Yes, the book pictured on the left may well be the most expensively priced book in a long time, if not ever. And when you're charging 3 million pounds for a book - which you can because there are 600 encrusted diamonds in every select edition - then chances are your target audience can only be the fabulously rich. Indeed, the BBC reports that Russian tycoons are the target readers for special "oligarch" editions of DANCING WITH THE BEAR by British entrepreneur Roger Shashoua, an account of how the author made 100 million pounds through business in post-Soviet Russia.

"There is so much money floating around in Russia that it seemed entirely logical to produce a book designed for the Russian market," said Shashoua. "I am just happy that conspicuous displays of consumption can now be associated with writing, rather than fashion accessories. I can only hope that oligarchs will read the book, rather than just keeping it locked away." Yes, but priced that high, I wouldn't bet the book gets read anytime soon...