Books That Changed the World, New American Library, 1956, 2nd edition, American Library Association, 1978. From the Bible, the Iliad, and the Republic to Civil Disobedience, Das Kapital, and Silent Spring, this revised and greatly expanded edition is a monument to the power of the printed word-an informative discussion of many of the most important works ever created.
All courses of action are risky, so prudence is not in avoiding danger (it's impossible), but calculating risk and acting decisively. Make mistakes of ambition and not mistakes of sloth. Develop the strength to do bold things, not the strength to suffer
A prudent man should always follow in the path trodden by great men and imitate those who are most excellent
Love and fear can hardly exist together, if we must choose between them, it is far safer to be feared than loved
There are two ways of contending, one in accordance with the laws, the other by force; the first of which is proper to men, the second to beasts. But since the first method is often ineffectual, it becomes necessary to resort to the second
Common Sense by Thomas Paine
Men who look upon themselves born to reign, and others to obey
Virtue is not hereditary
Society is produced by our wants, and government by wickedness
Where knowledge is a duty, ignorance is a crime (Public Good)
The Wealth of Nations by Adam Smith
A great number of people do no labor at all, many of whom consume the produce of ten times, frequently of a hundred times more labour than the greater part of those who work
Labour, therefore, is the real measure of the exchangeable value of all commodities
Money makes money
Corn is a necessary, silver is only a superfluity
Wherever there is great property, there is great inequality
Fear is in almost all cases a wretched instrument of government
Nothing but the most exemplary morals can give dignity to a man of small fortune
A penny saved is a penny got
This empire, however, has existed in imagination only
An Essay on The Principle of Population by Thomas Malthus
Population, when unchecked, increases in a geometrical ratio, Subsistence, increases only in an arithmetical ratio
To prevent the recurrence of misery is, alas! beyond the power of man
The transfer of three shillings and sixpence a day to every labourer would not increase the quantity of meat in the country
Evil exists in the world not to create despair but activity
Civil Disobedience by Henry David Thoreau
That government is best which governs not at all
Unjust laws exist; shall we be content to obey them, or shall we endeavor to amend them
If a plant cannot live according to its nature, it dies; and so a man
Mein Kampf by Adolf Hitler
Obstacles do not exist to be surrendered to, but only to be broken
Reading is not an end in itself, but a means to an end. Its chief purpose is to help towards filling in the framework which is made up of the talents and capabilities that each individual possesses
I believe today that my conduct is in accordance with the will of the Almighty Creator
The correct use of propaganda is a true art
Only constant repetition (propaganda) will finally succeed in imprinting an idea on the memory of the crowd
Faith is harder to shake than knowledge
Hate is more enduring than aversion
Philosophiae Naturalis Principia Mathematica by Isaac Newton
Everybody continues in its state of rest, or of uniform motion in a right line, unless it is compelled to change that state by forces impressed upon it
To every action there is always opposed an equal reaction
The Interpretation of Dreams by Sigmund Freud
The interpretation of dreams is the royal road to a knowledge of the unconscious activities of the mind
Other Notable Books:
Das Kapital by Karl Marx On the Origin of Species by Charles Darwin Theory of Relativity by Albert Einstein
Books that Changed the World is actually cobbled together from three other books and some essays. The first half of the book treats books from ancient Greece and Rome as well as medieval Europe, and was taken from Famous Books, Ancient and Medieval. The rest of the chapters are from Molders of the Modern Mind, Books that Changed America, and the first edition of Books that Changed the World. All of these essays were written in the 1950s and 1960s.
Of the 76 works summarized in this book, I have read all of nine and excerpts from another eleven. I liked reading summaries of all these works, along with a discussion of how they were received in their time and afterwards. I don't know if I'll ever read Summa Theologica, Principia Mathematica, or Plato's Republic in their entirety, but I can definitely appreciate them more after reading this book.
