12. Traité des Arbres Fruitiers – $4.5 million ($5.3 million in 2016)
Traité des Arbres Fruitiers was written by Henri-Louis Duhamel du Moncaeu in 1768. He was one of the leading French scientists back in the day. His fields of study were physics, engineering, and botany.
This particular book he wrote is just what its title says: Treatise on Fruit Trees. He had been into plant physiology since 1738 until the day he passed away.
That year, he was asked by the French Academy to investigate what was causing saffron plant destruction in Gatinais. His discovery earned him the admission to the academy.
This book was sold for $4.5 million ten years ago, in 2006. Today, it is worth around $5.3 million.
