A book advising dentists to manage their practices according to the leadership techniques of a legendary Mongolian warlord has been voted the winner of...

A book advising dentists to manage their practices according to the leadership techniques of a legendary Mongolian warlord has been voted the winner of the Diagram Prize for Oddest Book Title of the Year.

Managing a Dental Practice the Genghis Khan Way by Michael R Young (Radcliffe Publishing) was crowned the winner with the majority share of an online vote at thebookseller.com. It joins an illustrious list of former winners including Living with Crazy Buttocks, Greek Rural Postmen and Their Cancellation Numbers, How to Avoid Huge Ships, and Highlights in the History of Concrete.

Managing a Dental Practice the Genghis Khan Way is the go-to guide of how to build an empire within your place of dentistry. Young, a former dentist and teacher of clinical dentistry, argues that despite the West viewing the legendary despot Khan in negative terms, his warmongering tenacity is required to build a successful business.

The book covers a wide number of subject areas, including: "Team building”, "Managing conflict situations” and "Planning for disaster”.

Horace Bent, The Bookseller's diarist and custodian of the Diagram Prize said: "In the end, it wasn't even close. Much like the tyrant himself, Managing a Dental Practice the Genghis Khan Way ruthlessly slaughtered the opposition, and scored twice as many votes as the runner-up, 8th International Friction Stir Welding Symposium Proceedings. But all is not lost for the friction stir welders of the world—the 9th Symposium is but a

year away.

"I am delighted that in economically troublesome times publishers the world over have continued to publish incredibly niche titles with powerfully obscure titles. . . In any case, one might say I have a ‘filling' booksellers should ‘brace' themselves for an increased demand. Last year's winner, Crocheting Adventures with Hyperbolic Planes, saw its sales rocket by 1,500% in under a month upon winning the award”.

The Bookseller's Philip Stone, the Diagram Prize administrator, said: "Managing a Dental Practice the Genghis Khan Way's win is incredibly timely given the forthcoming, unprecedented restructuring of the NHS in England. Some practice owners may well have to adopt a more War Lord-ish approach to oral healthcare in order to survive."

The share of votes among the shortlist was as follows:

1) 58%: Michael R Young's Managing a Dental Practice the Genghis Khan Way

Running a dental practice Mongol warlord style

2) 24%: 8th International Friction Stir Welding Symposium Proceedings

Papers on the development and application of friction stir welding presented

at the symposium held in Lübeck, Germany, in May 2010

3) 8%: Joel Silverman's What Color Is Your Dog?

Hollywood dog trainer's dog training method

4) 4%: Cathy Williams' The Italian's One-night Love-child

House-sitter gets pregnant with a billionaire's baby after one night of passion

5) 3%: Martyn White's Myth of the Social Volcano

Perceptions of inequality and distributive injustice in contemporary China

6) 3%: Graciela Nowenstein's The Generosity of the Dead

An examination of the ongoing debate surrounding organ procurement