The author treats in succession the Bible; Homer's epics; works by Plato and Aristotle; Greek plays; Greek and Roman histories (Herodotus, Thucydides, Xenophone, Polybius, Sallust, Livy, Plutarch, Tacitus); Greek and Roman scientists (Hippocrates, Theophrastus, Archimedes, Lucretius, Pliny the Elder); medieval theologians (Augustine, Aquinas); Renaissance scientists (Copernicus, Vesalius, and Harvey) and theorists (Machiavelli); industrial scientists (Newton, Jenner, Darwin), politcal theorists (Paine, Wollstonecraft), and economists (Smith, Malthus, Marx); and, finally, modern military theorists (Mahan, Mackinder), a megalomaniac (Hitler), psychology (Freund), and ecology.
Most of these works are famous enough to be familiar to many. There were a few that were new to me that I found very interesting. Mahan's The Influence of Sea Power on History was an essay that jumpstarted the naval arms race before WWI. Mackinder's "The Geographical Pivot of History" was a centerpiece of Axis and Soviet strategy in WWII and beyond.
The final work treated in this book was Silent Spring, an ecological book warning of the dangers of pesticides. Just this week there was big news in Oregon about thousands of bees dying under trees improperly sprayed with pesticides. More than 50,000 bees died a few miles south of where I live, then several thousand more in the town where I live. The Oregon Department of Agriculture responded by putting a moratorium on the specific pesticide. This kind of attitude is due to the consciousness of Silent Spring. Much of responsible ecology can be attributed to her book.
Since many of the works treated in this book are scientific treatises, it is easy to see how they have "changed the world". Copernicus' heliocentric description of the solar system or Jenner's discourse on vaccination have had a huge impact.
Other books with discredited theories are also on this list. Some of Aristotle's incorrect theories on the world were literally accepted as gospel for hundreds of years, and those who postulated different ideas were branded heretics and punished. Additionally, nearly all of Karl Marx' ideas in Das Kapital have been discredited (except in Marxist nations), and yet no one can dispute the huge effect that his work has had on the world. Freund is in a bit of a no man's land, since there are still arguments over his work, but there is no doubt that his work opened up the field of psychology from mystery to science. Finally, Hitler was a complete megalomaniac, but the influence of his book was immense.
In nearly every case, the author makes a solid argument for inclusion in his book. I didn't see much of an argument for the Greek and Roman histories. They most certainly belong on the "famous books" list from which they came, but mostly the author lauded the characterization ability of these ancient authors. There wasn't really an argument for how these histories changed the world. I wouldn't be surprised if they did, but I'd like to know how.
Every work in this book is from the Western tradition. Some might discount this list entirely because it is not inclusive of all nations. This is foolish politcal correctness. The Western tradition has had a huge influence on all nations, especially since WWII. And yet, I think there should be some Eastern works included in a list of books that changed the world. Perhaps because this book was written in the 50s and 60s, some of these influences weren't as strongly felt then. I think that anyone compiling a list today would surely put the Koran on the list. Its influence is certainly worldwide and molds many events in our world today. I'm not sure if there is another Eastern book that fits the bill. Perhaps the I Ching, the Bhagavad Gita, or a Buddhist text. Maybe some Japanese book on management or quality.
I appreciated my exposure to many great works in this book. The summaries were concise and, for the most part, the arguments for inclusion on the list were very persuasive. I hope to read some of these works in the future. If not, at least I have a better understanding of their contents and impact now.
Of all the books I have read on this subject, this is the best. For anyone interested in getting a bird's-eye view of some of the most influential Western books, this will give some well-argued representatives. The range is extensive, from the Bible, to Rachel Carson's 'Silent Spring', covered in 27 chapters. Most of these are dedicated to one author and one of their books; but there is a total of 43 authors covered and over 62 texts looked at. The subjects include religion, science, drama, history, psychology and economics, among others. A brief description of the particular book or work in question is given; arguments in favour, and arguments against; and a summary explaining why the work is considered influential. All of this is done in clear, precise, well-written form, and all within 336 pages!
It is always difficult for someone to choose which works of literature have provided the greatest influence (for good or ill) and inevitably some favourites may be found 'missing' 鈥� that is par for the course in the production of books such as this. For me, however, this has been the most enjoyable and satisfying treatment of significant works that have certainly had an effect on Western Civilisation. Highly recommended.
