcity strategy also applied to Byrne's speaking engagements and media appearances—they were infrequent but high-impact. By limiting access, she increased perceived authority and demand within American self-help and spiritual circles. Rhonda Byrne's digital strategy and influence on new-age entrepreneurship As digital platforms exploded in the 2010s, Byrne adapted quickly. She understood that the future of spiritual and motivational content wasn't on bookstore shelves but in online ecosystems. Her website, became the central node in an expanding web of content, courses, and streaming options tailored to a U.S. market increasingly hungry for 24/7 access to self-help. and monetising an online following Launched as a basic companion site in the 2000s, evolved into a subscription-based streaming platform offering exclusive content, including affirmations, masterclasses, guided visualisations, and member-only film access. Users could pay monthly or annually—introducing a recurring revenue model uncommon in spiritual publishing at the time. Beyond video content, the site hosts affiliate products, branded merchandise, and ticketed digital events, all monetised through e-commerce integrations and Stripe-based payment portals. The platform also leverages email funnels and behavioural tracking, retargeting U.S. users with product suggestions and exclusive offers. Byrne's influence on the U.S. motivational speaker circuit While Byrne herself is not a prolific public speaker, her influence shaped the U.S. motivational speaker economy. Speakers at events like Mindvalley Live or Hay House summits frequently cite The Secret , with some even licensing Byrne's messaging in seminars. In return, Byrne's team has engaged in content partnerships and cross-promotion across high-traffic U.S. podcasts and social media channels. This integration not only enhanced visibility but created downstream revenue—many motivational coaches now serve as de facto brand ambassadors, funneling new American audiences back to The Secret ecosystem. How her brand shaped online coaching and wellness marketing models The Byrne brand prefigured the now-common coaching economy—think Law of Attraction coaching, manifestation mentors, and mindset consultants. Many of today's digital wellness entrepreneurs credit The Secret as their inspiration and often structure their business models similarly: digital downloads, email courses, private Facebook communities, and branded merchandise. Her approach gave rise to a template for belief monetisation: package an ideology, attach it to a lifestyle, build community, and layer it with content upsells. This structure is now common among American wellness influencers and spiritual coaches. A unique business legacy: What Rhonda Byrne's model tells us about U.S. spirituality commerce Rhonda Byrne didn't just publish a book—she catalysed an entire economic movement rooted in individual agency, emotional branding, and spiritual consumerism. In the United States, where belief and capitalism often intersect, Byrne's business model offers a textbook case of how spiritual ideologies can be turned into commercial IP portfolios. Her influence on U.S. self-help media and Gen Z spiritual entrepreneurs From TikTok manifestation videos to Instagram pages filled with affirmation quotes, Byrne's legacy is imprinted across Gen Z spiritual commerce. Many younger entrepreneurs now build businesses by combining social media virality with spiritual frameworks—exactly what Byrne did before the era of influencers. Her success proved that there's a scalable audience in America for content that blends hope, empowerment, and consumerism—and that spiritual messaging can be both emotionally resonant and highly profitable. Precursor to influencer-driven wellness empires in America Byrne's empire predated the influencer economy, yet foreshadowed it. Like today's YouTubers or meditation app founders, she built a niche, created high-conversion content, and scaled vertically across platforms. From that perspective, Byrne can be seen as a proto-influencer—except her product wasn't herself, it was belief itself. Modern figures like Jay Shetty or Gabby Bernstein have replicated aspects of the Rhonda Byrne business model, monetising mindfulness, manifestation, or spiritual insight via digital memberships, workshops, and product sales. Why the Rhonda Byrne business model may become a Harvard case study Given its unique blend of ideology, IP management, media strategy, and emotional marketing, the Rhonda Byrne business model offers a rich case study for American business schools. It intersects key subjects: branding, publishing economics, cultural psychology, and platform monetisation. In many ways, it's a model of soft power capitalism, where personal transformation fuels commercial transactions. Conclusion: Rhonda Byrne and the monetisation of belief in America's digital spiritual economy Rhonda Byrne's billion-dollar success was never just about The Secret —it was about strategically packaging belief for a country where hope sells. Her brand preceded the modern wellness boom, prefigured the influencer monetisation playbook, and created a repeatable framework for how spiritual ideas can thrive in America's digital economy. Like Calm or Headspace, Byrne built a business not from tangible products, but from an emotional and cognitive experience. The difference? She did it before mobile apps or Instagram ever existed. As U.S. consumers continue to spend billions on spiritual self-help, Rhonda Byrne's model remains a blueprint for monetising metaphysics—one that continues to shape the future of belief-driven capitalism in America. This article is intended for informational and editorial purposes only. It does not constitute endorsement or promotion of any individual, company, or entity mentioned. Business Upturn makes no representations or warranties regarding the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of the information provided.
