Which book is being talked about here?

[Snore2024]

Purely put of nosiness, I'm wondering which book the author of this article (& book) could be referring to in this section?

"A few years back, a long-held dream of mine came true: a book I wrote became a runaway hit.You’ve probably read the book. You’ve definitely seen the book. Four years since it was published, it’s still selling like Taylor Swift tickets. It’s still in airports, still displayed face out in bookshops. It pops up at Airbnb libraries, on friends’ bookshelves and in conversation when people tell me it changed their lives and ask me if I have read it.They don’t know I wrote it. For one thing, my name isn’t on the cover. For another, it’s a very good book, authored by a very good man. The sort of book you give to a friend when they are going through a tough time. A book that’s inspired many, many people to live a more hopeful and generous life; full of hope and kindness and wisdom."

I read a lot but I've no idea what it could be.

https://www.theguardian.com/books/2024/mar/12/liam-pieper-celebrity-ghost-writer-author-bestselling-book

lithub.com/these-are-the-bestselling-books-of-2020/

A Promised Land ? Or that sickly sweet Boy,Fox,Dog one ?

I was going to guess the boy, horse, dog one as well. I've not read it but it sounds like it fits the bill.

Interesting guesses. I think the Obama one is a contender given what he says about the supposed author of the book.

The Salt Path one?

It has to be The Happiest Man on Earth

Midnight library was the first one that came to mind…

I thought Salt Path was by a woman?

I feel like this has to be the midnight library. Was super successful, written by a man, lots of people say its inspirational.

Not the Salt Path, she was way too poor to afford a ghost writer.

I would enjoy it if it was the mole/horse/fox one. I fecking cannot stand that twee shite.

Gangsta Granny

I don't see Matt Haig as using a ghost writer? They are usually for people who don't write/can't write - celebrities etc.

My first thought was Obama - but not so sure

it must be something more culty? I wouldn’t buy Obama for a friend going through a tough time…

Matt height is a writer himself - who be strange he had a ghostwrit r, but who knows!

Maybe not Obama

observer.com/2020/09/barack-obama-a-promised-land-memoir-ghostwriter/amp/

I thought of Matt Haig from the description of the book too but I agree, I don’t see why he would have a ghostwriter.

My guess would be Obama.

It doesn't take much googling to find that Liam Pieper wrote this book and it fits the description. Not sure how famous it is, but I don't read a lot of autobiographies so might just not be aware of what's big in that sphere.

I think The Boy, The Mole, The Fox and The Horse fits the bill. The author is primarily an artist and has talked about how he has thought up inspirational or thoughtful phrases (he didn't word it like that). I wonder if he needed a ghostwriter to link it all together?

It's the only one, other than the Obama book, that fits with you’ve probably read the book. You’ve definitely seen the book for me anyway. As @OneFrenchEgg linked Obama is unlikely to have used a ghostwriter. If I was to think of any book written in the past few years that you'd give to a friend going through a tough time, the only one off the top of my head, would be that one (The Boy/Mole/Fox/Horse).

Published 2022 so not four years ago

https://www.australianbookreview.com.au/abr-online/archive/2020/october-2020-no-425/877-october-2020-no-425/6900-tali-lavi-reviews-the-happiest-man-on-earth-by-eddie-jaku

It's The Happiest Man on Earth published in Australia in 2020.
The deeply moving story of Eddie Jaku. Even knowing Pieper was the ghost writer, doesn't change anything to the way I view this book. It's first and foremost Jaku's book ♥️

I've never heard of The Happiest Man on Earth (or seen it obviously displayed in bookshops/libraries) and I am a reader

Me neither. I also read loads. I wonder if he's speaking from a specific country point of view? I see the fox one all the time , and Matt Haig. Never seen the Happiest Man one in bookshops or online.
Interesting how global media can also be quite irrelevant.

https://www.australianbookreview.com.au/abr-online/archive/2020/october-2020-no-425/877-october-2020-no-425/6900-tali-lavi-reviews-the-happiest-man-on-earth-by-eddie-jaku

^^ this does line up though

Me three. I don't read autobiographies though so maybe it's that one?

My first thought of a book that would fit the bill was Matt Haig, but as a writer I didn't think he'd use a ghostwriter, but stranger things have happened!

The fox one makes me wonder as I've seen it about, and it does seem like the author is primarily an illustrator.

I’ve no idea but I find the idea of a ghost writer so fascinating! Why is it such a secret for most of the celebs? I just assume most celeb memoirs/books are ghost written, unless they are actually celebrities because of their writing? Is it literally just to protect the celeb ego? I know he was up front about using a ghost writer but surely no one would actually want to read Spare if it had been written by PH himself? it would be unreadable. I would love to know the answer to why all the secrecy.

I doubt it’s The Salt Path. I loved that book for many reasons but it did not inspire me to live a kinder or more generous life. It is page after page of middle aged self-obsession!