Of the 27 chapters in this wonderful book, 7 are devoted to the Pre-Christian Era, and mightily humbling they are. WE are far from being the originators, the creators of so much that we take for granted in science, literature, medicine, history, politics, the basics of correct thinking, drama, mathematics, geometry, ethics and more. And how far short we fall of the standards proposed. The majority of writers we could label as pagans and atheists. Their gods we casually dismiss as a joke...an act which makes atheists of every Christian. Yet we ALL stand on their shoulders.
The other 20 chapters hold their own fascination - from Hitler's "Mein Kampf", a copy of which was presented to every newly married couple in Nazi Germany to an American woman who in 1962 warned us of the imminent destruction of our world by pollution with her book "Silent Spring" ...we can't say we weren't told!!
This is a Feast of Fascinating Minds and of the amazing heritage and future we are soon to lose.
DURING THE READ: Note that the title is NOT: "Books That You Must Read".
Some of these books you might not care to read or even be able to locate or read only in translation. There is only ONE novel. Poetic Epics. No biographies. Science figures. Ancient drama, which could be a form of poetry. The Bible - which could be said to comprise all those literary forms above ie.story, poems, biography. There are manifestos on behalf of Women, Psychology, Economics, Population, Civil Disobedience, Astronomy, Conservation and Nazism. Yes, some of these books had a very bad influence indeed. One started a war in which thousands died...but it freed slaves
This is a totally absorbing read. Each book is presented within a rich context of biography, history, description, analysis, critique, evaluation and influence. Very hard to put down!!! Very easy to enjoy!!
Wish I had read this book back in the 50s. I am actually reading the 9th edition published in 1956, but I plan to read the 2004 edition after I have digested this one. My partner and I read and discuss one book per road trip. Correlation of ideas provides a thread.
Great Book shows the best Books and the great leaders and scientists philosophers in the west civilization ( because the writer did n't care much of any-other civilization ) , still great book give 5 .
An absolutely perfect read that encapsulates all that could be expected from a relatively small book.
I found this book thoroughly enjoyable and very informative. Downs not only details the 16 "books that changed the world," as you would expect, but also goes through the lives of the authors, which naturally adds a lot to an understanding of the books themselves. Some of my favorite chapters were unsurprisingly those on Newton's, Einstein's, and Darwin's respective works. To my surprise, I also found the chapter on Thomas Paine to be perhaps my favorite overall and the one from which I learned the most.
If you're like I was before reading this book and feel that there isn't really much value in reading a book about other (perhaps "better") books, I must say that the case is quite the opposite. Getting an easily digestible glance at the subjects of these books while also being provided with information about their authors and the impacts they had, and continue to have, on the world around them provides, I think, exactly the perspective which Downs sought out when writing: "to demonstrate, through consideration of certain specific examples, the immense power wielded by books."
When considering the age of this book (the copyright is 1956), all I can say is that everything written within Books That Changed the World seems just as relevant to me today as it perhaps would have been when it was written. Downs remains focused on the subject at hand and manages to offer an objective yet still mystifying presentation of the 16 books he illuminated.
I've kept this contentious, stimulating, and at times dubious book on my shelf ever since I was a kid in junior high. Robert Downs is right to urge readers to read the classics that started many a revolution, from Darwinian to Marxist, Freudian to Einsteinian. Yet I remain unconvinced that it was the printed word that gave these authors their power. How many people, particularly Marxists, ever got around to reading DAS KAPITAL? A poll some years ago revealed that most American biologists had never read Darwin's ORIGIN OF SPECIES, arguably the most influential book ever published, to say nothing of the general public. Adolf Hitler talked his way to power. MEIN KAMPF was a pitstop; he did not take the book seriously or feel bound by it. On firmer ground is the selection of SILENT SPRING. Rachel Carson influenced contemporary policymakers, including John F. Kennedy and Fidel Castro, in making the case for environmental protection. BOOKS THAT CHANGED THE WORLD should lead you towards some stimulating discussions. Just don't overate the impact of these tomes.