Empty books or blank books are novelty books whose title indicates that they treat some serious subject, but whose pages have been left intentionally blank. The joke is that "nothing" is the answer to whatever the title of the book asserts.
A number of such titles have been published as attempts at satire or polemic, to some commercial success. In 2017, The Guardian commented that the trend of publishing political empty books had led to "the noble art of political parody [descending] into a one-joke turn that avoids words".[1]
This list includes, in order of publication, empty books that have been published with an ISBN or have received coverage in reliable sources unrelated to the author. The books may have book design features such as front matter, a table of contents, page numbers, etc., as long as the pages are otherwise blank.
A record of the statesmanship and political achievements of Gen. Winfield Scott Hancock, regular Democratic nominee for president of the United States (1880). A political pamphlet attacking Winfield Scott Hancock, Democratic nominee for president in the 1880 United States presidential election
Sussol, Max (1986). O Que Se Pode Fazer Sexualmente Após 80 Anos (translated from Brazilian Portuguese: "What can you do sexually after 80 years old"). 120 empty pages. ISBN 979-0090017033.[3]
Simove, Sheridan (2011). What Every Man Thinks About Apart from Sex. Summersdale. ISBN978-1849531986. Popular among British university students who used it as a notebook.[4]
Ferguson, Rich (16 March 2011). What Men Know About Women. CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform. ISBN978-1460993781. (Available on Amazon) but similar, earlier versions authored by others exist e.g. by Everything Men Know About Women by Dr. Alan Francis.[5]
Moncrief, Jimmy (2011). Everything Obama Knows About The Economy. Self-published. ISBN978-0980074239.[6]
Simove, Sheridan (1 August 2012). Fifty Shades of Gray. Self-published. ISBN978-0956827845. 200 blank pages in various shades of the color gray. Removed from circulation after legal action by the publisher of the novel Fifty Shades of Grey.[7]
The Wit and Wisdom of Nigel Farage. Ebury Press. 1 June 2014. ISBN978-0091960094. Angered UKIP supporters who bought it in the belief that it contained actual pronouncements by Nigel Farage.[8]
Alystiam, Ann (25 November 2016). Surprising Reasons to Believe Trump Will Be a Great President!. Self-published. ISBN978-0991068944. Authored by former Oregon First Lady Cylvia Hayes, under a pseudonym.[9]
King, David (30 November 2016). Why Trump Deserves Trust, Respect and Admiration. CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform. ISBN978-1540743220.[10]