Forbes
3 hours ago
- Forbes
Ozzy Osbourne Owns 90% Of A Billboard Chart
It's not unusual for superstar musicians who have recently passed away to dominate one Billboard ranking or another, as fans react to tragic news by buying or streaming — or in many cases, consuming in both manners — many of an artist's most familiar tracks. Ozzy Osbourne is the latest legend to be honored in such a way, as he invades a number of tallies in the United States, both under his own name and as a member of Black Sabbath. Osbourne's power and popularity are especially prevalent on one sales ranking, where he almost completely dominates. Ozzy Osbourne Occupies 90% of One Chart On this week's Hard Rock Digital Song Sales chart, Osbourne occupies 90% of the available spots. The tally features just 10 positions, and nine of them are filled by either Osbourne's solo cuts or Black Sabbath tracks. The Top Three Songs at Once Osbourne's three highest-rising hits are solo affairs, with "Mama, I'm Coming Home" returning to No. 1 just weeks after it first led the charge. That classic is followed by "Crazy Train" at No. 2 and "No More Tears," which climbs to No. 3, hitting a never-before-seen peak in its third frame. 'Close My Eyes Forever,' "Dreamer" and "Shot in the Dark" Debut The rocker also scores a trio of brand new smashes on the Hard Rock Digital Song Sales chart at the same time. "Close My Eyes Forever" with Lita Ford, "Dreamer," and "Shot in the Dark" all debut this frame. Those tunes close out the ranking as they come in at Nos. 8, 9, and 10, respectively. 'Paranoid' Returns to its All-Time High Sandwiched in between Osbourne's two winning streaks are a pair of Black Sabbath cuts. "Paranoid" returns to its all-time high of No. 5, while "Iron Man" reenters at No. 6, just shy of No. 4, where it previously peaked. Yungblud Breaks Things Up The only track that manages to break up Osbourne's run is "Changes (Live from Villa Park) Back to the Beginning." That cut is fronted by alternative powerhouse Yungblud and also credits Nuno Bettencourt, Frank Bello, Adam Wakeman and II. The tune debuts at No. 4, and had it been released at any other time, there's a real possibility Osbourne would have become the rare superstar to completely fill a Billboard chart in a single frame.
Forbes
4 hours ago
- Forbes
Black Sabbath Beats Its Own Record Four Times Over
Black Sabbath is in the middle of one of its most impressive weeks on the Billboard charts, though sadly, it's not much of a celebration. The group's frontman, Ozzy Osbourne, passed away in late July, just weeks after the band performed its final show to a massive crowd in Birmingham, England. As sales and streams of both Osbourne's solo material and Black Sabbath's catalog surged, fans sent a number of popular tracks and bestselling albums back to rankings all around the world, especially in the United States. The outfit's success – and Osbourne's popularity – is perhaps best seen by taking a look at the Rock Digital Song Sales chart. Black Sabbath Scores Multiple Bestsellers Black Sabbath currently fills four spaces on Billboard's Rock Digital Song Sales chart, which lists the top-selling tunes within the U.S. classified by the magazine as rock. All four tracks — "Paranoid," "Iron Man," "War Pigs/Luke's Wall," and "Changes" — debut simultaneously. Coincidentally, they land one right after another, opening at Nos. 5, 6, 7, and 8, respectively. Black Sabbath Sets a New High Before this frame, Black Sabbath had only reached the Rock Digital Song Sales chart once. More than a decade ago, "God Is Dead?" climbed as high as No. 20. Now, the band not only secures a new career peak, but does so by placing four tracks ahead of what was previously its greatest success on this tally. Ozzy Osbourne Outshines Black Sabbath With Nine Solo Hits While Black Sabbath occupies more than one-quarter of all available slots on the Rock Digital Song Sales chart, Osbourne performs even better as a solo act. He posthumously claims nine of the 15 spaces on the list, including the highest-ranking title. Seven of these tunes — "No More Tears," "Changes," "Close My Eyes Forever" (with Lita Ford), "Dreamer," "Shot in the Dark," "Mr. Crowley," and "See You on the Other Side" — debut this frame. Meanwhile, fan favorites "Mama, I'm Coming Home" and "Crazy Train" earn another stay on the ranking.
