The previous chapters have characterized Ganot's physique and Atkinson's physics through the analysis of the structure, order and narrative in their textbooks. Their practices as writers and readers had a major role in the production of their textbook physics. They wrote for intended readers defined in collaboration with their publishers, and they intended to communicate specific meanings and forms of pedagogy, scientific practice and reading. However, they were not always successful. Their books were, in certain cases, intensively read by readers who were not part of the major readerships they addressed. And readers did not always subscribe to the meanings and follow the ways of reading intended by authors and publishers, but performed an active process of appropriation. The characterization of Ganot's physique and Atkinson's physics would be incomplete without taking into account their appropriation by readers. Accordingly, this chapter characterizes the readers of Ganot's and Atkinson's textbooks and their readings, and it examines their contribution to the shaping of nineteenth-century physics.

By 1881, having sold 204,000 copies of the Traité in eighteen editions and 51,500 copies of the Cours in seven editions, we can assume that Ganot's physique found roughly a similar or higher number of readers since the 1850s. The average life of the Traité's and Cours's editions was two and three years, respectively, periods in which, on average, around 11,000 copies of the former and 7,000 copies of the latter were purchased.