Sidney Poitier's MEASURE OF A MAN, Oprah's Book Club Newest Selection

MEASURE OF A MAN by Sidney Poitier rose to the top of the charts after being picked by Oprah Winfrey on Friday, January 26, 2007 as her 56th Book Club selection. It will debut on The New York Times Bestseller List at #1 for the week of February 11. It debuts on the USA Today bestseller list this Thursday, February 1 at #6.

"Sales of Sidney Poitier's MEASURE OF A MAN soared across all sales channels over the weekend after the announcement on Friday," said Mark Tauber, HarperSanFrancisco's Vice President, Deputy Publisher. "We are tracking #1 in many accounts for the week ending Saturday, even though we have just two days of sales. Being selected by Oprah's Book Club has done a great service in bringing this wonderful book first published in 2000 back to the attention of the American public. The ranking at amazon.com, for example, went from #288,958 to #2 within hours of the show airing on Friday, a result echoed in all accounts. We are very happy for Mr. Poitier."

On MEASURE OF A MAN being selected for Oprah's Book Club, Mr. Poitier said: "I am overwhelmed far beyond the point where words, alone, could fully express either my appreciation or my gratitude; so, I must depend on the quality of my deeds in the years ahead to get the job done properly. Meanwhile, I proudly accept this honor on behalf of the forces that brought it about: the love of my parents, the ever-present kindness of strangers, and the hidden mysteries of the universe and, of course, Oprah Winfrey."