AN: Just something I really thought some of you might want to know. I don't mean to cause any controversy. I just read it myself and it caused myself to wake up. Just thought you guys might want to inform yourselves like I did.

By Steve Wohlberg
An Amazing Fact: The Japanese word for it is, "tsunami." Phonetic breakdown: "Tsu," meaning, "harbor or port," and "nami," meaning, "wave." Often translated: "Ocean wave," but most commonly, tidal wave.

One of the largest tsunamis swept into history May 22, 1960. Off the coast of Chile­on the western edge of South America­a 9.5 earthquake jolted earth's crust far below unsuspecting fishing boats. That deadly seismic shift resulted in a massive tsunami, with waves rising up to 100 feet, which within 15 minutes caused devastation for miles along the South American coast. That wasn't all. A gigantic, swirling ripple began rolling its way across the entire Pacific Ocean. Fifteen hours later it smashed into Hawaii. Within 22 hours, the tsunami struck Japan. The whole Pacific basin was affected, resulting in over 2,000 fatalities, half a billion dollars in damage, and over two million homeless.

1 Like A Rolling Tidal Wave
Within the realm of books, another tsunami of gigantic proportions is now rolling across the entire surface of Planet Earth. The name of this incredibly powerful current is composed of two simple words, Harry Potter. The facts are unbelievable!

Written by Scottish author, Joanne Kathleen Rowling­ who currently is the richest woman1 in England­Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone first splashed into bookstores in September, 1998, with an impressive first print run of 50,000 copies. The next volume (number two in a seven-part series), Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, broke out in June, 1999, with an initial printing of 250,000. A mere three months later (September, 1999), Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban swept across Earth's surface with 500,000 copies. Yet the tsunami had just begun.

The fourth title, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (July, 2000), became "the fastest selling book in history." 2 Its initial run was 3.8 million copies, with the majority entering eager hands in only one weekend, an all-time publishing record. Believe it or not, this was easily topped by the fifth installment, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (June, 2003), which the publisher cranked out to the profitable tune of 8.5 million books. At the date of this writing, over 200 million copies have been sold worldwide (with translations in over 55 languages), with two more books still looming on the horizon. How big will this tidal wave get? Only God knows.