Times Mirror succeeded in exiting the book-publishing business last week when it signed a definitive agreement with Harcourt General to sell its medical publisher, Mosby, to the diversified publisher for $415 million. Mosby, based in St. Louis, had sales of $225 million in 1997 and publishes more than 3000 books and 100 periodicals in nursing, allied health and medicine.
Mosby will become part of the Worldwide Scientific Technical Medical group. Its addition will take Harcourt's STM unit revenues to more than $700 million annually.